surrey_chickens Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I had a heart stopper today as I saw one of our ISA browns on top of their chicken house. That's about 5ft up. The fence is only 6ft high so they could fly off at any moment. I've read up on clipping their wings (or wing!) but how high can they fly/jump with them clipped? Any help appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I think it depends on the breed. We bought a hen and it jumped on top of our touring caravan with its wings clipped needless to say the hen went back to the breeder! Some birds are flightier than others, bigger breeds find it difficult to get lift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol U Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 With clipped wings they should be safe with a 6' fence. They tend to lose a bit of confidence in their flight capabilities once they're clipped and tend not to bother after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I think they can still do flappy leaps of about 4 or 5 feet, but don't get much "lift". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alih Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I had my first heart-stopper today when I looked outside to see one chicken sitting on the 5 ft garden fence and the other nowhere to be seen - having visited my very understanding neighbours i found offending chicken merrily having got over the other fence into their garden...same height.....and their wings are clipped....so am going to reclip if necessary this weekend, but they say 5 ft + is pretty safe.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bondinho Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I find that when you let them free range in your garden for the first few times, if you give them some corn or other such treats they will be too interested in that for a few minutes to flap off on to nearest fence etc. Then since then my lot have never flown on to the fence and are happy to potter about in the garden with the occasional 5metre sprint!! And I've got an Appenzeller which are meant to be very flighty birds. My fences are 6ft and 5ft though so smaller fences might be far more tempting for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyBoo Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Just in case I'm teaching anyone to suck eggs, you only clip one wing, it throws them off balance. Allegedly. One of our Gingernut Rangers regularly jumps on to the roof of the cube then over our fence into the grass area. I then made the mistake of clipping her other wing - it made no difference to her whatsoever. Mrs Bertie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRC99 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I'm shocked that people are saying they can get that high with their wings clipped. Mine cannot get off the ground since I clipped them. Their morning departure from the cube down into the run is very reminiscent of that Red Bull Flugtag in Hyde Park. They just go head first into the hemcore. It's very funny to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I'm shocked that people are saying they can get that high with their wings clipped. Mine cannot get off the ground since I clipped them. Their morning departure from the cube down into the run is very reminiscent of that Red Bull Flugtag in Hyde Park. They just go head first into the hemcore. It's very funny to watch. Mine get vertigo if they get more than 18 inches off the ground. I have to talk them down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minky Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 I tried the one wing clip and my Mrs Pepperpot could still make it over the 5ft fence, but one I'd done both she couldn't make it over any more - but I had to make sure and move any possible 'leaping off points' (picnic table, large plant pots etc). Funny you should mention this actually, as Hilda has now taken to burrowing under now she can't get over - this is a recent discovery for her but she's quite dim so proudly shows me exactly where she'd made a new escape route if I find her peeking in the conservatory so I can promptly block it off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazela Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 Oh thank goodness someone elses hens are equally misbehaved! We clipped all three girls' wings (the right-wing-side) last weekend - bit scary but convinced hubby I knew what I was doing (I just kept thinking of the picture in the "how to do chickens" supplement which came with the eglu!) But low and behold Florence took a great leap and flew over hubby's neatly fenced off flower boarder yesterday I think she had a too, but as all 3 hens like to jump onto the top of the run I am now convinced they are going to continue to make bids for freedom. Don't they realise that I am the one who gives them sweetcorn and other such treats in the afternoons!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharonX Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 We had a heart stopper the other day too... My smallest Poppy had somehow got on top of our 6ft wall (still don't know how she did it!) The other 2 were squalking going mad which alerted us to something going on. I think they were telling her to get down! My son went the other side of the wall & pushed her back down into the garden. We have now decided that we will only let them out with total supervision!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraJ Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Oh dear looks like i'm in for some fun in my garden i have a 70' garden with one side 6' fence but other side has a small stretch of 3'. Hopefully they will not notice as the trampoline and surround are in the way, they will probably make a beeline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Hopefully they will not notice as the trampoline and surround are in the way, they will probably make a beeline I can see them now - boinging over the fence from the trampoline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 I was told to watch out for things they can get onto then use to get over the fence. Looking round my garden, this means that they could use the decking balustrade to clear the 6' fence into next door's (which has no barrier to the main road) or they could use the birdbath to clear the back fence into the field and the wild blue yonder. I'm fairly philosophical about it - if they choose to escape that makes room for the laced Wyandotte I've fallen for at the poultry centre. I make sure they all know this.... Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...