Will They Fly?

[ContessaKris]

We have RIR, Barred Rock, Buff Orp, Wyandotte and EE in the incubator so I don't know exactly which will come to fruition at this time.

I'm nervous about the free ranging. The fence is about 4' I think. We also have a 3' rabbit fence around our garden. But our yard is filled with trees, bushes, lots of places to free range. Yard is about 100' by 200'. I'm crossing fingers they don't want to leave. I need a chicken lasso or something for when they do!

I'd be worried about the clipping and that I'd do it wrong. I'm sure there are step by steps somewhere...

 

[galanie]

Here ya go:

Not my image, but someone posted it a while back and I snagged it.

 

[h8snags]

Quote:
That's the same diagram I printed up and used! I also checked out YouTube and watched a couple videos on how to do it! Love YouTube! LOL!
Here's a few that I watched..

Here is how this lady did it by herself!

Hope that helps!

 

[ContessaKris]

I felt sick to my stomach watching the lady trim the feathers. But that's probably because when we first got our puppy we had to trim her nails. And being it was a new experience, the noise scared her. On the first clip, she yelped and all 3 of us girls (my 2 daughters included) started to cry.

We're wusses. Don't like to see anything hurt. She wasn't hurt, just scared. But I do take her to the groomers now to have them clipped. I can't do it!

The wing clipping looked pretty easy though. Any recommendation on what age to start clipping?

 

[Wildflower_VA]

I didn't think I would have a problem with my six black Australorps because while they were in the brooder with no cover, they never once flew out like I read other people say their chicks did. They would fly to the top of the feeder and waterer, but not out of the brooder box. When they were six weeks old, I moved them to the coop and 25' x 25' run with a 5 ft. tall fence.

I still never had a problem until I started to let them out to free-range part of the day in my woods about a month ago. I live on a little over two acres, over half mature woods. My lot is very long and not so wide, surrounded on three sides by farm land (fenced). On the fourth side is another two-acre lot with a house, which I can't see because of my woods (no fence). The first few times I let the chickens out, they headed straight for the woods until time to come home to roost for the night. I was keeping them penned up until afternoon at first, and that is when they started to fly out in the early morning. They didn't want to wait until the afternoon and discovered their wings.

I thought that was still okay, until the neighbor came to complain because the chickens came in her yard and one came on her deck and she was irate. I just bought this property less than a year ago, and this was the first time I met the neighbor. I had checked on the chickens several times during the day and always found them in a little grove of trees at the edge of my yard, never once thinking they were going to the neighbors yard.

I spent several hours putting netting over the run by myself so they couldn't fly out, and that solved the immediate problem, though the chickens don't like it much. They storm me when I open the gate, trying to get out. They pace in front of the gate waiting to get out. I have always intended to free range them during the day and thought my two acres would be enough for them.

I have since spent over $500 for electric poultry netting and solar charger, but am wondering if they will just fly over that and go annoy my neighbor. If so, I have just wasted $500. I certainly do wish they had never discovered flying.

 

[ContessaKris]

Quote:
Sounds like clip clip clipping would be good!

 

[mamaKate]

My buff orp rooster will roost on the 9 ft honeysuckle trellis if I get home late and don't put him up. He does not, however, fly over the four ft fence that contains his part (50x180 ft) of the back yard. I think it's more motivation than capability.

 

[h8snags]

Quote:
I felt the exact same way! I was sick to my stomach, but cowgirled up and grabbed a big sharp pair of scissors and my son, and out we went.. after all, I'm a chicken rancher! lol! It was really easy and the girls didn't mind at all! Catching them was the hardest part, as well as remembering who I'd clipped already! I was still kinda shakey for a few hours after, but I was so proud of myself for not 'chickening' out! LOL!
I can't cut my dogs nails either.. I got too close one time and he bled all over.

He wasn't hurt, but I just can't get myself to do it anymore!
My girls were almost 19 weeks old when I clipped their wings.. I guess you have to do it once a year after they molt, so it's not too bad! I told my son he's gonna do it next time! LOL!
Best of luck!

 

[poseygrace]

I have a 5' chain-link fence around my backyard, and I let the girls free-range all day. I have never had a problem with them going over the fence, but I have plenty for them to do in the yard, and they don't seem interested in leaving. I know they are capable of flying high, because our dog got loose recently (she's only a chihuahua, but loves to chase chickens) and a couple of them got on the boat (at least 8' off the ground). I have Wyandottes (who did NOT fly on the boat, they ran into the coop... duh) an EE, and a Minorca (who both made it onto the boat).

 

[ContessaKris]

I told hubby all about the clipping of the wings and he was horrified!

I think he's starting to like the idea of chickens more and more. hehe