Clipping Chicken’s Wings

[SD13]

I have 12 Red Sex-Links, all about 21 weeks old. Our run we decided to make 4’ high as this is our first year with chickens and used what we had for budgetary reasons. If we like this new hobby we will probably remake the run higher. However in the meantime, because of this height, we’ve noticed since week 15 the chickens can easily fly up and over their run. So we clip their wings. They have yet to molt, but I have already had to clip their wings 3 times! Is this normal? I read that you only need to clip wings twice a year after they molt?

 

[aart]

Chickens have several molts by 6 months old,
after that they will molt once a year starting at about 18 months old.
Not sure why you have had to clip 3 times.

Even with wing clipping they may still be able to get over a 4' fence.
Either extend the fence height and leave a floppy top edge...
...or add roof to run so they can't get out.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Are you clipping low enough? One wing or both? I still had escapees the first time I wing clipped. I do both wings, only on birds prone to escape. Turns out I wasn't cutting low enough. Here is a nifty diagram.

 

[centrarchid]

This is something I looked as pretty closely. Chickens follow two patterns while growing up that I have seen.

1. The ancestral pattern has each bird going through three wing feather sets; first as chicks for the first 5 weeks, another as juvenile for the next 8 weeks or so, and finally the first adult feather set that can be maintained for as long as a year and is replaced starting shortly after the first spring equinox as an adult with completion after the fall equinox and usually before the winter solstice (about six months). Thereafter the adult feather replacement on wings follows that pattern. Feathers of wings are replaced singly allowing capacity for flight to be maintained. Bankovid (and Mediteranian type) chickens follow this pattern.

2. Derived (I think ultimately from Aseels) has each bird growing up going through only two wing feather sets with first going from shortly after hatch through about 12 weeks with second set maintained starting as juvenile through through the first breeding season. This latter group starts molting as an adult in late summer and appears to be done by middle fall between fall equinox and winter solstice. Feather replacement is very rapid with feathers being lost in groups of three of more resulting in greatly diminished flight capacity. Birds or Oriental lineages follow this pattern.

I do not think I have seen this in the literature.


What may be going on with OP is feathers are not being clipped tightly enough or bilateral clipping is needed. See link below.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...n-containment-with-perimeter-fencing.1261276/

 

[Ebony Rose]

Another inexpensive option is to put saran over the top, it's a woven plastic mesh that will allow light and rain to come in and is often sold as "privacy fence screen". It provides overhead protection from aerial predators, exceptionally light weight and with some zip ties and a couple of much taller posts in the middle (to form a tent type structure with it), can be installed in a short amount of time.

 

[aart]

Another inexpensive option is to put saran over the top

Like saran wrap, thin plastic cling film?
If it's something else, could you provide a link to the product?

 

[Ebony Rose]

https://www.plastic-netting.org/plastic-mesh/plastic-shade-netting.html

They sell a black (sometimes green) woven plastic garden tarp product that they call "Saran" by the foot or roll here in Panama. After doing a google search, I found that they call it "privacy mesh" or "wind screen" in the States. Water and shaded sun passes right through it. If you can erect some sort of frame to drape it on, it would also stop aerial predators as it hinders visibility from overhead looking down into your run while still allowing your flock to see up and through it easily enough to sound an alarm if needed.

This stuff is cheap and easy to manage. I'm a senior citizen and managed to install this product, as I've described, alone.

 

[SD13]

Are you clipping low enough? One wing or both? I still had escapees the first time I wing clipped. I do both wings, only on birds prone to escape. Turns out I wasn't cutting low enough. Here is a nifty diagram.
View attachment 2335755

Ohhh thanks so much!! I was cutting higher than that, right to the tip of the second set essentially. I normally cut both sides, but I thought I would try one side this time to see if it effects their balance. I will try cutting lower next time.

 

[sunnie7]

I looked it up how to clip them on here and read about it then I also watched a couple YouTube videos! I also recommend if you have e trouble chasing them down wait until the evening right when they go in to roost and grab them off the roost!

 

[SD13]

I looked it up how to clip them on here and read about it then I also watched a couple YouTube videos! I also recommend if you have e trouble chasing them down wait until the evening right when they go in to roost and grab them off the roost!

They are actually quite used to my cuddles and submit to me rather easily, so that’s actually the easiest part of the process hahah
Thanks! I never think to check YouTube.