Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: mickthepieman on June 05, 2011, 20:18

Title: Clipping their wings
Post by: mickthepieman on June 05, 2011, 20:18

Hi all, I will be getting some hens in 2 weeks or so. How much do I need to clip off the flight feathers?

anyone know ?

Title: Re: Clipping there wings
Post by: joyfull on June 05, 2011, 20:53

this may help:-

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=74787.0

although I never bother  :)

Title: Re: Clipping there wings
Post by: rachelr on June 05, 2011, 20:58

some hens done fly so dont do it unless you have to. They use their ability to fly to get away from predators.

I have 20 ish hens and have only clipped 5 as they would keep going next door lol

Title: Re: Clipping there wings
Post by: gracie on June 05, 2011, 21:40

I have had mine for a few weeks and they free range every day. I'm not clipping until I have to and so far it hasn't been an issue, guess it depends on the chickens

Title: Re: Clipping there wings
Post by: Maccbean on June 06, 2011, 09:44

I got mine yesterday, and already one has escaped three times.  She has got through the fence then flown over a six foot wall.  I clipped one wing and she still managed to fly over!

Title: Re: Clipping there wings
Post by: shetan on June 06, 2011, 10:02

in my (in)experience, our heavier birds - brahmas, cochins, jerseys, sussex and orpingtons are too heavy to fly over the fence (even the 4 foot one) but our hybrids spend a lot of their free ranging time trying out for the 'flying spurt' olympics. we only clip their wings and do altenate sides after each moult.

best of luck

Title: Re: Clipping there wings
Post by: mickthepieman on June 06, 2011, 10:21

Thanks for the help, i think i will wait until i get the hens and see how it goes.

thanks again for the comments

Title: Re: Clipping their wings
Post by: Dominic on June 06, 2011, 11:06

I plan on waiting for an escape before clipping, seems a bit mean if they just want to fly onto the roof the run.

Title: Re: Clipping their wings
Post by: kimmcb on June 06, 2011, 12:36

I went on a chicken keeping course before I got my girls and asked if I needed to clip their wings. The answer basically is that it is up to you, but consider that if a predator was to get in to your chickens, they would have less chance of survival if they can't fly. So, we decided against flight feather clipping. My three are in my fairly small garden and so far, although we sometimes find Ruby sitting on the fence, none of them have strayed. If one did become an escape artist, then we'd review the situation. Personally, I'd wait and see what they do!