Escaping hens who are not yet laying???? Pls help!!

[Wife With 2 Kids]

How do u clip a chickens wing? My 3 chickens keep escaping ever since I gave my 4 roosters away, it's so annoying as they roost all over my glass dining table out the back and on our quad bikes. I'm forever cleaning everything of Chook poop. I always let the chooks out to roam the yard from 5:30 am - 8:00 am which they have usually escaped by then anyway. Than I let them back out at 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm. I have to continue putting them back in their coop all day and have now started locking them in side their house from 5:30 - 5:30.

Any advice in how to help or even what I am doing incorrect will be muchly appreciated.

 

[ruthless]

Find out where they are escaping from and secure the area so they cannot get out.

 

[Ukiah]

Quote:
X2
Find out where they are escaping from & fix it. Predators may also be able to enter through where the birds are
escaping.

As for wing clipping - if you were still interested, clip 4-6 primary flight feathers on the wing. I personally don't like
to clip my bird's wings because I feel it they're safer being able to fly. I have good flyers, though.

 

[Wife With 2 Kids]

Quote:
X2
Find out where they are escaping from & fix it. Predators may also be able to enter through where the birds are
escaping.

As for wing clipping - if you were still interested, clip 4-6 primary flight feathers on the wing. I personally don't like
to clip my bird's wings because I feel it they're safer being able to fly. I have good flyers, though.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/111861_feathertypes.gif

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/111861_companion-health-wing.gif

Thank you for your detailed images on wing clipping. Sad as it is I think it has to be done as my chickens are flying onto a 5 ft fence and onto the 6 ft fence behind me where there is a dog who I'm sure would be only to happy to eat them

I still think I will get a produce barn with experience to show me in person first tho, does anyone have any reasons why my chickens now like escaping to sit under my patio??

 

[Linn Bee]

Mine enjoy sitting under my patio as well. It is shady, sheltered from the wind, dry and dusty for the nicest of dirt baths, and finally, it is close the where THE GIVER OF TREATS appears from the house.

Of course, Lucy and Lacy are always the bravest (and first) to come right up to the door on to the patio - a big NO! NO!. Lucy would love to be my first house chicken. Not likely to ever happen.

Love, Linn B (aka Smart Red) Gardening zone 5a - 4b in south-est, central-est Wisconsin

 

[Wife With 2 Kids]

Quote:
Yes, I wouldn't mind my 3 ladies sitting under the patio if they didn't poop all over my glass table, chairs, bbq, quad, bar fridge and concrete. I am forever cleaning and really am getting a bit frustrated with it - my husband is about ready to hand them over to the first willing taker as he pretty much lives outdoors and isnt impressed with sitting on a chair with mates and being surrounded by chicken poop.

I don't understand why my large ridgeback cross american staffy does not chase them away - he tolerates them even laying on his bed and eating directly out of his food dish??? If I had him as backup to shoo them away Im sure there wouldn't be an issue but Im pretty sure theyre all mates>>lol

 

[Ukiah]

Quote:
X2
Find out where they are escaping from & fix it. Predators may also be able to enter through where the birds are
escaping.

As for wing clipping - if you were still interested, clip 4-6 primary flight feathers on the wing. I personally don't like
to clip my bird's wings because I feel it they're safer being able to fly. I have good flyers, though.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/111861_feathertypes.gif

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/111861_companion-health-wing.gif

Thank you for your detailed images on wing clipping. Sad as it is I think it has to be done as my chickens are flying onto a 5 ft fence and onto the 6 ft fence behind me where there is a dog who I'm sure would be only to happy to eat them

I still think I will get a produce barn with experience to show me in person first tho, does anyone have any reasons why my chickens now like escaping to sit under my patio??

Do you have heavier birds? Light weight birds?
Usually they will hop onto the top of the fence, then jump to the other side. Or the next fence, in your case.

One thing you can do is prevent them from jumping up onto the top of the fence. Make it an uncomfortable
unstable place to perch. String individual wires along the top/etc. Making the top of the fence slant inwards
towards your yard usually helps, as well.


Heres a BYC wing clipping tutorial, if you need it.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-wingclipping.html

Wishing you luck!

 

[Wife With 2 Kids]

I'm not sure on what weight my birds are, I have 1 black australorp and I thought I had 2 new hampshires but people have been telling me different on this forum. I was led to believe that australorps are poor flyers but mine is the leader if the pack.

I will add photos.

 

[Wife With 2 Kids]

This is Gingy at 10-11 weeks, she's now 12 weeks.

 

[Wife With 2 Kids]

Sorry for such large pictures