Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: agingchick on September 10, 2009, 10:47
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Hi my 3 chicks are 10 weeks old how soon can I clip there wings
Diane
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Hi my 3 chicks are 10 weeks old how soon can I clip there wings
Diane
I've never clipped my chickens wings, never had need to. I've sometimes clipped one wing of geese when they were young, until they got too heavy to fly (Toulouse and Emden). I had to clip a wing of my Mandarin ducks as they used to leave home very regularly to go live on the lakes.
xx
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I don't do it either unless I have a good escapee!!! :D :D
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We clip one wing on each bird. Our basic rule is that when they can properly flutter and get up on to things bigger than themselves very easily we clip them. Our fencing is fairly low but on an acre of ground so it is done really just to prevent them getting used to flying up on to the fence and ending up in the garden and the veg patch. :D
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Thanks they are already flying over the 3 foot fence extending their run and into the garden I don't want them to fly into next doors garden as they all have dogs. one of my boundry fences is 6 foot but the other 2 are only 4 1/2 foot. so I want to take precautions and keep them safe.
Diane
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Hi Diane, I clipped a wing on each of my first two hens and they then used to climb onto their coup roof and fly over the fence that I had. So if you do clip you will have to make sure that they can't then climb onto anything to use it as a launch pad. My first two hens were POL's when I got them and I did it straight away. It might be better to put some netting/trellis on top of the lower fences instead. Have your adult hens got their wings clipped? Joy xx
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Yes I clipped their wings when I got them at 18 weeks. I just feel happier knowing they can't fly too high though 1 of them used a bin and composter to get on top of a wall then she didn't know how to get down til the mealie worms came out.
Diane