Wing clipping...yay or nay

[gator75]

In three years I've never had any of my hens jump over my 6' brick walls. Even the new one who used to roost in trees seems content in her new space.

 

[Dizzydog]

I sometimes clip the flight feathers of chickens when I first let them out to free range as I have a couple of barriers that are only about 2' high. When I clip I only clip one wing. This throws off their balance and makes it even harder for them to fly. Usually they are comfortable and don't try to fly by the time they grow back in. If I have a Houdini I clip the feathers of the other wing the second time. That way if they have adjusted to the first clipping it throws them off again.

 

[Natanya]

When I clip a bird's wings I always clip symmetrically for the bird's comfort and balance. If you clip only one wing the clipped wing will work harder to keep up with the unclipped one, and the bird will develop unsymmetrical breast definition, something I prefer to avoid. If my bird is still able to fly better than I want it to I just clip the wings further, until they've reached the desired level of flightlessness.

I clip all of my silkie's primary and secondary feathers as close to the skin as I feel is safe. Since their feathers are shredded and damaged easily they would end up with these long half-bare pointed shafts, and I'd end up with cuts on my face if they decided to flail while I was holding them, and after the surface of my eye was painfully scraped twice I decided for my own safety their wing feathers had to go. It's had the pleasant secondary effect of converting their wings into absolutely adorable little flappers. Their wings are so dinky and puffy, when they flap it's just precious.

 

[BarredRockMom]

I've never clipped anyone's wings & never had to. I once took in the handsome little roo in my avatar (Mr Peanut) who'd had his wings clipped. Honestly, you'd have thought that jacked up, jagged and poorly executed job was done by a blind fellow with dull kitchen shears, the job was so poorly done!

It didn't stop him one bit from leaping up on my back (while I was bent over with a pitchfork turning over dirt in their yard) & walking himself up to my shoulder for a cuddle! Any time it suited him, up he'd fly for a snuggle & a walk around. (Yes, yes, for all those who say "don't make a rooster a pet, don't get too friendly, etc," I know, I know. He was 2nd in the rooster pecking order, the youngest, the smallest and 100% a Mama's boy. He loved me & I loved him. If he'd ever gotten aggressive or started to think that he was top banana over me, we would have addressed that...but I digress.

I never needed to clip anyone, as they've fully understood that they have the life of Riley...complete with a chicken errand Mom. No one has ever wanted to or attempted to leave.

 

[Greenereveryday]

I inherited some grown chickens a few years ago when we bought a house. Since then we moved and I am now getting baby chicks next week to start my own little backyard flock. I live in a small town inside the city limits. We can have chickens. When I let them out of the pen to free range the yard, I don’t want them to fly over our 6 foot fence and escape or get harmed by roaming dogs and birds of prey. Do any of you clip the wings and if so do you just do one side?

I want to follow this conversation..I have birds flying out too.

 

[TweekTheChick]

I have some quail's wings that i clip because we had a couple run out.
just a trim though.

 

[arkturkeyhunter]

I clip my hens wings on one side. Even though i have a really big back yard and a 5 ft chainlink fence. Without clipping, one will enevitably get over the fence. I have to make sure that there is nothing close to the fence so they can hop up on and then get over. Clipping one wing throws their flying off and makes them spiral one way or the other. They can still jump up and dow from things that are not very high.

 

[arlyons65]

At what age did you start to clip their wings? I have done it for a parrot but I’m not sure on a chicken how far back to go?

 

[clucklady]

My chickens like to fly over the fence to get to that delicious fruit orchard in my neighbor's yard. Luckily, he likes birds or it could get messy. But I am considering clipping my birds to keep peace in the neighborhood.

 

[Jasper D]

Just this last Sunday (4/29/18) One of my California Leghorns became spooked flew up to the brick wall and then hopped over. I had to go next door and bother a neighbor to retrieve her. They are all getting clipped this week. Period! For their safety! They are never out of the run without my presence.