Wing Clipping...should I or not????

[craftychicken]

could someone comment on clipping and predators? my Ameraucana was getting into the neighbor's yard (4ft fence), not a real issue, just didn't want her pooping in his yard. we were thinking to clip her wing, but we are glad we didn't. just a few days later a coyote got in, and our hen was able to jump to a 6ft fence and escape to safety. if we had clipped her wing, i don't think she would have survived.

 

[Beekissed]

I just clipped my younger flock because they were flying to the top of the hay in the barn...presumably to lay eggs where I cannot reach them. I clipped primaries and secondaries of one wing but these birds can still hop easily onto the nearly 5 ft. roosts.

You may want to make your fence top something on which they cannot easily hop and dismount on the other side. I do this on my fence gates, as standard breeds rarely fly over something as much as they hop up on, then down on the other side. I either extended the welded wire about 6 in. above the top rail of the gate or I placed electric insulators upright on the fence posts and strung aluminum wire tightly across the gaps about 4-6 in. above the fenceline.

 

[tedabug]

I just clipped three of my four hens after months of having them escape. I was so worried and it ended up no big deal at all. I also used to use the cheap plastic 4ft. chicken fencing, but switched to the 4ft. animal wire. What a difference! It stands up on it's own with little effort and is so easy to manipulate. Wish I had bought it months ago. It doesn't cost much and could cover the area you need effortlessly. Mine can still scale 2-3ft. barriers with clipped wings. My Orphington has all her wing feathers and stays put wherever I want her to. Such a good girl.