Are my chicks old enough to clip their wings?

[Nomibear]

Hi Guys. My chicks are now 4 1/2 weeks old. They have been living in the 4x7 foot coup/brooder that my Sis and I built. With some afternoons in a wire pen, on the ground. When they are large enough to not walk through the 2x4 in holes in our fencing, we want to let them run that part of the yard. I'm thinking by 6 weeks they will be large enough. Is this a safe age to also clip their wings? We have dogs in the other part of the yard that (I believe) would eat my precious chickens.
Please, any guidance on the appropriate age to clip the wings would be helpful.
~Naomi

 

[NovaAman]

I have dogs... My chickens learned real quick to stay away from the dogs fenced in yard. I don't clip my chickens wings because I want them to have a flying chance of getting away from a potential day time predator...

 

[Nomibear]

Outside of the fenced in part, there is no other protection, from our dogs, coyotes, or anything else. Our property is off the dirt roads... I believe their chances of a long life are higher if they remain in the fence. Does anyone know if 6 weeks is too young to clip their wings?

 

[chicken6465]

Why clip there wings, its there only means of escape, if a dog does try to get them they are history without there wing feathers.

 

[Winyari]

This article says that you can clip them at any age where flight becomes a problem. If it's a problem right now, I would think that it's OK. If it's not a problem yet then perhaps wait until they are older. Or at least that's what I think...
http://www.chickenkeepingsecrets.com/keeping-chickens/clipping-chicken-wings-why-when-how/

 

[Nomibear]

Thanks For all the advice. My California Whites had their wings clipped at 6 weeks since they had grown so large I felt bad keeping them in the brooder any longer. My Buff Leghorns have grown slower, so they were not free to roam until they were 8 weeks, and their wings were clipped then. Our ducks have also had their wings clipped at 10 weeks after one flew the coop, and was played with, resulting in death...;( All of our poultry is now 12 weeks old.

* Something of note. It seems their feathers were not all grown in, or something. At 10 1/2 weeks they started getting into a nearby tree, and got over the fence a couple of times. Their wings were clipped on the other side the next day...

 

[mattblackburn]

i clipped mine at 4 weeks they were trying to fly out of the 2 foot high brooder when i opened the top. They are healthy and its a fact of life if you want to confine them to a fenced area. My dogs stay in the yard no other predator would be safe and i dont leave them in the yard unless im out and about i dont trust the dogs either. But they can escape to the coop if need be.