Clip wings?

[wallsden]

My chicks are 8 weeks old I want to let the roam in the back yard that has a 6' fence all around. Do I need to clip the wings so they don't get over fences? Any input is appreciated.

 

[sourland]

Clipped wings impede their ability to get away from predators. Why not wait and see if they stay home?

 

[Barnswallow]

Our chickens (3 Golden Comets and 6 Buff Orphs) were born in March. They have been fine in our backyard since being turned out to free range, with no problems with them trying to escape, since June. We had not planned on clipping their wings. Then yesterday, we get a knock on our door and it was our neighbor. He was leaving to get in his car and found all 9 of our chickens standing in his driveway!! We have absolutely NO idea how they got there - all gates were closed and nothing had changed in their environment. So we talked with our feed store folks, who recommended that we clip their wings because they probably flew over the fence. We finally relented with our concerns about doing so and clipped them today, so I will let you know how it goes! And just a fyi - no one warned me (although I should have thought about it myself) about the mess of feathers it leaves behind! LOL! It was rather comical though - as the feathers were being cut and flying through the air before falling to the ground, the rest of the girls were chasing them, hoping they might be a tasty treat!

They were running back and forth - it was fun watching them!

Good luck with your chicks!

 

[Toddrick]

My BOxRed mixes and my Red are kept in a four foot farm fence. They have not gotten out once. Just make sure there is nothing they can climb up anywhere near the fence, like a tree stump or box.

 

[wallsden]

OK, thanks I will be anxious to hear how the clipping went . I do think I will monitor them for awhile before I let them loose on there own.