bitofachicken Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 I'm new, so I'm sure I'll get pointed to lots of earlier posts and answers.... Apologies! I would love to keep some chickens and geese. But I'm having trouble with the idea of clipping wings of chickens and geese etc. Anyone not clipped? Did they all disappear? Also I love geese, but as a vegetarian, any I keep will never end up on the Christmas table. Pointless? Finally, my cat and chickens and geese? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Hi, and welcome to the forum! I am veggie too, and have never clipped my birds wings and none of them have flown away. You certainly don't have to eat meat to make it worth keeping geese! They can be aggressive and very noisy though. As for your cat, the hens can look after themselves very well as, I'm sure, can the geese - my cats are very wary of my hens! Good luck - keep us posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
counturchickens Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 I agree, my cat is scared of the hens. She would probably leave home if we got geese Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 none of my chucks have clipped wings so far in 3+ years none of them have realised they can get over the fence on the one side of the garden. at least 3 have it in them to get over but not the brain cells Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitofachicken Posted April 27, 2012 Author Share Posted April 27, 2012 Thanks everyone! So glad to know I can keep chickens without clipping their wings! Definitely going to get half a dozen now! On the geese front, love them but geese eggs...??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitofachicken Posted April 27, 2012 Author Share Posted April 27, 2012 Thanks all. My neighbour has chickens and geese, and just one red hen pops over the fence every day and clucks her way down our lane, then pops back 'home' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chestnutmare Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Thanks everyone! So glad to know I can keep chickens without clipping their wings! Definitely going to get half a dozen now! On the geese front, love them but geese eggs...??? Clipping their wings is painless. You're cutting the feather's of one wing. I'm veggie too by the way *hello*! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Some breeds of chicken can't fly at all anyway such as Silkies and Frizzles. I have a friend who has geese and says their eggs make wonderful omelets and frittata. She has a fairly small lawn with a lovely old apple tree and her two geese wander around it keeping the grass down and looking so picturesque. I feel every time I visit. She just sweeps their poos off with a besom broom. (She also has Frizzles) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan08 Posted April 27, 2012 Share Posted April 27, 2012 Goose eggs are lovely. But much bigger of course. My Aunt keeps Guard Geese, the gander chases off any intruders and has even had my Aunt by the knee. So not so friendly as chickens. She used to give me them (the eggs not the geese) when I was younger to blow and paint peoples dogs on, they are great for crafty things as they are pretty strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
counturchickens Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 Now I want geese too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pips_pekins Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 I am always drawn to the geese at the shows as I think they look lovely. Two of my chickens came with clipped wing feathers but I have never bothered since as we have high fences and low chickens (bantams ). I watched it being done and it is only a matter of cutting feathers on one wing. I find I have to trim my frizzle's feathery feet though as she loves to dig I'm veggie too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitofachicken Posted April 28, 2012 Author Share Posted April 28, 2012 Thanks for everyone's helpful replies yesterday. Couple more questions if I may. I have just over a third of an acre paddock behind my house I am planning to keep half a dozen chickens in, possibly in a standalone eglu cube, and using chicken netting to keep them confined to about a quarter of the paddock. The plan would be to be able to move them to a different quarter if (when!) they make it a muddy mess...So they will have quite a decent area to roam around in. But will this make it tricky catching them to put them safely to bed out of foxes' way at night? Complete novice, as you can see!! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 bribery works well. get then used to a rattle all you need is a old meal worm tub with a bit of mixed corn in and a good secure lid just shake the tub as you give them their treats they'll soon get the idea and the sight of the tub will be all some of them will need to come running Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitofachicken Posted April 28, 2012 Author Share Posted April 28, 2012 Thanks SJP. I had visions of me running around the field for hours on end trying to rugby tackle them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 Thanks SJP. I had visions of me running around the field for hours on end trying to rugby tackle them... you'll still have to do that with the odd one as they have to keep you on your toes just to rimind you that they are in charge I have to chase one around the garden every time I lock my mob up a differant one every time to I'm sure they have a rota as to who's going to be the one to refuse to go in but at least you'll have an open area my gardens got trained apple trees that they know I carn't get around or under that easy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitofachicken Posted April 28, 2012 Author Share Posted April 28, 2012 Ha ha! Bless em... ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 Another veggie here I generally don't bother clipping wings either, but I did have a hen previously who I found in the neighbours' garden a few times, so she had to have a wing clipped. It's a totally painless procedure for the hen, it just means cutting the flight feathers on one wing so that she can't take off. You don't cut through any blood or nerve supplies - it's like cutting a fingernail I suppose - so causes no pain. Once the hen goes through her annual moult the feathers will regrow normally and, depending on whether your hen remembers that she can fly, you may or may not need to clip her wing again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitofachicken Posted April 28, 2012 Author Share Posted April 28, 2012 Thanks Lavenders_Blue Think I'll try not clipping, I don't know why exactly, just don't like the idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted April 28, 2012 Share Posted April 28, 2012 I know what you mean - I don't clip unless I need to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
