Flying problem

[feather13]

We live in suburban LA and three of our 20 week old pullets have been jumping over a wall that's 6ft on our side with a 10ft drop on the other into the neighbor's yard. Most of the time they somehow fly back up, but the neighbor isn't very friendly and if they're in his yard they're totally unprotected from predators. A few times I've had to drop a ladder over the wall and climb down to retrieve them.

The birds are two Egyptian Fayoumis and a Buff Minorca, so they're small and nimble, but somehow they lured one of our Red Sex Links, a big girl, down into the neighbor's yard and I had to risk injury retrieving her. All three escapees are jerks, honestly, but I would feel bad if they died and it would be hard to hear them crying (the EF's sound like T-Rexes) and dying of thirst if they couldn't get back up.

My question: Should I clip flight feathers on both wings or just one side? I'm worried that if they can still jump up on the fence, they might fall on the other side and hurt themselves. Thanks for any advice.

 

[PioneerChicks]

We live in suburban LA and three of our 20 week old pullets have been jumping over a wall that's 6ft on our side with a 10ft drop on the other into the neighbor's yard. Most of the time they somehow fly back up, but the neighbor isn't very friendly and if they're in his yard they're totally unprotected from predators. A few times I've had to drop a ladder over the wall and climb down to retrieve them.

The birds are two Egyptian Fayoumis and a Buff Minorca, so they're small and nimble, but somehow they lured one of our Red Sex Links, a big girl, down into the neighbor's yard and I had to risk injury retrieving her. All three escapees are jerks, honestly, but I would feel bad if they died and it would be hard to hear them crying (the EF's sound like T-Rexes) and dying of thirst if they couldn't get back up.

My question: Should I clip flight feathers on both wings or just one side? I'm worried that if they can still jump up on the fence, they might fall on the other side and hurt themselves. Thanks for any advice.

Just one wing. If you both wings then they will still be able to fly. Learned by experience

 

[springvalley123]

I had a similar issue when someone asked me to help clip wing feathers on her brown leghorns. My research led me to believe that leghorns could still jump onto the 6 ft fence. So, certainly your fayoumis could, and probably the minorca. So it wouldn't help, and would make them all the more vulnerable to predators while on the wrong side of the fence. I wouldn't do it, but maybe someone who has fayoumis will chime in.

 

[RoosterWhisperer]

We live in suburban LA and three of our 20 week old pullets have been jumping over a wall that's 6ft on our side with a 10ft drop on the other into the neighbor's yard. Most of the time they somehow fly back up, but the neighbor isn't very friendly and if they're in his yard they're totally unprotected from predators. A few times I've had to drop a ladder over the wall and climb down to retrieve them.

The birds are two Egyptian Fayoumis and a Buff Minorca, so they're small and nimble, but somehow they lured one of our Red Sex Links, a big girl, down into the neighbor's yard and I had to risk injury retrieving her. All three escapees are jerks, honestly, but I would feel bad if they died and it would be hard to hear them crying (the EF's sound like T-Rexes) and dying of thirst if they couldn't get back up.

My question: Should I clip flight feathers on both wings or just one side? I'm worried that if they can still jump up on the fence, they might fall on the other side and hurt themselves. Thanks for any advice.

Clip the wings!
Both of them, I do all the time and it helps and doesn't hurt them any, plus they usually grow back!

 

[feather13]

Clip the wings!
Both of them, I do all the time and it helps and doesn't hurt them any, plus they usually grow back!

Can your birds still fly with one or both wings clipped?

 

[feather13]

I had a similar issue when someone asked me to help clip wing feathers on her brown leghorns. My research led me to believe that leghorns could still jump onto the 6 ft fence. So, certainly your fayoumis could, and probably the minorca. So it wouldn't help, and would make them all the more vulnerable to predators while on the wrong side of the fence. I wouldn't do it, but maybe someone who has fayoumis will chime in.

@PioneerChicks: Are your birds able to fly/jump high with one wing clipped? I clipped one wing of a Phoenix and she can still easily jump 6ft

@springvalley123 : Did your friend still clip the wings of their Leghorns? If so, were they still able to fly/jump?

 

[feather13]

Thanks for your responses! Do you think it would help if I left them in the coop and run for a few days? I'm guessing they probably wouldn't forget about the fence if I did. It seems really irresistible to my smaller, flighty escape artists.

 

[AllenK RGV]

I honestly prefer my birds flighted. I have never clipped a wing. My minorca wanted to be elsewhere and left me over it. I just think it helps them survive the winter hawks we have around here. 6-10 foot walls are a non issue for my chickas. I also have feral hens that adopted us so it worked out.

 

[PioneerChicks]

@PioneerChicks: Are your birds able to fly/jump high with one wing clipped? I clipped one wing of a Phoenix and she can still easily jump 6ft

@springvalley123 : Did your friend still clip the wings of their Leghorns? If so, were they still able to fly/jump?

Thanks for your responses! Do you think it would help if I left them in the coop and run for a few days? I'm guessing they probably wouldn't forget about the fence if I did. It seems really irresistible to my smaller, flighty escape artists.

Yes, try locking them in the coop for a couple days. Then when you let them out they are so overjoyed with their freedom that they typically won't go for the fence for several days.

I don't clip wings much anymore, but when I did the chickens never were able to make it over my 5 ft fence again. (They actually started digging under ).

In my experience, bantams are almost always more flighty (minus silkies). But after they turn a year old they typically give up. I have never had problems with year-old hens flying fences.

Anyways, best of luck in whatever you do!

 

[springvalley123]

@PioneerChicks: Are your birds able to fly/jump high with one wing clipped? I clipped one wing of a Phoenix and she can still easily jump 6ft

@springvalley123 : Did your friend still clip the wings of their Leghorns? If so, were they still able to fly/jump?

she did not get them clipped.