ajm200 Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 (edited) I've just heard the most awful racket in the garden. I went racing out there with bare feet thinking the worst... Luckily, there's no fox but Poppy our littlest chicken was up on the 6 foot fence clumsily trying to chase a pidgeon who's stolen the melon seeds I put in the treat bowl earlier. All 4 of the others were boking loudly at her.. either in encouragement or reprimand. She's a real character and a bit of madam but I couldn't stay cross as she flew straight at me when I called her name. Yesterday, she took off from the top of the composter and head butted me in the bottom trying to get to the treat bowl that I was carrying. Either her aim needs some work or I really need to diet - I suspect the latter I need to work out how to keep her grounded as there's a main road on the other side of the fence. Her right wing is clipped and has been trimmed. Am i right in thinking that trimming the other wing is a bad idea? Edited April 9, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanut12 Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 I am led to believe that clipping the one wing is done as it unbalances them, therefore clipping the second wing would serve only to provide more balance. As for advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meezers Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 What a little character ! Mine went haring across the garden to chase sparrows away from 'their ' scratching patch yesterday, big brave birds they are ! Could you tack some brushwood screening to your fence to increase the height and make it difficult for her to perch on it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah B Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Tee Hee, were all the flight feathers from one wing clipped properly to the full extent? Just wondered as my girls were as I saw it done and the closest they get to flying is running across the lawn at full pelt trying to take off looking like the bird man of Bognor contest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajm200 Posted April 9, 2008 Author Share Posted April 9, 2008 We just did the first 5 flight feathers as we were told to do when Omlet delivered them. If I need to clip the rest I'll get the scissors out.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 A friend of mine who breeds chickens does the rest of the big feathers along that line (on the same wing!) if it's a flighty bird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajm200 Posted April 9, 2008 Author Share Posted April 9, 2008 Thanks for the advice I'll cut the rest of the long feathers on that wing later today then. She's much smaller than the others so I'm hoping that when she grows and fills out a bit she'll be too heavy to get off the ground. The others don't attempt to fly anymore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah B Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Mine are too fat to take off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 We chopped Buzz's wing completely on Sunday ( well you know what I mean, the extra flight feathers) as she had been getting over/through the netting somehow. She hasn't escaped over it since, so maybe that did the trick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajm200 Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 Cutting all the long feathers on one wing seems to have done the trick. She's struggling to take off today. She ran the length of the garden this morning flapping her wings like crazy and didn't leave the ground. Even jumping from a height only allows her to glide to the ground Phew!! Thanks for the great advice ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules. Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Buzz still hasn't managed to escape Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah B Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Bet she's gutted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abbey Road Girl Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Do the Omlet delivery men actually trim the feathers or just instruct you? As the Pepperpots have black feathers, I'm worried about having to do it myself if it's hard to see where the blood vessels end. If it's a DIY thing, I'll gather some cobwebs (not hard to find around the house these days! ) as applying a small wad of them is an effective way to stop bleeding. I would err on the side of caution actually, but as the Scout's motto says, be prepared! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah B Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Both really - he does it and shows you how to do it as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abbey Road Girl Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Thanks loads, Sarah--sounds like the right way to do things. You know, it's only just struck me that next week I will be holding a real live chicken! Scary but exciting or, maybe more accurately, exciting but scary! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 A little trick my boss told me to stop chooks from going over a fence. My fences are too high for the chooks to flutter onto or over,but one part is next to my decking which conveniently for them-has a timber handrail going all the way round and joins to fence.From the handrail (which they do like to perch on!),a chook could flutter over the fence quite easily because its only a few feet higher. So what i have done is attach everso thin stainless steel wire 8" higher than fence using small battons.The wire is so thin the chooks can not see it,but being stainless steel-its also very strong and if they tried to flutter over-they will bounce off it cause they wouldnt know to go that bit higher.It was put to the test yesterday too and worked! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah B Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Thanks loads, Sarah--sounds like the right way to do things. You know, it's only just struck me that next week I will be holding a real live chicken! Scary but exciting or, maybe more accurately, exciting but scary! I was scared so just watched him do it It actually looked quite easy but I wasn't quite brave enough at the time. You will only need to do them once they moult and regrow the flight feathers so that will be ages away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
