Clipped Wings & Fenced Yard

What kind of fence do you have? If they are unable to see a landing place they are unlikely to just fly over.

A big problem is that chickens like to perch. If the top of your fence looks like a good place to perch, they might fly up there just for fun. Who knows which side they will hop down on? If it is the wrong side they usually don't know to fly back home.

Another potential problem is when one gets trapped against a fence. This might happen in pecking order/dominance fights or maybe a female is trying to get away from an amorous male. When they are desperate and panicked, they can pretty much walk up a fence with or without their wings clipped, flapping desperately. It's easy for them to come down on the wrong side.

Basically if they want out bad enough they can probably get out. The trick is to make them not want to. I keep chickens in a 4' high electric netting without clipping wings. They can easily fly over that if the wish, but the only time I have any problems with them getting out is when one gets trapped against the fence and wants desperately to get away. This is almost always when I have a bunch of cockerels in the flock, it is almost never a female. The top of my netting is not a perch.

So what are the tricks to keep them in? If your fence has a solid top rail or other likely place to perch (posts can be a perch) you can attach stiff wire at the top so it stands above the top by 6" to 12". The top no longer looks like a good place top perch. Don't forget gates.

I can configure my electric netting any way I want, you are stuck with your backyard fence. I found that if I avoid sharp corners (90 degrees is OK but don't go sharper) and I avoid long narrow sections, they don't get trapped against the fence or at least hardly ever. I once configured a narrow section 10' to 15' wide and maybe 20' long before my netting widened out. I was finding 1 or 2 cockerels a day outside the fence. I reconfigured that to more of square and hardly ever had a cockerel get out. If you don't have cockerels the chances of one getting trapped against the fence drops a lot.

Hopefully you can get something out of this that helps.

LOTS of great info, Thanks! The fence is a 4' chain link. We live in a neighborhood, but the area fenced in is good size with lots of flowerbeds (which I assume they'll want to scratch thru & explore which is fine), so I'm hoping thats enough incentive. So far the 4 hens don't seem abrasive towards each other (no rooster) & they actually snuggle together at night rather than attempting the roosting bar....super sweet! Its just that we're in a neighborhood & I don't want to upset the neighbors or make a scene trying to catch them
 
@Natrgrl326, I can provide directions on how to clip wings so they will not be able clear, top or clamber up a 36" fence regardless if it provides a suitable perch or not. Most people are not clipping close enough for fear of causing harm. Additionally, if unilateral clipping fails, the do bilateral / both wings. You birds are juvenile so will require some repeating of process in coming months and is is likely some blood feather will be cut even if you do not clip close enough to be effective.


As long as I do it right & don't cause pain, I'm happy to do it as frequently as needed so they have access to the whole yard
 
My EE's could, but don't, with one exception. I knocked over the shade umbrella in their yard, and in the ensuing panic, one went right over the 4 ft fence. I doubt my RIR would even try. My fence is just a cheap "decorative" panel fence that doesn't provide a place to land on. (inside a fully fenced backyard). I know they could, because they sometimes fly to the top of their small coop, that is about the same height. I think it is the flimsiness of the fence that discourages them.

My chicken breeds are as follows: 1 Barred Rock, 1 Delaware, 1 Australorp, 1 Easter Egger.
 
I challenge you to test this at same time I do it here. I am setting aside 12 juvenile Missouri Dominiques that will be randomly assigned one of two treatments. First treatment (n = 6 birds) will be one wing clipped, second treatment (n = 6 birds) will involve both wings clipped. Controls will be over 12 birds not clipped. All can currently get into pen each night with ease. Will provide pictures of actual clipping jobs. Too people many fail to clip correctly which is basis for process not working. I will call you out if it is done incorrectly. Test will be where the birds must fly up about 36" from ground to access there elevated coop. If the birds fail to get into roost on their own then I will provide them structures they can walk and hop up.

Pen below currently with a much larger top.
20180609_205219-jpg.1424116


I have a one armed game hen that can just barely get here self onto a 36" roost and that remaining wing is essential for that. She is a stronger jumper than birds to be clipped shortly. Hopefully this effort will lead to fewer chickens lost by their escaping protective containment.

I have already seen what over clipping does to a poor hen. She had no feathers on both her wings just short stubs, as I said she could still go up 8 feet.. And these short stubs cut off feathers on her body to the point of skin damage. Once she molted I never clipped her wing/s again. I was glad to save this girl! (I did need to clip the feathers around her eyes so she could see)

A pair of GEMs that were flying, yes flying 25 - 30 feet up and around the yard (not over the fence). Both had their right wing clipped lightly, just 1/2" to maybe 3/4" of the light feather tips, and they no longer even try to fly. They have no problem getting on the roost, or avoiding predators..

And feather clipping will not stop an escape artist, like the pair of cockerels I have now. They find any place like a gate and squeeze through it,,, they will grow out of this,,,
 
I have already seen what over clipping does to a poor hen. She had no feathers on both her wings just short stubs, as I said she could still go up 8 feet.. And these short stubs cut off feathers on her body to the point of skin damage. Once she molted I never clipped her wing/s again. I was glad to save this girl! (I did need to clip the feathers around her eyes so she could see)

A pair of GEMs that were flying, yes flying 25 - 30 feet up and around the yard (not over the fence). Both had their right wing clipped lightly, just 1/2" to maybe 3/4" of the light feather tips, and they no longer even try to fly. They have no problem getting on the roost, or avoiding predators..

And feather clipping will not stop an escape artist, like the pair of cockerels I have now. They find any place like a gate and squeeze through it,,, they will grow out of this,,,

I flat out refute bolded statement. It must be done.
 
I flat out refute bolded statement. It must be done.

I will never and have never clipped a birds wing/s like that! IMHO it is cruelty! There is no need or reason to clip wings in that fashion, and clipping both wings does nothing to stop them from going over a fence..
 
Someone once said "Fencing will be a good start, but they already go over there so it will take some training as well. And maybe a clipped wing here or there,,,". So following that line of thought.


There are situations where clipping wings can save chicken lives if it can keep them inside a perimeter where predators can not go. It can also reduce need to terminate a flock that cannot be contained on owners property. Clipped birds may also not need to be as contained in something like a coop because walls of a much larger run allow greater movement.

I very seldom clip chicken wings because the acreage I have and management system used does not work well with it. Others with different setups may make better use of wing clipping when done properly. Many flocks could be so treated, but it needs to be done properly. Having someone with little or no experience doing it correctly and then providing judgement is not productive. Fact-based information needs to be used when helping others make decisions. Not just emotions.
 
Last edited:
@Natrgrl326, I can provide directions on how to clip wings so they will not be able clear, top or clamber up a 36" fence regardless if it provides a suitable perch or not. Most people are not clipping close enough for fear of causing harm. Additionally, if unilateral clipping fails, the do bilateral / both wings. You birds are juvenile so will require some repeating of process in coming months and is is likely some blood feather will be cut even if you do not clip close enough to be effective.
@Natrgrl326, I can provide directions on how to clip wings so they will not be able clear, top or clamber up a 36" fence regardless if it provides a suitable perch or not. Most people are not clipping close enough for fear of causing harm. Additionally, if unilateral clipping fails, the do bilateral / both wings. You birds are juvenile so will require some repeating of process in coming months and is is likely some blood feather will be cut even if you do not clip close enough to be effective.
@centrarchid I'd love to have a visual/directions from your experience. I have done it before but it has been a few years.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom