I would worry more about the mean dog breaking into the yard than the chickens going into the yard with the mean dog. My chickens seem to be very aware of anything outside of the fence even before I'm aware of it. I have even seen them scatter because of a blue Jay that flew in unexpectedly.
Chicken flight versus fence height... need to clip wings?
- Thread starter cruxmama
- Start date
I would worry more about the mean dog breaking into the yard than the chickens going into the yard with the mean dog. My chickens seem to be very aware of anything outside of the fence even before I'm aware of it. I have even seen them scatter because of a blue Jay that flew in unexpectedly.
- Sep 28, 2015
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I've been having similar worries about my pullets getting over the fence and risking neighbor dog attack. We had two end up my my neighbors yard last month and then another one got startled last week and went straight up and then straight down on their side of the fence! She looked as alarmed by the situation as I was. Luckily the first time my neighbor was out and helped toss them back over the fence but this latest time no one was home and so their dog was out. Luckily the fence is only about 4 feet tall. I jumped up and balanced on my tummy with my legs flailing on one side and my arms reaching down for the chicken on the other. I got her back in time but it was scary enough that I looked up how to clip their wings. That's how I ended up here! I followed the directions from the diagram to clip their feathers and then started watering the plants while my chickens pecked around the yard. Now, it's important to know our house is on a pretty steep hill with my yard being on the higher part of the slope. The chickens were pecking around and seemed fine until a car drove by. That was enough to startle them all. This was a good test of how well I clipped their wings I guess... Most of them skittered back down to the house but one of them took flight and ended up on the roof of the house. We just stood there for a solid minute staring at each other like "what now??". She eventually was coaxed down but I'm worried about letting them out at all now. Does her persisted ability to fly mean I didn't clip enough feathers? Is she just not heavy enough for it to make a difference? I'm super worried that one of them will hop a fence and get eaten by one of the numerous roaming dogs in the neighborhood.
If you read all these posts then you have a pretty good understanding what to do. Here is what I can add to your particular situation. Trimming on that girls wings were insufficient. Other option is to trim just one wing. This will put the flying similar to an airplane loosing one wing. They will not be able to fly to the roof for sure. Other options to keep chickens from going over a certain fence is installing a netting above the fence. If you have a 4 foot fence and you stretch a light 4 foot additional barrier. 8 feet should keep most chickens in. I posted a solution to install on a 6 foot wooden fence. It worked for me . Here is a reposting of that pix.
WISHING YOU BEST
- Thread starter
- #24
I eventually did end up clipping one wing of each of my girls. Our roo got aggressive with some of my kids' friends and we sent him to live with a friend of ours. The very next day, our ladies flew up to the top of our 6' fence. That same day, the roo flew over the 6' fence at his new home too. I can't help but think it was maybe the change that had them taking an interest in the fence all of a sudden, but after witnessing the ease with which the ladies made that flight I have no doubt they would have eventually gotten curious no matter what. One wing clipped on each one has prevented any further successful attempts to reach the top of the fence, and we are vigilant about checking every day that there is nothing propped up near the fence that could be used as a "jumping off point" for a shorter flight to get there... So far so good!
Now we have one that is molting, so will have to keep an eye on her. She is an Easter Egger, brought over by our friend who took in our roo. She is smaller than our other girls, so I am sure could make the flight with greater ease if she tried. The trick now will be to catch her after the ew wing feather are sufficiently grown to clip, but before she attempts escape; Cavemanrich's idea of adding a few feet of bird netting (above) is looking very tempting!!
Now we have one that is molting, so will have to keep an eye on her. She is an Easter Egger, brought over by our friend who took in our roo. She is smaller than our other girls, so I am sure could make the flight with greater ease if she tried. The trick now will be to catch her after the ew wing feather are sufficiently grown to clip, but before she attempts escape; Cavemanrich's idea of adding a few feet of bird netting (above) is looking very tempting!!
- Aug 3, 2015
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No need to clip wings of flying breeds of chickens, in my experience. Right from the beginning when we got our flighty birds from an albeit relatively distant neighbour those birds would fly over the fence of the run but only just to fly right back into the run. Once one of them flew onto the roof of the coop. Again, it too flew back down into the run. Since they're flockers they'll stay put even if they take the odd casual flight. Your circumstances may differ, but I believe clipping is usuallly needless, except maybe to allay your own fears -- unfounded?
HNY, Nick
HNY, Nick
- Thread starter
- #26
We have predators outside the fence that are not inside the fence (neighborhood dogs, etc), and very fast traffic on the roads just outside the fence as well, and neighbors who would rather not have our chickens wandering their yards, so keeping them contained is important in our location. I have friends who live at the ends of dirt roads in the backwoods that don't have the traffic or nearby neighbors and their needs are very different, more like what you describe... For us, as well as for lots of folks in suburban/town areas, containment is not only a matter of safety but also of consideration and keeping peace with neighbors!
Selsley
Chirping
- Jun 5, 2016
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im glad you can teach a bird to be grounded with a wing clipping,
we are1st time keepers and 5 days ago added 6 chicks to out small flock of 8, one went broody about 6 weeks after she started laying.
3 of the chickens were from a pvt breeder and the clipped wings were horrible, it almost looks like he cut off half the wing,
the other 5 were farm bought and were chosen for their colours, the farmer clipped them when we got them, it was a much cleaner unnoticable job.
anyway, they have decided to not clip them next year and see what happens, if they fly they will be clipped if not they wont.
they have a few 100 sq m of space with trees, shade, and log pile they use to climb and hide in and seem quite happy.
we are1st time keepers and 5 days ago added 6 chicks to out small flock of 8, one went broody about 6 weeks after she started laying.
3 of the chickens were from a pvt breeder and the clipped wings were horrible, it almost looks like he cut off half the wing,
the other 5 were farm bought and were chosen for their colours, the farmer clipped them when we got them, it was a much cleaner unnoticable job.
anyway, they have decided to not clip them next year and see what happens, if they fly they will be clipped if not they wont.
they have a few 100 sq m of space with trees, shade, and log pile they use to climb and hide in and seem quite happy.
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