WING-CLIPPING: CRUEL OR NECESSARY? ~ Open Poll~

[SulkyBantam]

I clip when a hen repeatedly flies out of the chicken yard (they have 1/2 an acre so the grass is NOT greener on the other side). It is almost inevitably a new young member of the flock so they're lighter and stronger than the "older" girls. I start with just the left primary feathers (the longest feathers located at the end of the wing) only. That is usually enough to keep them from getting above 3 feet; but if they're still capable of making it over I then clip just the primary feathers on the right. By the time they molt in new wing feathers, they've given up on the idea of hopping the fence.

I cannot imagine ever considering surgical amputation, which is essentially chopping off part of your chicken's arm. Feather clipping doesn't involve surgery, is painless, takes only minutes, and is reversed when the cut feathers fall out and are replaced by new ones in the fall molt.

 

[BleuSaphir]

I would absolutely clip my chicken wings if necessary. Especially with flighty breeds. If they fly off to my neighbor backyard. The dogs would certainly try to play with them...not in a good way either. lol

 

[Ladyxan]

minus my muscovy squad. But they haven't wandered far off enough to really warrant clipping their wings.

Not sure about chickens, but it didn’t do any good on my daughter’s Muscovy. She still flies over the fence!! Not sure how high that fence needs to be to stop her from escaping. LoL

I have thought about doing it to Hennie (chicken) as she’s the one who hops up on the fence, gets down in the other side, and then wanders around. Little stinker!! Yesterday, husband found her in the middle of the drive way just staring at him. Usually her sister tattles on her, but not yesterday. LoL

Thanks for starting this discussion. I was wondering about clipping as well.

 

[oldhen2345]

Yes I just was confused with the Blood feathers I mean how do you know! Think I'll just clip the tips

Be sure you do snip enough of the feathers though. I did mine and still, I have one that I did not clip very short- she greets me on the patio every morning when I go out to feed. So far, the dogs have left her alone.

 

[Chickenclaude]

I have clipped the wings of my African grey...but not my chickens...some day they might need to fly for protection.

 

[nchls school]

Blood feathers are pretty easy to spot; just look at the feather base. They are just pin feathers; feathers that have not grown all the way out. The feather shaft appears thicker at the base. You might even be able to see the blood within.

 

[Double Yolked]

One of my Australorps, the sweetest and gentlest of the bunch at that, just discovered a way out of my pasture. I still am unsure if she flew out or found something to hop on or found a way under. It's starting to be spring here and I'm still finding winter damage to fix and repair, so under is just as likely as over.
After her escape the rest of the hens threw a giant fit screaming and crying for her. My husband started to panic since it was evening and a black hen in the dark is really impossible to find. But I just walked around the fence line and down into the neighbors pasture where she was hidden and started clucking at her. In moments she came running and submissively squatted at my feet. I picked her up in my arms and during the long walk back around to our gate she snuggled and clucked her head off at me, talking about her escape I guess or maybe telling me "Mom you got lost, where were you? I was scared!"
If she's flying over I will clip but I need to be sure she really is flying over and not wiggling under somewhere. She needs those wings to get up into the apple trees in case of raccoon attack.

 

[nchls school]

Clipping should never be done without a lot of thought. In some situations it is safer to have them clipped and in other situations, as the poster has pointed out, flight means escape from predators. My ducks are clipped as they do not fly to escape, even though the could. Clipping means they are not an easy target for hawks and they can't fly over the fence where dogs can get them. Peafowl, turkeys, and chickens are not clipped as our worst predator at the moment is dogs and flight has saved them a number of times from the neighbor's dog. My whole back yard is now fenced to keep the dogs out and the birds in.