CLIPPING WINGS

[quiltnchick]

Hello, I am new to this forum. I have seven chickens that I have raised from chicks and I need to clip their wings. I have been trying to train them to go to the coop instead of going to the tree, which they started almost a week ago. It is a nightly battle. So, I clipped them last night; but wondered if I did it right. So now, I searched on the internet (how I found this forum) and think I messed up. I did not clip from the front but clipped only a few from the back. I did clip the ones under the top row of feathers. Won't know until tonight if they can still fly. Did I mess up my chickens? And what does it mean they might need help when it is molting time. How will I know I need to "pluck" some feathers? Thanks.

 

[keljonma]

Can't help with the clipping. But I do have a question...

Did you lock them in the hen house for a week before letting them out? If you do this, they will know the hen house is a safe haven with food, water, nest boxes and roosts in it. And at dusk they will naturally go to their safe haven.

 

[quiltnchick]

No, until a week ago I had 26 chickens. Sold what I wasn't going to keep. They would not all fit in my coop. Started putting them in the coop. I know that they will go there eventually. Two went in by themselves last night. One was trying but couldn't figure out where the gate to the pen was. Two went to the old pen and two up to the tree. Each night will get better. But I wanted to stop the ones from getting in the tree. I have never clipped wings before. This is my second batch of chickens I have ever had. The others were done in by predators. Reason why I want them to go to the coop.

 

[HorseFeathers]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-wingclipping.html

 

[reallemons1]

You didn't mess them up. The feathers will be replaced after molting. No, they shouldn't need to be pulled. If they can still fly just cut as shown in previous post. I usually end up cutting my pullets wings to train then to roost in the coop too. Keep at it, they will learn.

 

[quiltnchick]

Thanks a lot for the responses. Last night went better. Left my son in charge of keeping them out of the tree while I was at church and when I got back all but the rooster was in the coop. He said he didn't put them there. Maybe after just a few more nights it will be done. Hubby says it's okay if rooster (Jack) stays in the tree. He doesn't lay eggs. When I can get my hands on him, I'll clip him too. Then, he'll probably follow the hens to the coop.

 

[chickenfanatic]

yup just keep at it they will learn not as dumb as some people believe them to be. and

 

[SpottedCrow]

They'll learn where home is...
I had to clip Jerry and Obelisk because they'd go 10 feet up the pine tree near the coop and laugh at me trying to get them down.
And they'd go over the fence to eat the neighbour's delicious grass seed.

 

[lrichards]

I clipped my chickens wings the other day and they still can get over the fence. Does anyone know how to stop this. I was thinking about clipping the other side. But I didn't know if this would make things worse in the long run by making them better fliers.

 

[reallemons1]

Try clipping both wings, if they are still getting out it won't hurt anyways. How tall is the fence? Also check that they are actually going over and not through or under somehow. Sometimes with pullets you just need to wait until the chunk up a bit so they are too heavy to fly.