Wing Clipping? Opinions wanted

[High Mountain Chic]

What is everyone's opinion on wing clipping? My chickens will have a fully enclosed run when they are big. If everyone thinks that clipping is a must then when do you start to do this? my chicks are flying like crazy in their brooder at 3.5 weeks old. Thanks for the input!

 

[purecountrychicken]

If your run is fully covered,,I wouldn't worry about clipping them. My run doesn't have a cover and 5' fence so I clipped my chickens wings. A lot of people are against clipping them but sometimes you have to.

 

[cwc362]

If you aren't going to have a top on your pen- Wing clipping is a good idea- I've done it for years and never had a problem. I guess if you are showing chickens, you wouldn't want to clip because of looks. But for layers and meat chickens has always worked out well for me.

 

[ChooksChick]

It doesn't hurt them and some of mine will even sit still for it! I have a 4' chain link fence on either side of my yard and live in the middle of a city- so it had to be done. They don't mind, and it keeps them from hopping fences.

I have a 10'x10' playhouse 3' off the ground under which they can run if something flies into the area, and various shrubs and stuff they can take cover in throughout the yard. No daytime ground predators can get into the yard, and they have a pre-fab 8'x8' garden shed for Fort Knox Coop at night.

If if keeps them in your yard, it's a good idea, IMHO. If mine got into our North or West neighbor's yard, they'd be one more fence hop from 3 or 4 fenced-in pit-bulls. I'd hate to see that. I clip *because* I love them!

 

[cwc362]

Quote:
Good Answer!!!

 

[cockadoodle]

I'll be clipping the wings on mine (or at least 1 on each bird). We have a 6 foot fence around most of the yard, but a 4 footer in other sections. My chicks are flying all over the basement right now and I'd really hate to lose any of them over the fence to a dog . car . etc... Some of my friends with other birds (parrots, etc..) do the same thing without any apparent harm to the birds. Kind of like trimming toe nails from what I've heard.

btw, have to say hello to another coloradian

Regards,
Mark

 

[Lolliegee]

Funny, I was just getting ready to post a very similar question...I'd like to know at what age you should start clipping their wings and also how do you go about doing it. It's been over 20 years since I helped my mom with it.

 

[cockadoodle]

Pretty good post on it here
https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-wingclipping.html

I found some more on google. Youtube has some videos, sounds pretty easy, I'll probably be more freaked out than my chickens.

 

[melissastraka]

I used sterile scissors on my roos. I dont really worry now because they all come back at night but when i did, they were fine with it. A couple of pecks and screams while trying to separate the feathers but that was it.

 

[Lolliegee]

Quote:
Thanks. I don't know why I didn't think to look there. That should've been a no-brainer. Although, it still didn't answer my question of age...When should you start clipping their wings?