JoshuaEdwards Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 (edited) Listen to this. Just today we got 3 hens, two Golden Rockets and one Sussex Comet they were fine out all day eating grass to their hearts content. It began to get a bit darker and dusk arrived so we tried to get the chickens back into the Coop when one of the Golden Rockets began shaking its body and looking as if I was going to jump. Next minute the chicken began flying against the seven foot fence as if trying to get over the fence. It give up with about three inches before it would have succesfully got over and escaped. The place we got them from said their wings are not clipped, but with a seven foot fence there should be no need what do you think? Do you clip your chickens wings? Have you had any near miss escape experiences? Josh Edited January 21, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperman Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Welcome to the forum, If you keep them confirned to the run for a few days it will teach them where they now live, and they will be less inclined to 'do one' over the fence. Our fences are 7 ft too and although our hens haven't been clipped and could clear them if they wanted to they have shown no interest in escaping over the top, well so far anyhow. Hope this helps. Kev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 You mention it was getting darker......it was probably trying to roost. It is a good idea to get them in before dusk as they don't see well in the dark and might not find their way home. Plus....as Kev says, they do need to be kept in the run for a few days to "imprint" the idea of home in them. She won't have known where to go. Clip their wings if they still try to clear the fence, but I really would confine them for a few days. Also take them a few treats in a brightly coloured bowl in the afternoon. They will recognise the bowl and come running to you when they see it, and then you will be able to get them easily into the run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Hi Josh I've had a few near misses with mine. They could escape if they wanted to but they don't. When I first got them they preferred to roost in trees even after keeping them in for several days. Not having their wings clipped has saved their lives though after we had a visit from the fox. The only one killed was a little polish that couldn't get more than 6 inches off the ground HTH Shirl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lailapet Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Mine haven't had their wings clipped and we have no fences at all. They still only wander around a small area and return to the eglu on their own as dusk approaches. They were used to freeranginging before I got them and I felt a little guilty keeping thme in the eglu and run for the first week but I wanted them to know where their home was so they didn't end up sleeping in the trees. I believe their instict tells them to get off the ground to sleep, so that is probably what your hen was doing. Just keep them in for a few days and I am certain all will be well. Laila Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Mine have got clipped wings but could still probably clear our back fence but thankfully haven't. They know where the free supply of food is! I was told that as they get older and heavier they are less able to take off so after their next moult I may not clip their wings. If you do clip them, remember only to do one wing - it unbalances them on attempted take off. Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waders Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Hi Josh, My girls arrived mid December and although there has been lots of posturing and jumping up and down they have never tried to escape. When I got them I asked that very nice man Justin about wing clipping. He said he would show me if I wanted but to be honest I felt it was a bit cruel. Also after reading postings I knew I would feel happier knowing they could make a good effort at getting away from a predator - even if all they succeeded in doing was scaring it! When alls said and done it's down to personal choice, only you know what is best for your chooks! Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol U Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 I've just added three new girls Josh, and they did exactly as yours did on their first night - even though they were in a run with a house attached. I realised that as they are bred in barns, they didn't understand that the house was the safe place for the night, so as it got darker, they began to panic and try to escape. On the second night, I lifted them into the house at dusk (before it got really dark) and shut the door. They were fine then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Hi. See how they settle in before you decide to wing clip. My Omlet chickens had their wings clipped but my later addition didn't. It helped that she could "fly" out of the way when the others picked on her initially. Now they are all friends and we have clipped one of her wings because she kept flying over the fence and eating my hubbie's veg patch ..... he was not amused and so she was clipped. I put mine away in their run at least an hour before dusk every night and they get their treats bowl to eat before they put themselves to bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 What do you expect with Rockets and Comets?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 ours came with their wing fearhers trimmed. As far as I know, the BHWT trim their wing festhers and toe nails as a matter of course before they re-home them. Ours don't free range unsupervised so I prefer that they can't flap very high, just in case they take off over a fence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goosey Lucy Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Hi Josh and welcome to the forum. I was advised by James from Omlet to clip my girls' wings when they arrived and we've not lost one yet. After a couple of days mine started puuting themselves to bed as dusk approached but for the first few days I could be seen herding them towards the eglu with two bamboo canes in my hands. Now if I need to get them away quickly all it takes is a quick rattle of the bowl which I use for their s"Ooops, word censored!"s and they come charging up the garden. I think if they could fly they'd knock me down with their enthusiasm to get to the food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 Ours were clipped at 18 weeks when we got them. Apart from a frenzied flap/run round the garden occasionally there's no sign of them wanting to escape. (We did see Molly fly about 7 feet in the air for a good few seconds yesterday though .) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 21, 2008 Share Posted January 21, 2008 I caught one of Saturdays escapees **see here** stand on the edge of the Eglu and after a few false starts flap her wings and sail over the netting onto the grass. Netting moved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...