[walker]

hi im sure you've debated this topic before as ive used the search on the site. im unsure
if to clip the wings of our new chooks when they arrive they are light sussex and rhode island reds, do these breeds have a tendency to fly or is it just a personnal choice of the bird
our garden where they will be free ranging most of the day is surrounded on all three sides with 10ft conifurs would this be high enough to stop them wanting to escape.
also is the any photos of how to clip there wings as i wouldnt want to mest it up and cause
any harm to the chooks.

[Caralou]

You just want to be clipping the primary flight feathers on one side (see attached picture) to unbalance them. I have a speckled sussex and a light sussex and as of yet haven't wing clipped them as even though they can fly over (6ft fencing) they got scared the one time they did and huddled by the gate to come back in so haven't tried to escape since  Come spring I probably will do though as my warrens are escape artists and will need redoing then so will do them all at the same time. It all really depends on the bird - some love to escape and others are content with what they have got!

[walker]

thanks caralou im 50/50 wether to do it or not.
i may just see if they try to escape then decide.

[beulah59]

One of our walls is only 5ft ... so we clipped all our hens on arrival, just to be sure. The Light Sussex still manage to hop up onto the ark and sort of float, rather than fly, back down again ... but the ex-batts only think in two dimensions and rarely get off the ground. The Rhode Rocks are still in isolation ... but didn't seem at all flighty on first being allowed out in the garden.

I've recently fenced off an area of the garden with only a 1m fence but none of them have tried to go over the wire as yet. When one of the LS escaped through a gap I'd unintentionally left open, she was desperate to find her way back in again!

[smiler43]

Think it depends how inquisitive they are.  My pure breed can get higher than my hybrids and we had to add extra wire on top of the gate as she jumped that whereas the others hadn't tried it.  I clipped my 3 hybrids when I first got them but wouldn't bother now but in summer we have to be careful where we leave the garden chairs or as soon as your backs turned they are on the top looking around and over the fence!!! LOL

[IMOmimey]

I always clip the one wing of any new birds I get, and offer to do so for any I sell. My worry is just that if they escape, they wont know their way home again   . Hence I only do new ones. When they know where home is, I dont mind if they fly over the fences, as I know they can find their way back.  

[walker]

thanks guys
i think i will ask the breeder if they will clip the chooks and show me how to do it for
the future. better to be safe than sorry.

[Sassy]

My Light Sussex used to fly out and back in again but I was concerned about foxes so clipped one wing. It seems daunting but really isn't. It's a good idea to get the breeder to show you.

Good luck with your new birds

[SUTTY1]

My ex-batts must be crossed with the Duracell line,lol, cant keep them down. clipped wings and all they still get over a 3ft plus fence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe they go piggy-back!!!
Raising it at weekend 

[hillfooter]

I've never needed  to clip the wings of my hens over 12 years with 24 plus hens so I doubt you'll need to.  They soon know where home is, where they are fed and secure so they tend not to want to roam and if they do they quickly want to return.  I've clipped cocks wings successfully to stop them visiting the ladies in other runs but that's all.

It's easy to do if you need to but I'd wait and see if it's necessary as there is down side to doing this.

HF

[walker]

clipped the chucks wings today as after putting up a fencing to secure there run area i turned around on my way to make a cuppa and guess what one sitting on the fence and the other cleared it in one go no problem  . i knew they would be able to clear the fence if they really wanted to as it is only just over 3 ft,but i was expecting it to take longer for them to pluck up the courage , but as soon as i turned my back they were over it was as if they were laughing at me .

[joyfull]

did you clip just one wing or both? I never clip mine but when you do it should only be one so as to unbalance them when they try to fly and then after their moult you clip the other side instead.

[raeburg]

Going to have to do my cream legbars, they are flighty little madams.  It doesn't matter at the moment as there are no crops in the lottie but I'll have to do it soon

[walker]

did you clip just one wing or both? I never clip mine but when you do it should only be one so as to unbalance them when they try to fly and then after their moult you clip the other side instead.

hi joyfull yes just the one wing.the breeder told me to leave the first few flight feathers then when the wing is in its normal position it would look like the wing hadnt been clipped.
the chucks didnt mind too much the worse bit was trying to catch the two RIR.
Thanks for the info on after the moult clipping the other side didnt know about that

[joyfull]

it's because they can build up the muscles on the clipped side through trying to fly, so clipping the otherside will even things out (supposedly  ). Yes I was also told to leave a couple of feathers unclipped as well so that they look complete. My first two hens had their wings clipped by me to stop them taking off but they just found places where they could climb and hop onto then used to launch themselves over the netting which is why I gave up keeping them a netted area and also clipping their wings - now they fly into the trees and go where they like (not advisable if you have foxes around but in 10 years of being here no sightings of any and no fox pooh either - one of my dogs hunts it out to roll in it - gross  ).