EE can fly...good

[scooter147]

I got three EE in late Feb. I have never had EE before.
Last night I let all the chickens free range about 1 1/2 before dark like I always do and was sitting on the patio just watching my chickens being happy chickens.
One of the EE decided the top of the coop would be a nice place to go to survey the yard for tasty things to eat. My coop is at least 7 1/2 tall at it's lowest point. The other two EE soon followed suit, these three were raised together and stick to each other like glue.
I sat and watched them then the next thing I knew the leader flew to a branch in the pecan tree. This was a flight of about 15-20 feet, the other two quickly followed. They then started going up, flying from one branch to the next until they were at least 30 feet up in the air.
I thought they wanted to roost up there and there was no way I was going to be able to retrieve them. I also was thinking they were going to go

spat when they flew down. Well they didn't want to roost in the tree and one by one flew down from the highest branch they reached. The landings were not too bad and no one seemed to get injuried.

Anyone else have experience with EE and their flying capabilities? I had no idea they could do what I saw them do.

 

[KellyHM]

I have 3 and they regularly fly up to the top of the coop to look around, but I haven't seen them in the trees yet!

 

[WA23]

One of my Ameracaunas will routinely try to fly out of our covered run. The run is 7 feet tall and it always hits the top hard. You would think she would learn. That is the only one I have right now that I have seen get more than a few feet off the ground. I don't trust her.

 

[pixiechick]

Yep, mine fly really well. It scares my husband. He's pretty ok with chicken walking around on the ground but he freaks out when they fly around his head.

 

[chickiebaby]

Mine do fly up the apple treees, but I'd say no more than ten feet off the ground. Is that cute or what? Sometimes they look like vultures, all sitting in a row.

I dont clip em becuase I like that the might have a snowball's chance against various predators, but also just because they are beautiful. Y'know?

 

[JayBird+16]

I have EE's they fly from the top roost out into the yard every morning when I open the coop door. Watch out for that, getting hit in the head with a flying chicken is not a good way to start the morning! What I was wondering though is, if they fly out of their fenced yard, will they stick around the yard? or just keep going. I don't want to clip their wings - but I don't want to loose them either.

 

[Henrietta23]

Not that high! I had one fly to the top of the 6 and a half foot fence then out of the pen. That's it so far.

 

[FloridaChickenChick]

My two EEs taught the wyandottes to fly over the fence. When Coop-a-Kick and I went to close the coop tonight, there were six chickens racing to see who could get to us first. The other three were on the CORRECT side of the fence looking around like, "We are the good girls. We deserve treats. We deserve them NOW." And the "bad" girls were all like, "Look, we figured out how to come to you! We should get a treat for that! How about some of that pannetone? How about right NOW?"

 

[scooter147]

Jaybird,

YOur chickens will not leave, chickens are a lot like homing pigeons they will stay in close proximity to their coop.
In the late fall, winter and early spring when I let them free range I have bantams that fly from the roost right out the human door, I have had to duck a time or two to avoid being bonked in the head.
It's funny how quickly they pick up on the free range thing.

 

[Eagleman]

My EEs have flown about 8 feet up. They flew right over the top of the 6 foot run fence and into some trees. We had to put some bird net over the top (also because we had a hawk in the neighborhood that was eyeing them) but are considering clipping their wings so they can hang out outside of the run sometimes without escaping.

I have to say, it was super cool to see them in the trees!