?'s about clipping pullet vs. hen wings

[Buttercup1979]

I have four 25 week old chickiebabies! I clipped one wing on each and they are still able to fly over the fence. They are two BO's and two australorps. Are they still able to fly over the fence because they are not full grown? Or is it possible that I didn't clip enough off? Should I clip both wings? The neighbors are nice but I don't feel comfortable leaving them free range when I'm not out there with them. I don't want them hopping over and the playful neighbor dog accidentally killing them. Please advise!

 

[Darklingstorm]

size does matter, when they are young they can still "fly/hop" over a fence but once they get large, they will be too big to get that high.
I know this from experience with both breeds. My orp got out twice but thankfully she grew up fast enough to keep her grounded. My Aussie wasn't as eager to get out but would fly up onto the top of our outside table, then she too got to heavy to jump up that high. She started using a chair first then got on the table.
I only clip one wing. People have said that clipping both will give them back balance and able them to fly easier. I definitely wouldn't let them free range alone till they are grounded. Especially if you live near others and their dogs.

 

[Buttercup1979]

Good! That is such a relief to me! So about how old until they are full weight?

 

[Darklingstorm]

Shouldn't be long now, they will start to "widen" out and put an end to most flying.
How tall is your fence?

 

[galanie]

Breed matters and what Darklingstorm said is exactly right. With your breeds. My Orps are the same way; no matter what I do, they can get their silly rear ends out of the yard when young but let them get to size around 4-5 months old and you don't see them bothering to get out any more. My fence is only 4 feet tall, too. What tickles me is that they can and do get up on a 4 foot something *in* the yard, but don't realize they can still get out of the yard.

I had a polish pullet that flew that 4 foot fence to get out. This was against an 8 foot fence. Then she could NOT figure out how to fly back over the 4 foot one, so like the smart girl she was, flew up to the top of the EIGHT FOOT FENCE, walked over, and hopped back down into the yard.

 

[Buttercup1979]

Well they're already at the four or five month mark, but maybe three out of the four aren't full grown yet. My biggest chicken, to whom we affectionately call fluff-butt, is the only one that hasn't ventured onto the fence.