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

[magicdave]

My chickens are extremely well socialized and totally free range. They need their wings to function if escaping a predator is necessary. I don't use enclosures with my adult birds. As chicks my birds are thoroughly imprinted with my appearance, scent, and the sound of my voice. When I call them, they come running. My ducks are the same way. They all think I am their leader. I used to fence the ducks but since acquiring geese the ducks and chickens are very well protected. .My geese also think I am their leader. Only my cattle are fenced.

 

[JLS]

I will clip only one wing and only if the bird manages to fly out of the chicken run. Otherwise I don't clip their wings.

In my experience, having birds fly out of the run is very rare and has only occured when they are pullets. Also, I find that clipping one wing, just one time, is all it takes to teach a hen to not fly out of the run.

 

[wolfinator]

I have, right wing only, in the past with young additions but haven't for last several years. I had a duck who's feathers didn't grow back, so I haven't clipped any since. Usually by the time they grew back, they knew the boundaries. I am considering it for my guineas if the fly over fence, which is only 4ft high but for now, they're confined to their coop til warmer weather. I'm just worried if I don't, they may fly into the woods around us and get attacked. My boyfriend's family raised some here over 25 years ago and they stayed in the woods nearby but there were fewer predators around then. The addition of neighbors over the years who free range their poultry have lured a lot more predators to the area. Where mine free range in a large fenced area and they have a pair of brother dogs kenneled next to them, I have had no problems thus far. Prior to dogs, I had one hawk attack a banty and my RIR hen attacked it. No hawk attacks since.

 

[kodster]

I only occasionally clip wings of those that I catch consistently outside of their run. If I find the same bird outside of the run, on a daily basis, then that's the one that I'll clip one wing on, and put her back in the run with the rest of the flock. Problem solved for another year, and by the time she's molted and re-grown the wing feathers, she's forgotten how to fly out of the run.

 

[randylyons]

Couldn't find the comments section. I clip the ones i can catch!!

I grab them at night after they are roosting. It's easy to just pick them up off of the roost and they are soooo much more agreeable to being clipped.

 

[Songbird21]

I have to. We have coyotes in the woods around here.

 

[Joshy Roo]

Generally I try not to bother the birds. I have noticed within my flock there are leaders and there are followers. I have one Red who every morning 1st thing she would do is fly the fence, then 2 other columbian who follow. I tried to raise the fence to deter but they still could make it over. So i trimmed her feathers and it was enough to keep her in ( maybe a foot from the top of a 6ft fence) it seems once she gave up the others gave up too -as if they were too chicken to go on their own. A year later none of them even try to flyout anymore...the bad habbit was broken. My hen did not hold a grudge to me and is still the most friendly of my flock. And I am happy to say she is now very safe from the fox that passes through our yard daily.
....We wouldnt surgically treat bumblefoot if it wasnt for the birds best interest, trimming feathers is much less invasive (with no pain)but can have immeadiate life saving results.

 

[Bound to Sea]

I never have but the past year, I had a pullet fly over the fence later in the evening and was lost to a coyote. She also loved sitting on the fence. I will consider it to pullets that fly again.

 

[donnavee]

I have only clipped a few and only to keep them from flying into an area where they might be in danger.

 

[Birdsonghill]

Clipping the wing feathers is OK if you need to, and have a safe run. In my early years of raising chickens, I occasionally did that. The predator population where I now live, can mean losses that are unacceptable for me, if free ranged in the daytime. Chicken "tractors", well constructed, suffered frequent losses, by animals digging under, in the day time. Roosters are just more likely to die first. My observation is that, free ranged birds need all their defenses fully functional , if you can't maintain a constant watch.