Thoughts on wing clipping

[alcap]

Please

 

[chicmom]

I don't clip wings because my little backyard flock free ranges alot, and I think their wings would help them escape from a predator.....You never know.....They run and fly a little bit.....

 

[carrlr]

My initial response is if you have to do it, then only clip one wing.

 

[neverbdone]

I don't bother with clipping the chickens. They pretty much hang around when I'm free ranging and they always put themselves away when it gets dark. However, I do clip my muscovy girls as they kept getting on the garage roof at night.

My drake is too heavy to fly away, so the girls wouldn't leave without him, but I can't get those darn girld down from the garage.

If you need to clip wings it isn't hard. There are some good links on BYC on how to.

 

[Frenchchickens123]

I would say it depends why you would want to do it. I have done it simply because after a winter of free ranging everywhere and then being locked in their very large run 100 square metres for 20 chickens they kept flying out and escaping!! I only clipped repeated offenders though! I hope they will all stay where they are meant to so they don't eat any more of my plants or dig up my newly planted veg patch. I also had to clip both wings because they stillanaged to escape with one. Like I said it all depends on circumstances. I would never have done it if they didn't escape.

 

[DianeS]

I do it. My chickens are safer IN their yard with clipped wings than they ever would be if they flew out of it... which they can do with intact wing feathers.

Clipping wing feathers doesn't hurt. Only clip the ones that are intended to be clipped, and only clip them the recommended amount. If you clip the wrong feathers, or clip too much, it can be like snipping your fingernail while clipping your nails, or nipping your ear during a hair cut. If you do it right, its like clipping your nails or cutting your hair.

I always do both wings. Better (in my opinion) to not be able to get more than a few inches off the ground, than to be able to get a couple feet off the ground but not be able to control where you go and smack into something. Ouch.