So I have been reading on wing clipping and was wondering if it is truely necessary? Do all of you clip your chickens wings? I have read that it doesnt hurt and they dont realize that you are even doing this is that true? Also, how old were your chickens when you did this for the first time? Can they still sorta fly even with their wings clipped so they can roost or get into nest boxes?
I don't because they are in a coop 24/7. It is too funny to watc hthe 10 week old chicks fly and chest bump too!
My chickens are between 3 and 4 months old I think. I clipped their left wing just this past weekend. I wanted to let them free range in my backyard with supervision. It does not hurt them if done correctly and it is easy to do. (I clip my cockatial wings for safety so I already knew how to do it). I did it mainly because my neighbor has three very large dogs and I did not want one of my dear chickens to fly over the chainlink fence, those dogs would kill it in a heartbeat. (they moved in after I did). I hang laundry and putter arond the backyard when they are allowed out of their run, I also know it only takes a second for something to happen so I did not want to give them a chance to explore my neighbors yard.
No, it's not necessary. We clipped one of our gals wings because she escaped from the run constantly. The worst part of the clipping for her was not the actual clipping part itself, it was the catching part - she didn't like the net at all but that was the only way we could catch her! The clipping does not hurt them a bit, just use very sharp scissors. If you type in wing clipping at the bottom of the main forum page the first item that you click on will show you a great pic and wonderful directions.
Definitely not necessary. I clipped a few of my high flying chickens wings and they were still able to fly out of the 6 foot fence. O well it was worth a try.
I think it depends on what kind of chickens you have. Our birds never even try to fly. We put a little 2 foot high "fence" around the garden in the back yard where the chickens free range, and they never even thought to go in there. They just waited for me to toss over an occasional tomato. In fact, when the garden was done for the season, and we rolled back a section of the fence for the birds to have access to the garden for tilling, cleaning, and fertilizing, we had to show them several times how to go around the little 2 foot tall "fence" or else they would panic when they were done and not know how to get back out! It never even occurred to them to try to fly!
I have clipped the flight feathers of some of my hens. They are excellent flyers & got out all the time. They are safer now & it really did not hurt them a bit. They don't "look" bad either. The feathers grow back, of course, and so I will just to it again for them.
