Wing Clipping

[Sdlbred]

So my question basically boils down to this, we have a fenced backyard part wood privacy fence about 6 ft tall and the other fence is a rod iron fence with chicken wire at the bottom about 2 ft up, should we clip our birds wings or not clip them? if we should clip the wings should we do just one side or both? I want to let them out to roam the yard but I don't want them to fly over the fencing and get hurt by a predator or hit by a car.....

 

[Judy]

This article talks about how it is done: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-clip-trim-the-wings-of-your-chicken-to-prevent-flight It makes it more difficult for them to fly if you only clip one side, as it makes them unbalanced.

It's a debatable choice. Some breeds fly much higher than others. My fence is 6' and some of mine can easily get over it. I've seen Leghorns 10' up in the air, and I think OEGB fly even higher. Other breeds may not get more than a few inches off the ground. I've also seen mine sort of flap and grab onto the fence, and essentially walk themselves up and over. This is actually the method preferred by the ones I used to have that got over the fence. Clipping can put them at quite a disadbantage if they encounter a predator, though.