Clipping wings on large property

[Fourleafacers]

I just got my first flock of chicks a few weeks ago. We live on a large plot of wooded land and pretty far from neighbors and the road. Is there any reason to clip their wings? I would think it would be better to allow them to have the ability to escape predators.

 

[centrarchid]

I would leave wings intact so they can reach a higher roost, ideally in some sort of structure you can close up at night. If a ground predator can get in, then chickens roosting up more likely not to be reached. For most breeds, intact flight capacity still not good enough to get away from most diurnal predators. Flight during night usually useless.

 

[Fourleafacers]

Thanks! We are building a sturdy chicken coop where we can lock them in at night and a run where they can be locked in when we are not around, but I would like them to be able to free range during the day.

 

[centrarchid]

Clipping will not make much of a difference for predators if typical chickens used. Most chickens fly poorly and even if strongish fliers like some Mediterranean class layers, they do not know how to go to safe places to land.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Leaving wings intact may help lighter breeds get away from predators while free ranging, but won't help most duel purpose chickens.
I lost a Barred Rock hen "20 months old" to a Fox near sunset last month when out foraging. GC

 

[centrarchid]

My games can fly as well as any chicken breed, yet do not fair well if they do not have sense to land in a tree or on a building.

 

[Severne]

Like centrachild said, if you have a standard breed it might not make much of a difference. In my case my chickens fly pretty well though, even my standards. I havent had a predator besides one fox a newly, a raven since I got a German Shepard. I know the wings saved my chickens because when he had his 2nd attack, he didn’t get any, beacause they all flew over the fence. Some peoples chickens though, especially heavier breeds can’t fly for a cent. I think also, it makes it harder to catch the birds, and I had one sleep almost 40 feet in a tree. We called her “the wild and young one”.