I think I need to re-home my chickens

[secuono]

Even my fattest roo can get his big butt up to the top of our 5ft fence. So if you cannot add bird netting to heighten the existing fence to 6-8ft then there's not much you can do. If you won't add fencing, I don't see how you can add a top instead. Make a larger pen of bird netting, covered top or actually sit out there with them the whole time they are free.

 

[SaraFL]

Thanks for all the replies. Yes, I only clipped 1 wing on each bird. Maybe I didn't clip enough? I read to clip the first 10 feathers, and I cut a few inches off. I didn't want to cut too much and make them bleed or something. My neighbors do know about the chickens, but if they get in the yard with the dogs (who are outside most of the time) there won't be time for the water hose, the dogs will just kill them. Plus I don't want to have to go chicken hunting every day.

Gosh, my ducks don't give me this trouble, but I was thinking about rehoming them because of how noisy and messy they are. The chickens are quiet and cute.

 

[Judy]

They are close to or at full height at 4.5 months, but they won't finish filling out to their full weight til around a year, or more, depending on breed.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-wingclipping.html

 

[SaraFL]

Thanks Judy. That's the page I used when I was looking for instructions. Now I'm thinking maybe I didn't cut enough off. Can I cut too much on the primary feathers? Will they bleed?

 

[tennesseeckn]

Mine definitely got a lot less lift once they reached adulthood. It really depends on the breed, though. I have a game bantam that is raising chicks right now that flies like a bird.

Have you tried running a raised wire along the top of the fence? I've heard that few chickens can fly completely over a fence, that they have to be able to land ON the fence to make it over. I haven't tried it and don't know if it would work, but it wouldn't be too expensive to experiment with and would look better than a bunch of netting.

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
Extend your posts with something firm, a piece of pipe, wood, etc. by about 6 in. Then string, tightly, three strands of plain wire(the kind you would use for electric fencing) at about 2 in. intervals along your six inch extension. Chickens will not perch upon something so flimsy or something they cannot visualize...they may attempt to hop up to the former fence top and this wire will deflect their ascension plans. Make sure you do it on the gates as well and any flat surface onto which they can hop. Full size birds will not fly over a visualized obstruction just to get to the other side, so they are hopping to the top of your fenceline and then dropping down to the other side.

If six inches isn't enough, extend it to 8 or 10. This is the only way I've found to keep determined birds inside perimeter fencing of large areas.

Any thick fence posts need to have the same treatment....they are very good at finding hop points. Don't give up....most folks have this problem when they free range within a perimeter fence.

 

[jeanniejayne]

The message above sounds like a great plan. This same concept works for keeping birds from landing on roof lines.

 

[SaraFL]

I really appreciate the wire, netting, and other fence-related suggestions and they do sound like great ideas, but I can't do anything like that because of my landlord.

 

[Nigellas]

I'm sure they enjoy the free ranging, but if it's coming down to free ranging or rehoming them, I'd just keep them in their run.

 

[galanie]

Quote:
They will only bleed if you cut the "blood feathers" which are new ones coming in. Those are easy to spot because the shaft is really thick compared to the other ones. And if you do cut one somehow, pull the whole feather out with a pair of pliers asap. Cut the feathers short enough that there's only about 1 1/2 - 2 inches of feather left. Any shorter and the stub will irritate the bird.