Rampant Bantams

[HollyKMS]

Our two adult banties are driving me insane.

First, they learned they could squeeze through the rails of the fencing because they were so small.

I bought hardware cloth to line the fence. I literally lined EVERYTHING with hardware cloth. Thought that took care of it.

Now, they've learned they can get enough wing lift to get on top of the rail and jump to the other side. 3' high! What?!

They're scratching up the neighbors' fancy landscaping, and I'm sure I'm just a few days away from an unhappy meeting with those poor folks about it (I don't blame them one bit). ACK!!

The young leghorns & Ameraucanas don't go anywhere, it's just this naughty pair of little hens. These two are always making trouble. Welsummer can figure out ANY WAY to get out, and Australorp dominates everyone heinously.

UGH!!! I didn't want to trim their wings but maybe that's the only answer. That or keeping them cooped up.

I love all my girls but those banties are proving nearly impossible to keep rounded up!

Quote: "I don't know which is more discouraging, literature or chickens" ~EB White

 

[Whisper]

I hated to do it, too, but trimming my bantams's wings has allowed them to free range through the backyard without just simply flying away.

It's really, really simple, too. Basically my oldest son wore a pair of gloves, caught up each chicken, and held them carefully around the body. I extended their right wing and just snipped off most of the flight feathers on that one side with a sharp pair of scissors. Right side was easier because I'm right handed, and he was facing me. I was SO worried I would hit a blood feather, but we checked the underside of each wing beforehand. One bird had one blood feather, which we skipped. Snip, snip, snip, and then . . . a gentle toss out in the lawn, a foot or two above the grass.

The gentle toss made them TRY to fly . . . then realize that they couldn't. We haven't had any escape attempts since.

The only two who escaped the "treatment" were the Polish and the frizzled Cochin. One can't see to fly, and the other's feathers won't let him.

 

[HollyKMS]

We have a ton of loose cats in the neighborhood, so I worry about them not being able to fly a little ways... Makes me nervous.