clipping chicken wings in winter

[Baobeimom]

I have a flock of 10 white leghorns hens that we sometimes let out and roam the backyard. They have started flying on top of the six foot fence that separate our backyard with our neighbors. Today we found one of our chicks had her legs tied together with thread. Also we found posted on our front door the Fort Worth Rooster/Fowl Requirements code compliance flyer. Now putting the two together I am thinking one of the neighbors found one of our girls in their backyard and almost crippled her by tying sewing thread around her legs then threw her back over the fence. Such horror. Luckily we found her later that morning and untied her legs. She limped along all day.
I have been thinking of clipping their primary feathers, but it is winter now and the temp is getting below freezing most nights. I have also heard that these are their keep warm feathers. Should I wait till spring and keep them in the pen all the time?

 

[PolkaDot77]

Welcome to BYC! How terrible to hear that someone had tied her legs up! I hope she heals quickly. I keep my leghorns wings clipped year long as she does have the tendency to fly over the fence. I have not clipped her wings during the winter, however, I keep them clipped over the winter. So they go from summer to fall to winter with clipped wings and might acclimate more as it's not a change during the winter. However, I can say that she does just fine with clipped wings all winter long in snowy Idaho, so your girls would probably be fine. Good luck!

 

[Baobeimom]

Thank you so much for your reply. My girls are just three months old, no eggs yet. Do you recommend clipping both wings or just one. I have been watching youtube. My hens sure to like to fly, but I never though they would get over the fence.

 

[aart]

Add a couple feet of floppy mesh angle inward to the top of your 6 foot fence.
If they can't land on a stable 'top rail', they're more likely to stay inside the fence.
Good Luck.