Official BYC Poll: Do You Clip Your Chickens' Wings?

[tlagnhoj]

“Other” vote. I clip if/when a bird decides to fly to the top of the fence. I clip both wings because they can still get enough lift from one. I have only had to do this the first year of a bird’s life. After that, they’re too fat, dumb, and happy to want to exert themselves that much. Otherwisse, no clipping.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

I don't because:

• Silkies don't fly
• My hens are too lazy to fly anyway
• I don't like the idea of it

 

[PippinTheChicken]

My birds are happy in the garden when let out of the run anyway and I have tall fences.
Even when I hopefully get polish chickens, I will not clip wings

 

[MarkButcher]

Wing clipping is the most common method of controlling the flight of backyard chickens. For example, some may fly over your fence or out of their uncovered run, exposing them to all sorts of dangers. Clipping the wings just means cutting a little bit off the first few feathers on the wing, making it harder for them to fly. Some like to just clip one wing so that they fly sideways as this imbalances the bird, making it difficult for her/him to fly.

Do you clip your chickens' wings? Place your vote above & feel free to elaborate in the comments section.

View attachment 2508536

Further reading:
How To Clip Trim The Wings Of Your Chicken To Prevent Flight

(Check out more Official BYC Polls HERE!)

I'll clip their wings at about 6 months when i notice them developing some serious flying skills and they start flying up onto and out of their 5 foot fenced chicken pen, or when I'm introducing full grown hens into the flock.
Seems like once you've done a good clipping and broke the habit of flying, full grown chickens completly give up that idea other then getting up on the roosts.

 

[PopoMyers]

I clipped one wing of my original 8, and they STILL would get over my 4' fence, and even up on the roof of the coop at 5'. Have since installed an aviary netting for keeping them in the huge run, and predators out. Has worked great. My broody girl tried to fly over the pen. Did not clip the next 5 I bought at point if lay. Probably won't clip after their first molt this fall.

 

[sscaria]

clipping wings is just clipping the wing feathers, right?

 

[sourland]

clipping wings is just clipping the wing feathers, right?

Yes. Pinioning is the removal of the tip of the wing.

 

[sscaria]

Yes. Pinioning is the removal of the tip of the wing.

alright, thanks!

 

[CastleCoop]

We have 2 chickens out of our 20 that always flew on top of the coop at night, and our coop is a walk-in, so it is quite high. We clipped one wing on each of them so they couldn't fly on top, and would be forced to reside in the actual coop at night.

 

[Sheltona01]

Ours are still babies and they don't leave the run. We haven't decided what we will do when they start free ranging. We have several tall trees in the yard, so I imagine if we ever need to call someone to get a chicken out of a tree, or if they start going into neighbours' yards we would have to start clipping wings...