[Sadgit]

.. that is the question..

I haven't done mine as I don't seen to need to.. is it worth doing or not bother?

[chickychick]

we clipped ours after seeing one of em fly straight up about 6ft! I decided that she could escape the garden quite easily if she was out of her pen sometime and we live in a village with roads!! ulp

once clipped you can hardly tell they have been done to look at becuase the flight feathers get tucked in.  

Its a few minute job for a few hens.

The only convincing argument I have heard for not clipping so far is that if a fox gets near they can fly away when not clipped, but mine were in a pen so couldnt see that that would help really.  Also I recon the fox would get em anyway cause they are pretty daft!

[muntjac]

wing feather clip for keeping them home .... do not accept flesh cliped birds and this cruel thing will be resigne to the compost bin

[Bodger]

Sadgit. ( Do know, that for weeks I've thought you were Indian ? )

If you don't feel your birds need it, then don't do it.

[Contadino]

Are we talking wing feathers, or anywhere else?  I'm with Munty - wings OK, anything else is cruel.

We bought 7 new hens a couple of months back and they'd had their beaks clipped.  Poor things really struggled to pickup grain.  They're growing back, but even so it's horrid to see.  It's the norm over here.

[GrannieAnnie]

I wanted our new Amberlinks wings tips clipped, as like CC said, they can fly over 6ft high, and 2 of ours have gone over the 6ft fence into the ex batt girls runs and got attacked.

But for some reason, hubby won't do it.  Won't say why, and he was one of the beak clipping brigade, so its not beause he thinks he might hurt them.  Just lazy I think!!!!! lol

[muntjac]

all tats needed is the wings clipped back to the second primary feather line  

[Sadgit]

aye I mean wings clipped.. So far they haven't tried to fly into the trees etc so might wait and see if they do, then decide..

cheers
SADGIT not Sanjit!!

[littleorchard]

I have had chickens over the years, I think if you've kept them in their run for a while and then let them out they will be fine.  They know when there on to a good thing and come back when they are ready(or going dark). Watch out for them disappearing to lay tho! We went on the hunt after one of our banhams kept nipping off, found her in next doors ivy with 13 eggs!

[Moby1]

So how high can a chicken with clipped wings fly? I want to let mine roam the garden but only have a four foot fence - will clipping stop them getting over this?

[mobyjones]

So how high can a chicken with clipped wings fly? I want to let mine roam the garden but only have a four foot fence - will clipping stop them getting over this?

Clipped properly yes. Remember you only need to do one wing. And remember you'll need to keep doing it! lol Remember not to stack things up close to the fence that they can use to get over it though..

[Aunt Sally]

Some birds are flightier than others Moby1.  I have a friend with white stars who can still  flap onto her 5 ft hedge  :shock:   They tend to settle down as they get older and heavier though, when they find they have everything they need at home.

[mobyjones]

Some birds are flightier than others Moby1.  I have a friend with white stars who can still  flap onto her 5 ft hedge  :shock:   They tend to settle down as they get older and heavier though, when they find they have everything they need at home.

Are they the same as a white Bovans (sp). A hybrid bird? If they are I bet you a tenner they were not clipped enough.  

[Aunt Sally]

No I think they were just young and light enough to cope with unbalanced flight.

When you clip their wings SG only clip the primaries, they need the others for warmth during the winter, and be ccareful not to cut into the blood supply.

[mobyjones]

No

I could have sworn a white Bovan is the same bird as a white star? You sure?