Flying chicken

portianaomi

In the Brooder
10 Years
Oct 20, 2009
67
0
39
West Sacramento
I bought a lemon/blue chicken yesterday (1/2 orphington 1/2 amerucana). I took her out of quarantine today and into the yard to peck around a bit. She then flew on top of our roof, over 3 fences, up into a redwood 25 ft, onto two neighbors roofs, and finally was caught under a rose bush across the street - WHEEW! If I cut her flight feathers, will this resolve the issue? How often would I have to cut them? My other chickens are sizzles and a silkie and do not fly. I have the option to bring her back to her flock from which she came...what should I do??
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To start with, quarrentine should be 3-4 weeks. Not only does this give illnesses time to show up, but it gives the chicken time to get used to her new home. It`s a wonder you caught her at all. Pen her up and keep her penned for a few days. Since you already exposed your other birds to anything she may have, go ahead and put her with your flock. She was flying because she was in a strange place and wanted to find home. She`ll settle down as she settles in and the flying won`t be a problem.........Pop
 
Hi Pop,
I amazed I caught her too! The other birds were not exposed to her and this I am sure of. I took her in a yard that does not have chickens in it, ever. Does this change your suggestion?
~Portia
 
Yes, clipping one wing will work to keep her from flying. But you need to keep her penned up for awhile because otherwise she'll try to go back home.
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OTOH, if she will be free-ranging, I would not clip the wings, because they need to be able to escape predators. I clipped my girls' wings only because they are never out in the yard unsupervised, and my bantam flew onto our shed roof once, and over the neighbor's fence once.
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Thanks! She WILL be free range, so maybe the best thing would be to put her back with old her flock? I don't have the time to chase a chicken all over the neighborhood. My other chickens can't fly above my knee and have such a big fluff on their head they are partially blind, so I think that they would be dinner for any hungry hawk visiting my back yard
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I cannot keep them in the coop though - they just despise that!

I never knew chickens could fly like this one - live and learn...
 
I have Ameraucana's and they are good fliers, they free range and I have predators, so I would never clip them.
 
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Sure it does. Just quarentine her for at least 3 weeks to be sure she isn`t bringing some unknown illness to your others. She will be well established long before then and the only problems you may have with her would come under the heading "Pecking Order", which is what we all endure when adding a new face to an existing flock.

Wing clipping is never a good idea, if it can be avoided........Pop
 
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