Whats your opinion on wing trimming? One or both sides?

Mrs. Green Thumbs

Songster
9 Years
Apr 2, 2010
453
10
121
Santa Maria, California
I have come to the point where I am realizing that clipping my girls wings would benefit them immensely! I wanted the girls to stay "natural" at first and dreamed of a very tall aviary and... well it was before I got the girls ... now I know better. I am planning on fencing off my little oasis and want to allow the girls to come out while I am gardening and peck and scratch and enjoy the garden as much as I do. the fence I am placing up is an improvised fence made out of stakes driven into the ground and horse fence wire. This will come to a bit higher than waist high. So rather than chase hen's down the ally I plan on clipping their wings. I have been watching youtube videos and find that while some people suggest only clipping one wing other's say two. Those that say one tend to suggest that if only one is clipped it off sets the flight ability for the birds and causes them to falter a bit then land. Other's say that if you cut both it's better for the bird because you don't cause them to fly weird and possibly cause bodily harm. What one is it? What is your opinion and why?
 
We only clip the right wing of our birds. It throws off their balance if they try to fly. Only the right wing so we can periodically check to see if they need reclipping. Just makes it easier for us. If you clip both wings then it is easier for them to learn to fly and that they just have to flap harder to achieve the end result.
 
When I do choose to clip, I clip both wings. My hens are heavy, so they do not get off of the ground very far. They have not learned to fly without proper wings, just as I have not learned how to fly without proper wings. I tried starting out just clipping one wing, but they looked very funny to me with one full wing and one "not so full" wing. So, now I clip both so that I can achieve a more uniform appearance.
 
I clipped one wing and they still went over the fence.

Now I always clip both. They have to work really hard at getting over 3ft high, and being heavy, lazy, old biddies the grass just isn't THAT green on the other side of the fence
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I think my girls (all multi purpose gals) will eventually get to that point but for now their around 11 or 12 weeks old so I think it would be less of a struggle. I'm not expecting them to have too much reason to want over that fence, they will have plenty of grass and plant's and bugs to enjoy in our area and comparison to the pen it's a land of GREEN! lol but I think if I clip both and all they have to do is try harder, being lighter and not quite filled out yet it might not do the job. But Id hate for them to try and slam into the fence or ground because only one wing is clipped.... I might try clipping one wing see how that works and if not clip the other as well.... still thinking tho.
 

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