Clipping Chicken Wings...so they don't fly away!

Our baby chicks are not really babies anymore, they are 14 weeks old! They are getting so big and extremely adventurous! They have been able to squeeze through the fence and get into the garden and rummage around. That really hasnt been too big of a deal, actually quite beneficial because they have been gently scratching for bugs and weeds without being able to upset the garden beds too much...unlike the large hens who would quickly destroy the beds as well as the tomato plants! Well they quickly grew out of the size to fit through the fences, but now they are big enough to fly right over the 4 foot fence. We have only had 1 other hen who has ever bothered to try and fly out of their area, but now we have 8 little hens who are quite mobile! Its time for a little snip snip of the wings! This process doesn't harm the birds...in fact they don't feel it, except if they fight to get away and have to be held down.

All you have to do is spread the birds wing and clip off the ends of the feathers on 1 wing. This will throw off their balance when they try to fly and they will be unable to get very far off the ground. Do NOT clip the actually wing itself, just the end feathers. It is also important to remember to only clip the feathers on 1 wing...remember the purpose is to throw off their balance and by evening out both sides you would be defeating the purpose ;) A basic pair of scissors will work just fine. 

This is also a very important thing to do for your birds to protect them. If they are able to fly over your fence and get out of the yard they may be in danger. This will not affect your birds behavior at all, it will just keep them from roaming :)