[loretta cluck]

Our 6 girls have been with us for a week now, and are eating out of our hands, allowing us to stroke them etc, taking an interest in most things that are going on, and now they are dashing to the enclosure door as if they want to come out.  My intention has always been to let them "have" our side garden, and let them out whilst supervised, but worried they will get out - the fence is 6ft high.....have read and seen video showing the clipping of a wing, which i feel confident enough to do, but at the same time would rather not just for the sake of the chickens.....whats the best course of action?  the coop and enclosure we have is of ample size for them, but would like to give them some pottering about time...

[dancing trousers]

Hi Loretta

I'm a newbie too and had the wings clipped on my three girls and I'm glad I did.  I had a bit of a nightmare when they all escaped into my open garden when they first arrived (cardboard box to transport them doesn't mix with wet chicken poo, say no more!).  Anyway they couldn't make a break for it.  However they've settled in really well much like yours and even though they're clipped they can flap up onto their eglu run with ease and Big Bird sees me coming with spinach and flies up to my hand before I can bend down to share the goodies.  So they seem happy and can do some low level fly/hopping and I have peace of mind!  Good luck with it all.

[Dawnuss]

yes the breeder clipped our chickens wings but its surprising how high they can still flap and jump. we have a rockery which is against the wall and without there wings clipped they would be gone by now  they grow back again after they lose there feathers so maybe do it this time for piece of mind cause they will grow back in time 

[loretta cluck]

Thanks for the advice - I want them to have as much time out as possible, and would be devastated if I lost any of them, so think the way forward is to clip...

[joyfull]

mine free range so I don't clip their wings - this way they have a better chance of getting out of harms way - which at the moment is proving to be our new puppy 

[devonbarmygardener]

We didn't fancy the idea of wing clipping we have camoflauge netting over the pen (the original aim to keep the Buzzards away - we get a lot of them over our site) so we didn't feel the need.

Its not supposed to hurt them to clip - I think it comes down to personal preference and situation.

Emma

[evie2]

We clipped wings with our first hens 5 years ago and they were all taken by the fox or badger now we don't.  The Sabelpoots and Dutch bantam fly into the trees while the large hens sit on top of the coop sunbathing and having a nap

[michael85]

we have amoungst others, two leghorns. They managed to make there way up onto a fence thats nearly 6 foot tall. About 20 mins later, they had their wings clipped!

Weve clipped all 5 birds wings now, there not fussed and we are safe in the knoledge that they cant clear the fences anymore, so they can be left unattended for short periods.

[joyfull]

Just to make anybody who is new to keeping hens aware when you clip a birds wing please only do one wing and then after they moult clip the opposite side. The reason for this is to put them off balance when they try to fly off.