Wing clipping

Blue ranger · « **on:** January 19, 2012, 09:03 »

Hi everyone. We got our first hens last week and are looking at having thier wings clipped. They live in a house/run in our back garden which is next to a field. I don't want to keep them in the run all the time but don't want to loose them. I have been advised to get thier wings clipped so they can't flutter up onto our chest high fence, then upto the next fence and dissapear into the field. But then a local farmer said they wont get that high up so no need to clip thier wings. What would you recomend? Also how long after getting the hens would you let them out to roam? I was told 2 weeks?

joyfull · « **Reply #1 on:** January 19, 2012, 09:20 »

As mine free range I don't clip their wings - the reason being that if we get a mink or fox visiting then they stand a chance of flying up into the trees to get out of the way.
If you do decide to wing clip then only clip one wing and then after they moult and regrow feathers you do the other side. Clipping one wing off balances them so they struggle to fly.

Blue ranger · « **Reply #2 on:** January 19, 2012, 09:29 »

That's what I am worried about. We are pretty out in the sticks here, surrounded by farms and fields. We know from the local farmer there are foxes around (we haven't seen one. YET) They are quite shy at the moment. I have tried giving them corn from my hand to encourage a 'bond' if you will. But they just stretch thier necks as far as they can to get the dropped corn so they don't have to come to close to me

I hope i'm not getting on people's nerves asking so many things, but I really appreciate all the advice

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #3 on:** January 19, 2012, 09:38 »

Clipping the left wing is traditional. (I suppose they all flap round in the same circle then

)

You just clip 8 or 9 primary feathers but be careful not to cut them into the part where the veins are.

Blue ranger · « **Reply #4 on:** January 19, 2012, 09:40 »

Ooooh Aunt Sally I wouldn't do it myself, I'm petrified I would hurt them. We got a quote from a local vet �15.50 per hen

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #5 on:** January 19, 2012, 09:47 »

It is so easy and will take two minutes. You won't hurt them. Get someone to hold the bird and the other person to clip the feathers. You can easily see where the blood vessels reach to down the feather quill.

£15.50 per hen is extortionate. You can let them fly away and buy a new bird for that much

Small wonder vets drive around in expensive cars

joyfull · « **Reply #6 on:** January 19, 2012, 09:52 »

wing clipping really is easy.
try a few meal worms or sweetcorn kernels to temp your birds - start by dropping them near your feet (the treats not the birds

) whilst you are sitting down. Do this every day and then slowly move the treats closer to you and eventually keep the treats in the palm of your hands

Blue ranger · « **Reply #7 on:** January 19, 2012, 09:56 »

Thanks guys! Think we will try letting them out as they are and see how that goes. If they try and make a run for it we will clip thier wings. Are we ok to let them out now? we have had them a week and I was told to wait 2 weeks?

joyfull · « **Reply #8 on:** January 19, 2012, 09:59 »

yes they should be fine - mine stray into the field next door and down the bridleway but shake the treat container and they soon come back half running half flying

SMS6 · « **Reply #9 on:** January 19, 2012, 12:56 »

even with wing clipped mine can 'jump' to chest height

It is really easy to do, I only started keeping Chickens last June but we manage it okay

Lewjam · « **Reply #10 on:** January 19, 2012, 12:58 »

Also, they grow back most if not every moult...

So at �15 a bird, your talking a minimum of �45 a year for some one to use a pair of scissors on there feathers!

If you decide to clip, do it your self its so easy heh!

Tony H · « **Reply #11 on:** January 19, 2012, 13:32 »

Hi ya dont wurry about hurting your chucks its real easy, but as mentioned it doesnt always work my girls have half the garden but i have got that sort of jumps and flaps over the fence to destroy the other half of the garden

iv cut her wings right down but makes no difference to her, o well she's happy

Geo · « **Reply #12 on:** January 19, 2012, 22:16 »

Go onto you tube you will find them clipping wings. I could not afford to use that vet for a sick chicken if that is what he charges to clip a wing. �15.50 buys another chicken

twigs · « **Reply #13 on:** January 20, 2012, 17:01 »

Wing clipping is easy unless you havent done it before, then it seems hard! make sure you just clip the flight feathers, that way when the wing settles back they look normal and only clip one side! the idea is to unbalance them and put them off flying, you will need to do this fairly often as the feathers grow back but like the others, I dont as mine free range and I would prefer them to be able to fly out of danger, on the whole my hens dont disappear

Blue ranger · « **Reply #14 on:** January 23, 2012, 11:21 »

Thank you all. We have been letting them out over the weekend and they seem to have been fine, so no need to clip thier wings. They are loving having the whole garden to forage around

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