Clipping Chicks Wings

[jaybanana]

At what age do you clip chicks wings? My lil ones are already flying all over the place! They aren't exactly going to be able to fly over the fence (they are under 2 weeks!), but it got me thinking, when can you safely clip wings?

 

[DraigAthar]

You can clip wings whenever you want, as long as you know what you're doing so you don't clip blood feathers. I generally don't clip wings on chicks, I just make sure they can't fly out of whatever enclosure they're in (I add another panel or two to make it taller). As they grow, they actually get worse at flying, so the escape potential is only temporary anyway.

 

[Bone143]

Truthfully how much does clipping their wings actually help? The little ones try to fly but honestly are horrible at it and my big ones are so lazy and spoiled they do good to fly in and out of the coop. Now granted I free range most of my layers and only have my meat birds in a run (they are so fat they couldnt fly if they wanted to). Just curious how much clipping their wings would actually help regardless. Never really seen a chicken fly any farther than absolutely needed for the time.

 

[Chicken Fruit]

If you clip both wing's they'll still fly. I only clip one wing, and just clip the flight feathers back as far as I can without nicking anything. If they do fly, its in a tight circle. I avoid it though. If anything were to come after them they couldn't get away as easily. And yes, it does tend to make them rethink going over a fence. Usually with each batch that I've clipped over the years there's always one or two hens who just really believe they HAVE to be on the other side, but since no one else goes with them its a short venture.

just never clip roosters wings. Their job is to fight anything that might attack their hens, they wont rush off like hens and will try to fight, not realizing their escape is gone. They need their feathers just as much as their spurs.

 

[jaybanana]

Truthfully how much does clipping their wings actually help? The little ones try to fly but honestly are horrible at it and my big ones are so lazy and spoiled they do good to fly in and out of the coop. Now granted I free range most of my layers and only have my meat birds in a run (they are so fat they couldnt fly if they wanted to). Just curious how much clipping their wings would actually help regardless. Never really seen a chicken fly any farther than absolutely needed for the time.

I wasn't planning to actually clip the chicks wings now, but was just curious!

I have no option but to clip my chickens wings. We have a few escapees, and our backyard isn't secure, and the dog next door has an appetite for chickens (and can also get into my backyard!). Clipping definitely helps. They still flap around a bit, and can get up onto perches etc, but don't actually make a break for it over the fence!
I would have just made a completely enclosed chicken run, or built the fence up higher, but our pen is so big it would have sent me broke trying to get all the chicken wire! I pick up stuff for free/cheap when I can, so hopefully one day I don't have to clip, but for the time being I do.

 

[Tyaloria]

I had tried to resist clipping one of my chicks (she's 7 days) I know her adult feathers will come soon so I will have to maintain them as well, but she is so flighty! She has a huge wing span and gets out the brooder and any other place I have to put her to clean the chick house out. I took a tiny bit of so I hope its going to help the circumstance.
I haven't done any of the others as they don't seem to care about flying!