clipping wings....

[dilbertina]

Ok, I think I may have been a bit crap at this as keep finding chickens on wrong side of electric poultry fence....

I'm pretty sure we did it right but maybe didn't take enough off, was worried about taking too much off.

One of the repeat escapees is a bluebelle/blue haze and breeder told me I needn't bother to clip hers as she would be too heavy to take off - I did anyway just in case and she still escapes! It's really hard to see where blood supplied bit starts on her feathers as they have black...umm..stems!

Am sure they are going over fence not under or through. Have seen them jumping/flapping about in run and they do get some height!

Any experts out there advise..what would be a normalish amount to chop? an inch? 2 inches?

Ta

you have only done one wing haven't you?

yes - not quite THAT crap!

wing clipping

You have to clip the flight feathers into line with the rest of the feathers. But they can still jump fairly high!

wow, I took off much less than in the pictures on that link GentleOtter...will have another go but be braver! (someone told me they could bleed to death if you cut them too short so am slightly paranoid!)

Are you sure they're not walking through the fencing? When I had lambs the cchooks used to walk straight through the electrified lamb netting without getting shocked (their feathers seem to act as insulation). Ditto walking underneath - chooks can find the tiniest holes in fencing and squeeze through. Otherwise they may be hungry as soft feathered breeds don't usually fly. Give them lots of greens, corn and grits - I have found mash/pellets to be a waste of money.

Also, I doubt clipping the flight feathers too short would make a chook bleed to death, but the shock could kill and if you do draw blood, separate the chook until the wounds have healed as chickens can peck each other to death.

It is poultry electric netting and they are definitely way too fat to get through holes.

They get pellets as much as they want, and mixed corn in pm. They don't seem too interested in green treats, don't know what to do with corn on the cob and won't eat bread or asparagus - although they have just cleared a huge patch of chives....and seem quite partial to fennel.

They do love roast potatoes and rice, but were less fussed with porridge, leftover purple sprouting broccolli and buttered carrots...

Spoilt? my chickens? They'll be too fat to fly at this rate and I can forget the wing-clipping!

We had one year with no aubretia flowers (its that spring flower with the purple flowers that completely cover it) - hen that had fallen off the back of a lorry which we took in ate them all off! She was also quite partial to the pear blossom petals.

OURS JUMP!