Feather clipping

[Adrienne-m]

Hey all! Our girls are just shy of 3 months old. They are outside in a 25ft by 25ft fenced area during the day. We have them fenced because we have neighbors that don’t control their dogs and the dogs come to our yard frequently. The fence is about 4.5 feet high. The issue is the girls have figured out that they can fly up and roost on the top of the fence and seem to be considering going out to the garden. I was really not
Wanting to clip flight feathers because I wanted them to have that line of defense if needed. However, I don’t want them getting out of the fence and getting hurt by the neighbor dogs. I have orpingtons, barred rocks and Easter Eggers. Should I clip the feathers, wait and hope they’ll stop when they reach full weight or is there another idea?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Have you considered just putting netting on the top so they can't fly out?

 

[Adrienne-m]

There’s not a good way to net the top. I have to be able to get in as their coop is in the fenced area

 

[rosemarythyme]

Are the neighbor's dogs pretty small? A 4.5' fence won't stop most larger dogs, they can go right over it.

As far as netting over the whole thing, depending on how tall your coop is, you could use it to help hold up netting:



If you want to clip wings, keep in mind that chicks will mini molt as they grow so you'll need to keep clipping them as the chicks grow.

 

[aart]

If you want to clip wings, keep in mind that chicks will mini molt as they grow so you'll need to keep clipping them as the chicks grow.

And be darned careful you don't cut a blood feather...
...if you do, it will bleed like the dickens and you'll need to fully pluck that feather.

 

[Pghelp]

And be darned careful you don't cut a blood feather...
...if you do, it will bleed like the dickens and you'll need to fully pluck that feather.

Hey Aart, we've clipped wings on our adult birds who liked flying over the fence to the neighbors, but I've never clipped a juvenile pullet. We have a Leghorn 2 month old who levitates to the top of the coop with no effort. What do I need to know that's different about clipping a youngun? How do I watch out for the blood feathers?

 

[aart]

Hey Aart, we've clipped wings on our adult birds who liked flying over the fence to the neighbors, but I've never clipped a juvenile pullet. We have a Leghorn 2 month old who levitates to the top of the coop with no effort.
What do I need to know that's different about clipping a youngun? How do I watch out for the blood feathers?

I believe the blood remains in feather shaft until feather is fully grown out.
Not quite sure how you'd determine just when that is, or if you could see it before cutting.

 

[Pghelp]

I believe the blood remains in feather shaft until feather is fully grown out.
Not quite sure how you'd determine just when that is, or if you could see it before cutting.

Yikes. Good to know. I had read to not clip until adults but I didn't know this. Thank you!

 

[Adrienne-m]

After a few stern voiced corrections, the only one still roosting on the fence is Meatball the rooster. So I’m going to hold off clipping for now.