To clip or not to clip??

[PaulaG]

Hi


I am new to chicken keeping but would love to let them roam the garden (they are a coop and run combined at the mo)
However, i have really horrible neighbours and the thought of them getting over the fence horrifies me. The fence is about 6ft and i wondered if clipping their wings DOES actually work??
Thanks in advance for your help

 

[justbugged]

Yes clipping one wing will work. I haven't clipped wings yet. My flock ranges in a sub-division back yard with 5 foot wood fences. There is so much to eat and dig in that none of the flock as even been interested in leaving the yard yet. I have found other peoples chickens in the street, here in the neighborhood. I would be very careful about clipping wings re-post or do a search on how to do it right. If it's done wrong it can hurt the birds badly.

 

[dainerra]

the only thing I can think of that you could do that would hurt the birds is if you actually cut the wing itself. But, that is just common sense, cut only feathers. Cut 1 wing and tada.

They will still be able to fly, just not as quite as high or far. With clipped wings my EEs can still roost on top of the 6' run with no problem.

Unless you are talking about pinioning, which should be done by a vet since you are removing an actual part of the wing, making it permanently impossible to fly.

 

[KirstenJL]

My speckled Sussex roo discovered he could fly over my 4 ft. electronettiing and every day after that I'd come home to him out in the yard trying to entice the hens to come over with him. I clipped the primaries of one wing so they were the same length as the secondaries. Problem solved (at least until he molts)!