Wing Clipping - Pros/Cons?

[VirginVegGrower]

I haven't clipped the wings of the newbies yet and they are traveling quite long distances across the garden. I was talking to Mr VVG about clipping their wings as the others had, but he thinks it might help them against predators if they were left alone. I've also seen advice on clipping just one to unbalance them but because he's expressed an opinion, I now don't know what we should do.
do any if you leave yours unclipped and free ranging?

[Nicos]

My free rangers aren't clipped.
They are behind an electric fence and occasionally one will pop over- they seem to prefer to stick together.
Most of mine would have been dead if they'd been clipped a few years ago ( before we had the fencing) as the neighbour's dog got in the garden and started chasing them.

Personally I wouldn't clip mine unless I had a regular escape artist.
Having said that, Betty used to leg it from time to time but once she'd brooded and hatched a clutch of eggs she seemed to lose the the incentive to go walk-about.

[RichmondHens]

I have found wing clipping only works with larger birds. I have real trouble keeping some of my banties in - if they are determined to get out they will. Only clip the feathers on one wing so the bird is unbalanced, although I have in the past done both to reduce "lift" but again this will only really work on a larger bird. Usually the first 6 flight feathers is recommended but I will do the lot to try and stop a determined bird (I can be as determined to keep them in as they are to get out). Large birds like Orps and Sussex generally don't need clipping, they are too heavy to get above 3'6". As for predators, they will get even an unclipped bird if they want to. Yes it has a better chance of escaping but if you have a fox problem then clipped or not your birds will always be at risk. Not all birds automatically fly up when attacked, many will just run for cover at ground level.

[roitelet]

I do clip one wing of my young birds and after that they seem to get the idea that they are supposed to stay in the run. Being Banties, for the most part, they need a 6ft high fence and nothing to act as a launching pad to keep them in the run even with clipped wings. I've given up now.

[chris]

Well, my old lot kept flying up/over the fence that borders my garden to a road... even with 1 clipped.

So I took some flight feathers off their other wing... then that dog got in the garden - and killed 5 - the 1 flighty one still managed to get away. I didn't do it with my new lot because of that, but I have a leghorn cross (white star) - really nice bird, but SO flighty - perhaps because she is so small. I've clipped one wing - she's much better now, but I often see her on the roof of their run - nothing stopping her jumping over really.. She's getting better, but I don't want to clip the other wing incase it happens again. The rest of mine are quite large birds, so they can't get the height really - I've one who I'm sure is going to go through a sex change into a cockerel, she's pretty much twice the size of the others (but is laying eggs still!). Her feet are the size of my hands.

They can jump incredibly high though, even with clipped wings.

[Two_Sheds]

I view wing clipping as the equivalent of keeping a dog on a leash. It's for their own safety and protection.

[chris]

One thing I did find though, VVG is unlike large birds (I used to keep cockatoos), if you take their primaries off, it really does affect them. I left them on but took the flight feathers off, so it "looks" nicer - but they still got lift. The moment the primaries were clipped, it was a whole different story!

[kathyd]

I don't clip my chickens' wings because they generally seem to stay behind their electric fence even though some of them have no problems escaping if they want to - unless they think I'm late with their porridge of course, then one or two of them will pop out to remind me . I'm not sure what I'd do if I had a regular escape artist though - I might clip for a while until she learned to stay with the others I think - mine seem to settle down over time and become a bit less anxious to get out - possibly as they adjust to their new home and friends? However, I want to get a few ducks in the spring and I'm wondering whether I might need to clip theirs or they'll fly away.. I feel a new thread coming on ..

[Two_Sheds]

The moment the primaries were clipped, it was a whole different story!

It's quite difficult getting it right with my Grey: too many off and she crash lands all the time, breaking the remaining feathers (she had no tail at all for the first year). Too few off and she flies into windows, which is potentially fatal

Chickens, being relatively heavy birds with small wings (for their weight) would need less clipping.

[jessmorris]

..apart from bantams, which as someone said earlier, are determined little b****ers and mine just flap more quickly to get enough lift to escape!

[VirginVegGrower]

One cleared the four to five foot hedge today and landed in the field...just because she felt like it! We ran round, picked her up and put her back in the garden. I think we are going to have heartattacks all round with this lot. Time to look at electrified fencing methinks.

[Nicos]

VVG- check the height of the fencing.
Some are taller than others.

[veggiechicken]

I used to clip a wing on my chooks to keep them in the garden. Clambering over the fence into next door to retrieve them was a bit too much of an effort!

[VirginVegGrower]

VVG- check the height of the fencing.
Some are taller than others.

Will do. I didn't really want to pen them in but they are excitedly grubbing everywhere at the moment.

[nellie-m]

If you clip just the primaries you won't even notice any difference while they're grubbing - they'll look just as beautiful as before

Or, if you want to try how it works before actually clipping feathers, you can bind the tips of the feathers together (again, just the primaries) with some sticking plaster / tape for a couple of days. (might even be enough to cure the escapee - who knows...)

Did that once with some birds I wanted to show so clipping wasn't an option.