Henergy Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Today, both girls laid & seemed settled in their new home so we decided to let them out into our omlet netted run. They loved it, BUT one escaped. She flapped her wings, jumped onto the top of the netting & out over the other side - quick as a flash she was. She'd only be roaming for 10 minutes !!! Does this mean that her wings are not clipped ? I forgot to ask the farmer, so have emailed but not had a reply yet. Is it normal for them to escape ? Can they jump with clipped wings ? It gave me a real shock as I was in the conservatory at the time & had to run all the way through the house to go out & get her. And then she ran head first into the netting & nearly got stuck !!!!! Feel like a really bad chicken mummy now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicken bark Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 As hens get bigger and start laying they become a little less flighty (usually). If you do clip her wings make sure you just do the one as it needs to make her off balanced so she won't fly. Unfortunately a really determined hen can fly even with a wing clipped. You could always criss cross twine over the top of the netting so she flies into that - it may be just enough to stop her doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Dav Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Never mind about flying over I have a regular posse of three girls that manage to borrow under the netting! Leader of the ecape posse is Audrey who always knows the weakest point in the netting and finds the place where there isn't enough pegs holding the netting down!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I doubt very much if the farmer clipped them. My 3 newbies might have to be done. Once our other girls learnt where home was they don't try flying out of their territory. I am hoping the newbies learn this pretty quickly otherwise I will have to do some clipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracyann Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I have to clip my hens wings as they weren't done at the farm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Well, I am going to have to do some wing clipping tomorrow. Did a head count when I went to shut the girls in tonight to find one of the newbies was missing. You know that feeling you get when you think someone is watching you? I turned around to see..... Patricia watching me from her roost 10 feet up in a tree She must have got up in stages via the shed roof. Quite a palarva getting her down I can tell you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammiboo Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 i was going to advise if both the wings are clipped they are balanced so they can get off the ground. Take a bit more effort though! I know a lot of people clip the primary feathesr but i have always clipped the secondary feathers as i have seen primarys cut off and it makes them look odd. I leave the first four or five primarys and clip the rest and to look at them you cant tell. But i think i might be one a few that do it this way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 The omlet man made it look so easy a yr ago when he delivered my girls -" just do this and this and this" - no way - we have a wussy chicken mom here - I will get my friend a non wussy chciken mom in with her scissors. Cant help it - I trimed the rabbits claws once and made it bleed - panic set in - no probs with humans but with animals I am not good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Just clipped our 3 newbies. We managed to shut them in the nesting area and catch them easily. Didn't fancy trying to get Patricia out of the tree again tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Ok CM you make it sound easy but I am dangerous with scissors or nail clippers - not as dangerous as OH who managed to cut a bit of YS skin off finger when he was a baby bled like fury so will get expert in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 It really isn't hard at all, honestly. Get someone to hold them securely and trim the flight feathers. Takes about a minute as most. Have a look at - a bit long winded, scroll to about 53seconds when it gets interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
