Advice on Wing Clipping

[homersgarden]

I have had my ladies for over a year now. I orginally had four Americaunas and lost two to a vicious murder. I replaced them with an Australorp and Plymouth Barred. My ladies roam free during the fall/winter, but come spring they need to be contained in a run/fenced area as we have a lot of visitors (lots of kids) and I don't want them dragging in chicken poo. I recently moved the run (a dog kennel that is ten feet long and covered on top) and added an area of about 8X8 to it. This area is fenced on one side by an 8 foot fence and the other side by a four foot fence. Anyway, one (and sometimes both) of my Americaunas have taken to flying/jumping out of the enclosed area. I will come home to find her (or the both of them) out wandering alone in the yard. The other ladies are back in the fenced area. She seems to get out fine, but doesn't seem to go back in on her own.
I have decided that wing clipping may help. What are your thoughts? I don't really want to do this (I kind of feel bad about it), but I don't see any other options. I may eventually be able to cover the area with a"roof", but right now I have too many other projects on my plate. Ideas? Also if I clip any tips? I read in my Joy of Chicken book, but it doesn't say much. I called my vet, but they want to charge $50 office visit fee and another $20 per chicken to clip. Yikes!

 

[Iheartmyhens]

I had to trim all six of my pullets' wings as after the first night 3 flew onto my neighbor's roof and the other 3 got out of the chickenyard into where the dogs could get them! It's really not difficult but I can understand how you wouldn't want to do it yourself if you never have before...

Do you have a friend with a pet parrot of some sort? They can probably come over and teach you how to do it. I also hear if you go to YouTube and enter trimming chicken wings there are videos. There are also threads saved on this forum.

As best as I can describe it, if your hens' wings are fully grown in, pick one up and gently pull out a wing with one hand-you will see how there are kind of two layers of feathers-one is shorter than the other. The longer set of feathers is the only one you want to trim, and you can trim it back to almost the smaller set of feathers. Some people like trimming only one wing, I like doing both but I AM comfortable cutting them. If you don't cut both wings pretty short, your pullets can still catch some air.

Whatever you do, don't pay somebody $70 to do it!!!!

 

[Kev]

It's so easy to do yourself. Here's a link on how to wing clip.

Diagram isn't the best as for where to clip, but can work anyways. If you see a row of small feathers lying on top of the primaries(the pointy feathers on the hand part), they are a good guide line on where to cut the primaries. Cut close to those small feathers- it's the small dark colored feathers on the hen in the actual pictures.. last pic show perfectly how short to cut them.

Have to say.... 4 foot is still rather low. Some hens will still learn how to climb/get over it. Also be aware if guests bring dogs.. keep them well away from the chickens, and some dogs may dig under or jump over the 4 foot portion.

 

[tammyd57]

One short end of my chicken pen is only 4' tall and my big Orpington girls (with clipped wings) could hop right over it when they get startled by a dog outside or something. So I added 3' tall chicken wire to the top of it to contain them. Now my whole pen is 7' high and none of them can get out, even the ones without clipped wings.
You might consider doing the same if you really don't want to clip wings.

 

[write2caroline]

I clipped mine- Which went well and all was fine.

I learned not to clip the same on both sides. Also chickens can jump pretty high so my girls still get out!

Caroline