Cube mk2 and WIR

[Snap,Crackle & Pop]

Hi all,

 

I've had my 3 hens for about 2 months now and they have only escaped from their run a couple of times and now they free range for the first time today. Im not sure whether to clip their wings or not and especially as its winter or do i do it in the spring? We have 5ft fence on one side and 7ft fence on the otherside. Should this keep them in?

 

Thanks for your help

 

Amanda

[Egluntyne]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

 

It won't harm to clip their wings. It being winter shouldn't make any difference.

 

Clip just one wing...it unbalances them and helps prevent them getting airborne.

[iChicken]

Clipping their wings won't do any harm and might unbalance them if they try to fly. I clipped the wings of our chickens a couple of days ago and it doesn't seem to have made much difference (maybe I didn't take enough off?). Our chickens never fly up, just flap down from various objects and I've yet to notice a difference in their balance when doing this.

[chocolatedog]

We've had our girls for 3 months and we never clipped their wings - our fences/walls are only 4 ft high max, but they've never yet attempted to get out. To be honest I'd rather keep their wings intact in case they ever needed to escape from anything in the garden, like a stray dog, or a cat or fox, for example (though so far, none of the above have ever been spotted in the garden......touch wood...). If they ever show signs of trying to go exploring I may have to rethink, but so far, so good. I think they probably must find enough to keep them busy and occupied in our garden without them having to look elsewhere - so I keep piles of leaves around for them to play in, etc and brush up everything for them to dig up again the next day!!!

[Hen Watch]

My 3 Omlet girls were wing clipped by the delivery man on arrival. They can clear 3ft still. But I didn't clip Stella's wing (she's the new girl) for ages. She could fly up onto my back if I bent over and was always in the veg patch clearing the 4ft netting.

 

I really loved to see her do this and didn't want to clip her wing until husband put his foot down when she had eaten his baby veg yet again and insisted I sort it out. So they are all now cliped (but Stella can still get over the veg netting sometimes - I just havn't told hubbie yet......)

 

Mine have never cleared 5ft so I would think you'll be OK. I've moved my compost bins, dustbins etc away from my fences just so they can't hop up on them and then get over the fence.

[chickencam]

We have clipped one wing on each of our 4 girls.

 

We have a 6ft wall and a hedge but we back onto a main road so the girls wouldn't stand a chance if they got out and it might give the drivers a bit of a shock too There was a guy cycling past our house the other day when one of girls was diong her egg squawk, he looked very confused

[Couperman]

None of ours are clipped either.

 

We have had no escapees as yet, but I once did spot Splodge doing a balancing act on the washing line!

 

I wasn't quick enough with the camera unfortunately!

 

Kev.

[Chickybaby]

When I got my 3 chickens a year ago I was going to clip their wings as everywhere I read it seemed to tell you that you should do it but I decided I would rather they kept their wings as nature intended. I have never seen them attempt to fly higher than about 3ft onto our patio table but I guess if they did look as if they might escape then I probably would have to. Saying that, before we got the chickens we made sure our fence was 6ft high and moved anything that was against the fence that they could use to hop over.

[CatsCube]

I was going to clip our girl especailly as a couple of them are quite good flyers (the white star and columbine) but I havent at the moment and I dont think I will. Although these two will ocassionally fly up and land on the 5t fence dividing us from next door, they always jump back down into our side, I think its cause they know us, and their house and food etc are here and dont like to go to far away from 'home'. Plus we get on great with our neighbours so worst case senario we would pop round theirs and catch them again and bring them back home. Then we would look at clipping them.

 

If this is not an option for you then you might want to look at clipping them, no mater how unable they may look at flying. Our miniture Orp which really doesnt have gravitey on her side still manages to flap up to our gate and perch for a bit when she wants to, and Im amazed she can even get ground clearance as I think Im more aerodynamic than her!

[Helly Welly]

Mine are all clipped but Polly still easily jumps on top of the Cube. Must have strong legs

[Shirl]

I was going to get mine clipped because they have ended up in various trees (including one belonging to my neighbours) but after having a visit from the fox I'm glad I didn't. The only one caught was a little Poland that couldn't fly/hop at all.

 

Shirl

[chelsea]

our Maran has been clipped but she can still get up pretty high, I think sometimes it depends on the breed (weight/flighty etc).

 

We bought one chicken who kept flying on top of the roof of our caravan. (she was also clipped )..it was quite scary so we took her back to the breeder the same day we bought her.