Flyin the coop

[midgeelkelly]

I have a large fenced area around my coop that I used to maintain my chickens in. I let them out one day, just to see, and well the rest is history. When I closed them in the next day they just flew right over the fence. They have tasted freedom and have no intention of staying in their fenced area. I have let them free range for many months now, they return every eve to the coop (when it gets dark). Prob is they are laying very few eggs now ( in the coop). I first thought it was due to molting but its been a couple months now. This tells me they are laying elsewhere prob in the woods behind our house. Thats where they seem to spend most of there time. I would like to get them back into staying in their fenced area. What is the proper feather (wing clipping) procedure to keep them from flying over the fence everyday.
My instinct is the first few feather on each wing. (allows for height) Is this correct?

 

[3KillerBs]

Most people clip one wing rather than both -- the idea being to unbalance them.

If you post photos of the fence they're escaping from we might be able to help you deter escapes.

 

[Isadora]