Flyers....time to clip the wing feathers

[ThePamperedPullet]

Our roosting house is set up in a U shape. So we can start at one end and work our way around. Chickens do not see well at night, or choose not to see well, and generally will not go far if they jump from the roost. There is usually a bit of squawking but normally they just cluck a bit of resistance especially if it is birds that have not been handled much. If you use a flashlight very little as in put your hand over the end so it gives off just a bit of light to see, pick the bird and either just turn away from the others to clip or move out of the roosting house to clip and then return the bird to its original spot it usually goes pretty smoothly. The less light on the birds the less excited they get. If they can't see what is going on then all the better. If your birds have not been handled a lot, if they start to get excited when you pick them off the roost, just cuddle them against your body and pet them under their chin. Even the awnryest roosters like to be cuddled if they can't see. Once they calm down then clip them.

 

[Beekissed]

Yep, keep it dim and keep the fuss to a minimum. As for doing a large amount of identical birds, you might implement a marking system that is easily visible....like the white paint sticks that one uses on car windshields and such, to dab on their backs. This will mark birds already cut. I would do this in two nights instead of one, to decrease the fuss factor.

 

[mstricer]

Quote:
Mine either, They will still go over neighbors fence and now they they have clipped their way through a plastic netting fence made alittle hole to duck under. The first one I found I thought I was imagining things covered the hole, yesterday found another hole they all knew where it was. Crazy chickens. ( the colbrate is either a Salmon Fav or our EE's)

 

[gsim]

I have a 6 ft tall fence too, but I would not be surprised if they could get over it if they wanted to. I have 24 chooks in an approximately 2,000 sq ft run, so they are not crowded in there at all. You have had a many as 60 so might be a factor if your run is crowded. Be sure that you have a walkboard/ladder in coop to assist them before you do this. Mine never use the walkboards I installed, and they are a real gentle slope at 3:1 with cleats every 4". They jump to 24" roost first, then to 48" ht roost. They always just jump/flutter down. In my case, I think it may be that the run is big enough and I see to it that they have fresh greens and a lot of them every day. Mine have never free-ranged tho, so they have no experience doing that. When one slips past my wife at the gate, she just follows the fencing around the pen until she gets back to gate and we can shoo her back in. (I am too afraid of preds, cannot be out to guard them all day, and do not want poop on my sidewalks and porches.)

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Well its done. No fatalities. I forgot to count them. Too preoccupied. I had my 13 year old daughter help . I caught and held down and she cut. She said,"This is the craziest job I've even had in my life." It was criminal to watch as I tossed the first few down and they stumpled because they didn't have the balance anymore. And then when it was just about over we watched one of the hens that are notorious for going AWOL attempt to leave and she got about 18 inches off the ground and came right back down.
The majority of the chickens congregated in the covered run and I was thinking they are all shell shocked and need some cover. Its still early to tell if I solved that problem, but there are no chickens loose in my yard or garden at present. I guess I will count them tomorrow morning. Mission accomplished.

 

[Kittymomma]

 

[luvmycritters42]

I probably should trim some feathers too....... but I really like watching them fly up onto the garage........the barn..........the tree. It makes me laugh.......and I need that.

Next Spring, when they start destroying my garden.....I'll have to decide.....laughter or fresh veggies.....hmmmm

 

[catdaddyfro]

I just trimmed two of my newest soon to be layers wings tonight. Their little combs are starting to get redder and growing more everyday, so I decided that they shouldn't be allowed to get in the habit of hopping the fence now that they should start laying soon.

catdaddy