Escape Artist

[Gersbud]

I have about 4 hens that are escape artist.
My chicken run does not have a top. Just a fence around the coop in a 20x20 area give or take a few feet. They have plenty of room. The have a small roost in the center if they wish to roost. On the days that I have off from work the girls are able to free range for most of the day. But when I am not home they are not but when I do get home I always have the same 4 escapees running around in the yard. Can clipping their wings curtail this behavior. I realize that they would like to free range all day but have to make sure none of the cats or stray dogs get them while I am not home.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Try clipping just one wing, sometimes that works... not both but just the one...makes them off balance when they try flying out...

Read up on clipping their wings so you don't take too much....

 

[Gersbud]

Thanks I was thinking about both wings but only one wings does make better sense.
I would hate to come home to a dead hen becasue she like to escape

 

[wynedot55]

just clipp 1 wing.then they have trouble flying because they off balance.if you clipp both wings they can still fly.

 

[aitchbe]

Too funny. I just jumped up to the website because of the same problem. I have four hens and like to let them free range my yard. Sometimes I put them in the coop (fully enclosed) when I'm going to be gone all day. My yard is fenced all around. The other day a neighbor emailed me from his Blackberry "Chickens out. CALL ME." pretty funny since I live in an urban area. Fortunately he was able to corral the escapee back into the yard. Then yesterday the neighbor across the street found three over the fence. Argh. I'm going to look for more posts on clipping because I don't know how to do it. My other alternative is building a big run, but after the construction job (and cost) of a nice coop, I'd rather just snip snip.