My eco solution to rat problems

[Penny]

I caught Charity blatantly flying over the new netting I had set up to keep them in their enclosure during the day and so, at great personal trouble, clipped one of her wings as described in the Omlet book.

 

However, she can still get herself on top of the Eglu with a couple of mighty flaps and from there it's easy for her to hop over the netting.

 

Does anyone know a sure-fire way of preventing flight? I have only done one wing - this is what it says you should do as it's the imbalance which prevents flight. But would it make sense to clip the other one too?

 

Thanks!

Penny

[Cinnamon]

I wouldn't clip the other as that will even her out again

No other advice really,except maybe giving her a stern talking to

[theherd123]

Is it possible to move the eglu slighty so its further away from the netting so she cant make it over?

[Penny]

did a stern talking to AND finger-wag (she pecked it) yesterday and she was crest-fallen for a minute but as soon as my back was turned, she was out again.

 

I may be able to squeeze the Eglu along a bit but she seems to be able to cover quite an impressive distance - more than the distance available unfortunately.

 

I suppose one option might be to throw netting over the tops of the upright posts to form a kind of roof, which might stop her. Such a naughty chicken.

[theherd123]

I like the netting idea

 

Will also stop any unwanted visitors getting in too

[bellekatz]

thats why we built our enclosed run!! Our Pepperpot was always out in the garden - the others just looked longingly

[Richard and Jo]

Our original chickens never got out until we got Harriet - a who now escapes all the time and showed the others how to do it although only Daisy goes along with her. We are about to order higher netting to stop them. It is very annoying and wing clipping does not help as its more of a lunge than flying. We have now taught our son to put her back in and to him its a game so he loves doing it!

[feemcg]

I've only ever had to clip one of the girls - and it was big fat Jas, who I never would have imagined being able to lift herself off the ground (bit like me really!) The chicks, at 6 weeks, seem to be able to fly about their run like little birds, perch on top of the eglu and this evening, one of them vertically climbed to the roof of the run (8ft), holding on to the mesh! - don't think I'll ever have the courage to let them out in the garden.

[Lesley]

We have - in desperation - clipped the second wing of a regular absconder. You've got nothing to lose Sometimes it works.............

 

A netting roof is the best bet though.

 

They ought to make chicken versions of those exercise weights which go round the ankle

[jen]

My two Jasmines spent the summer outwitting us We kept raising the height of the fence, clipped their wings and put netting on the top, but they managed to escape every time!

 

We put a shower curtain over the run and eglu, this did work for a while as they kept slipping off when they tried to jump.

 

Good luck!

[Gallina]

My Wyandotte used to be very nervy, and even though we had clipped one wing she was still able to fly up into our apple tree when she was let out, which made me very nervy.

 

So we had to clip the wing very short indeed. You can go a lot higher than you think without causing any pain. It just looks very ugly.

 

See this picture

 

I am glad to say her wing has grown back this year and she has forgotten how to fly.

[Basset]

My original three chooks, could all easily jump over the Omlet netting, even with clipped wings. They used to each make one escape a day, but once caught and put back over the netting they would behave for the rest of the day!!