Wing clipping - is it necessary?

[FarmMilkMama]

What are your thoughts on wing clipping? We would like to free range our chickens, they are currently in a coop and 15x15 fenced yard. We would like to let them out into our much larger (acre or so) backyard which is fenced on three sides (5 ft) and the 4th side is a creek. Some have said we should clip their wings so it would be easier to corral them if we "needed to" and they also would stay out of the fenced gardens and the yard which butts up to the busy road. Others tell me that clipping wings will take away their natural defense from predators and it isn't necessary since they always come back to the coop at dusk. What are you thoughts??

 

[Willow's Meadow]

haha i just posted the same question last week! maybe this will help https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=336788

 

[CuriousChicken]

In your case I wouldn't worry too much. If their coop is on the 1 acre that you plan to let them use and they can see the land outside the coop they will associate the land around the coop with the home. Then you just go to the coop when your ready to put the chickens away then toss the scratch feed into the coop, your chickens will come running and you can close them in for the night. For example, a poor one but still, my landlady has about a hundred uncooped chickens, roos and hens, and they run around her 9 acre plot but they don't leave. She also has 50 peacocks and they are dummer than a box of rocks, despite that they almost never leave either and they can fly a lot farther than any chicken.

 

[tinychicky]

if they have a whole acre, they should be fine. i hate wing clipping, because, how could they get away from predators if they are unable to fly? i think wing clipping is just an excuse to catch the chickens more easily, but if yur nice to them and they like you, then they'll come running everytime you go out there! also, if you leave the coop door open, they'll all just go back in at night, so theres no reason to have to chase them everywhere. just hold them often (especially as chicks) and you'll have no problems!

 

[FarmMilkMama]

Thanks very much for the information!! They always come running when we feed at night and are pretty good about going inside the coop when it gets dark, so I guess I don't see how it could be any different when we open the door to the full yard. I too was worried about them having no defense to natural predators. Kind of like de-clawing a cat and then sticking it outside.

 

[cdbailey59]

Our chickens are in a fenced in backyard. We did clip their wings. They were going over the chain link fence and totally destroying our veggie garden. Also, they were scattering all of the pine needle mulch in the garden along the front of the house, into front yard and the driveway. They did come back in at dusk, but where were all the eggs? They were laying them somewhere and we never saw them. Plus, we got them as pets to enjoy. When they were out of the fence, they were in the woods or up under the bushes in the front of the house and we never saw them. Keeping them in the fence actually cuts down on the chance of them being attacked by a predator or getting hit by our in our case. So for us, clipping their wings was a good choice. I guess it just depends on you circumstances.

 

[The Coastal Chicks]

I lost my first pullet tonight to the neighbors dog... We have a large fenced back yard and the girls are about 7 weeks...
They do come when I call for treats an go into their coop at dusk which I am quite impressed with. I did not want to risk losing another so I did clip...

Thanks for the info

 

[sweetchicks]

Any advice at what age should I clip and let free range?

 

[lemurchaser]

I clipped my girls wings after one of them went over the 6 foot wood fence into the neighbors yard. And they were consistently jumping the 4 foot fence into my garden. Clipping wings kept them where they were supposed to be. So its only necessary if you're having problems.

 

[Beekissed]

I've never seen a difference in clipped or not with free range birds. They cannot actually fly to escape a predator, they can only get off the ground for a few feet...at least none of my birds can...much too big! If a predator is on foot, they can catch them anyway when they land from their feeble attempts to fly. If the predator is a hawk, none of that matters at all, they cannot use their wings to escape from a hawk either.

I've never really seen any documented accounts of where a chicken's wings and their ineffectual flight allowed them to escape a predator. Not saying that it hasn't happened but I'm betting its not real common.

Clipping wings can help birds stay inside a perimeter fencing or out of a garden fence. Unless you are clipping for that reason, it is not necessary. They are not easier to catch without primary feathers....they run when you chase them, not fly.

If you clip, you only have to clip one side unless you have a very persistent offender....in my flock, this kind of bird gets the "prison cut" of both wings, primary and secondary flight feathers clipped. If that doesn't work, she gets the ultimate clipping...right under the chin!

Most birds return to the coop at dusk anyway, so no need to entice them in with food if you don't want to do so.