cutting young chicks wing feathers

[ajlynco]

I live in the city and the chicks I'm getting are going to be kept out in the yard in a nice comfortable coop and run. I'd like to let them 'free range' in the yard periodically but I only have a 6' fence bordering the yard. Would clipping thier wings keep them from flying over the fence? How soon can I clip thier wings and would it be more effective to clip both wings?

 

[loanwizard]

Just an opinion from a newbie, but clipping one side should be sufficient. You can clip anytime they have their full feathers in.

 

[Nostalchic]

Depending on the breed you have, you may not need to do this at all for a 6 foot fence. Some breeds are more inclined to fly - the lighter "flightier" ones" - and some rarely do. Of our 2 dozen birds, only one or two of my EE's have ever flown out of our 6 foot woven wire fence. I would wait and see. If you decide you need to do it, you only clip the flight feathers of one side - there are some good photo guides on this site, just do a search.

 

[Impress]

Please read up on it thoroughly so you don't end up clipping a blood feather, they can bleed to death!

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

I agree there! 6 foot should be too high for most chickens, especially if they have plenty to keep their attention there, make sure there's nothing leaning against the fence too, or anything they can climb onto up and out...they can do that even with wings clipped. I'd watch them to see if they show any interest in the world on the other side of the fence, before clipping, chickens always attract pedators, dogs too, and they need those wings ti help in running away...
You only have to clip the long feathers, the ones at the tip of the wing, that way the bird looks 'normal' too when just walking around.

 

[AndersonFolk]

Agreed, no need to clip them at all. I have 14 girls with a 6' privacy fence on one side and a 4 row wood fence that is only 48' tall around the rest of the property and they never even think about going over. I keep them in their coop all day besides the last 3 or 4 hours of the day when I get home. They are so happy to be out that I guess they don't worry about flying off.

 

[SteveBaz]

First check bird to see if either wings have less blood feathers. You could hurt or kill your bird if by mistake cut a blood feather. Not all birds have them but you must be careful.

Now BYC has a page called the learning center with lots of really good stuff to go over and read. Here is the link from there for you to cut 1 wing.

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

 

[mstricer]

Quote:
That doesn't always work, I have a six foot high run and everyone learned how to fly out with only one wing clipped, The downside to clipping both is it is hard for them to get up on the roosts.

 

[chickenbuttsowhat]

well i clip all my chickens wings i'll only clip one wing but if they r still able to fly over the fince i'll clip the other as well. i just clip their secondary wing feathers so they can keep their long pretty primaries i dont clip all way to the bottom when i clip them just about half way down

how to cut the primaries

 

[Gypsy07]

One of my runs has a 7'-8' fence and just about all my birds can fly or scrabble over it. They fly in as well as out.
The only birds I have that can't get more than a foot off the ground are my fat old Marans hens.
I don't wing clip cause I free range and want them to have a good chance to escape from any predators that may be lurking around.