4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[daisymay]

Hi

 

My two new girls (the merrydale crested) keep flying ove my omlet netting to roost in the hedges/trees/bushes in the evening. They have both had their wings clipped by karen at merrydale but seem to be able to fly about 6ft off the ground. Does anyone have any suggestions...

 

Having a nightmare as trying to find them in the evening is getting very stressful! Took an hour last night and am terrified that one night they aren't going to be found. They have a huge area approx 20ft by 25 feet to roam about in so lots of space...

 

Maybe rocks tied on their feet might do the job!!!

[Omletina Kyckling]

Oh gosh, I have this to come when I finally release mine on top of all the pecking!! I thought it was odd that Karen clipped both wings on all the new girls, usually they just clip one wing so that they fly lopsided!

 

I don't really have any advice (just dread now that mine are going to do the same, they are so quick and flightly even in the Cube run!!)

 

Hugs,

 

Diane

[*mummy_hen*]

Has she clipped the wings on both sides or just one? As i believe, wing clipping is only successful if the bird is put off balance...i.e only clipping one side?

 

If so then sorry i don't have any advice - definately sounds like a problem that you need sorting though so hopefully somebody with better advice will be along soon.

[Omletina Kyckling]

I collected mine at the same time as Daisymay and from what I could see, both wings have been clipped, which I thought was odd....

[daisymay]

yes both wings were clipped...i thought that was odd too. definitely nightmare. didn't think they could fly that high anyway. mine keep looking up into the trees so are aiming to roost higher than the 6ft they seem to manage at the moment...

 

will definintely have to go for the rocks on legs i think

[chocchick]

How long have you had them? Can you keep them in the run for a week so they learn where to go away at night? I didn't let out my first chickens for a week. When Megan started flying off I just started shutting her in the run.

Can you tempt them into the run for food before they get into the trees? Or use a net or towel over them and a ladder?

[daisymay]

think i'm going to lock them in the run about 6ish so they won't have the option of escaping...can't think of another way round it. haven't wanted to do that or my other girls can't go in to roost later (when door is shut).

 

when get my cube hopefully they can fulfil their urge to roost high in that!

[Egluntyne]

I'd harden your heart and confine them to the run for a week or so.

 

They might forget their naughty behaviour.

[hils78]

Mine had both wings clipped even though I only asked her to do one. When I asked her why 2 wings (because 1 is meant to set the off balance as has been said) she said that she had taken a flock of about 40 Ex Batts on & only did 1 wing & ended up with them over the main road! thats why she does both wings now.

I spoke to my dad about this (is an aero engineer so v good on wings & aero balance etc & he knows his chickens) he said as we have that it would only require a little more effort flapping & the chicken would be able to fly pretty much as well as it would pre-clip....but I'm not going to tell Karen! lol

[Ange1]

Erm I'm getting my girls from Karen, shall I be bold and ask for only one wing to be clipped?!

 

I could say that Daisy May's birds manage to fly 6ft no problem into a tree and My fences are that height - I don't want my neighbours to complain!

[Omletina Kyckling]

Erm I'm getting my girls from Karen, shall I be bold and ask for only one wing to be clipped?!

 

I could say that Daisy May's birds manage to fly 6ft no problem into a tree and My fences are that height - I don't want my neighbours to complain!

 

I think I would, yes. I've not heard of anybody else clipping both wings, Omlet certainly don't and my gingernuts have never been very adept at flying when they have tried....

[Snowy]

Or don't ask her to clip their wings and do it yourself when you get them home Mine are from Karen and I did them myself.

[Ange1]

Ooh Snowy, I'm not sure I would know how to clip their wings?!

 

I might be better off watching Karen do it first time. I worry as I don't want to question her 'expert knowledge' by asking her only to clip one wing, but rules of aerodyamics (sp) sounds like that a plane with wonky wings wouldn't fly as well as a plan with even ones, albeit shorter ones!

[Snowy]

Do ask her to show you, it is so easy once you know what to do. I don't do mine at first, I wait to see how flighty they are going to be. One madam needed hers doing as she kept launching into my veg patch Only one side though. Karen is lovely, she won't mind if you ask her to only do one side. Once she has shown you how, you can do the other side yourself if needed (although I agree, only one side should normally be done)

[Omletina Kyckling]

Snowy is right, Karen really is lovely so I'm sure she wouldn't mind. You could always mention Daisymay's flying chickens as an example. I would have asked her about it if I'd noticed at the time, but it was all a bit mad when I picked my new girls up as there was a queue of people after the crested chickens!!

 

She's very approachable and helpful. If you can make an appointment and go during the week rather than the weekend, she told me she always has a lot more time, as she can be busy on weekends...

[Ange1]

Thanks for your advise Snowy & Dianne!

 

Yes Karen is nice and has already got used to my emails to her almost daily!

 

I think I will ask.

 

Shame we can't go during the week, we are on holiday the previous week and we return Saturday 28th and I want to get the girls asap as we are off work again the following week!

 

How silly! I am more looking forward to the second week of my holiday rather than the first week that we are actually away!

[superjules]

My skylines (cresteds by another name) are the best at flying and love being up high. They are most often found in their cherry tree and are my only chooks who properly perch at night, the others sleep on the floor or in the nestboxes. I think it's a breed thing.

[clucking mad]

i found the omlet fencing too low aswell and so built a higher one really high

you can also try to clip their wings as short as possible but i suppose that you already tried that

[craftyhunnypie]

Get them into a routine of treat time before bedtime, inside of the Omlet netting. A bit of sweetcorn works wonders. We have given up with our escapees & let them wander all day - just as long as there are 6 hens on the perch come bedtime, so as we can shut the door.

 

Emma.x