How do you *maneuver* wings for clipping?

[CluckyCharms]

If someone would please help me here, I would be eternally grateful.

There are literally hundreds of tutorials online and offline with regard to how to clip the wing but I can't find a single source telling me how to actually start the entire process. To clip a wing you have to maneuver and stretch it out in order to see the feathers and clip them properly.

Ours are only a month old now, but they are NJs and as anyone with NJs will tell you - these suckers take flight early. They are now clearing the neighbor's five foot fence on their daily "hour long" outings in the yard - at 1 month of age - it's time to clip.

I picked up the female and *very gently* moved her wing in the same motion she does when she's flapping them but she screamed like a banshee - acted like I was trying to rip her wing out or something and I had barely even touched it. Therefore - I'm clearly doing something wrong.

If someone could create a step-by-step tutorial for newbies like me - on how to *properly maneuver their wings* into position for clipping...you're my hero for the week.

I already know exactly how to clip them. Every tutorial I find the person already has the wing just sitting there in perfect position - chickens wings are held tightly to their bodies, they don't just say "OH hello, you must want to clip my wings, here...I'll stretch it out for you." etc.

I even tried to catch her in her stretch (she does this stretch thing where her wing is perfectly stretched out and her back leg sort of kicks behind her)...that went over like a fart in church and she wanted no part of that.


Thank you in advance.

 

[TallChickMagnet]

Go to YouTube, they have some very good videos....

 

[CluckyCharms]

Thank you, but I've watched about 12 of those videos and they just grab the wing and pull. I tried that and she acted like she was going to die.

 

[Pele]

Your chicken was screaming like a banshee because she doesn't like being handled, which isn't uncommon. Wait until it is dark, and pick her up off the perch while she's sleeping (keep the flashlight off of her, and she'll remain relatively calm).

Wrap her top half in a towel, making sure her head is covered, before taking her to a light source. All of this will keep her very calm and easy to work with. Less stress for you both.

Pull out the wing, it will naturally move in the direction it's supposed to. It's like any joint on any animal, the direction it's supposed to move is the direction it will naturally go towards (like your knee. You'd have to push hard to get it to extend backwards, and it's pretty obvious it's not supposed to go that way. Push it the other way, and it moves easily and freely because it's supposed to).

Cut her wing, then take her back to her perch and place her in the dark again. No fuss, no muss, no chicken melodramatics.