[Veronica]

If you clip chickens's wings can they not fly at all or just not much?

I noticed that the very nice woman I bought my best chickens from in the past, back over in Cheshire ( http://www.garden-hens.co.uk ) had them in pens with high railings round which were moveable and I wondered about something like it for letting hens (when we have them) onto selected bits of the veg garden (e.g. empty beds) But I imagine that with anything of a height that would still be easy to move around, you'd either need to stick to not-at-all-flighty breeds or clip their wings to stop them flying out.

In the walk-in, roofed run we used to have at our allotment (see other post about building a run!) we put in several perches at different heights and the hens used them a lot - especially in the winter or when squabbles were going on. I felt that the availability of vertical as well as horizontal space enabled them to get on better (as well as perhaps helping some of them escape an attack by a polecat).

So I'd not be keen to clip wings if it meant they couldn't fly up to a perch.

Any views or advice on this?

[Mammyshaz]

I've learned very quickly recently that clipping the wings doesn't stop lighter breeds such as our pair of legbars from managing a 5ft fence and gliding 10 meters along the garden towards the gate, just missing OH's head as he came to help recapture them 
In comparison the x Wyandotte and black rock have never even jumped on the higher perch and the new rescue ex batts are happier to dig around than look for a take-off point. So I haven't clipped their wings.

I think try to choose your breed to match the environment they are to live in. Our Legbars are now locked in the smaller, covered run which makes things a bit awkward for letting out the others into the main run.

[Bodger]

You don't clip wings, you clip a wing. The idea is to make the bird unbalanced so that it can't fly.
You leave one wing as it is and clip the other one right back.

[Mammyshaz]

You don't clip wings, you clip a wing. The idea is to make the bird unbalanced so that it can't fly.
You leave one wing as it is and clip the other one right back.

Yes, only one wing. (But one on each bird makes it wings?  )  Didn't think of checking  if you knew  that Veronica)  One clipped wing each didn't keep ours on the ground 

[mentalmilly]

We clip ours if they insist on flying over the high fences.  They get 2 chances in case the first flight was accidental.
Some breeds are happy not to fly, but others make a hobby of it.  You cant tell who until they do it.  Having said that we have clipped a wing of a couple of habitual escapees and it didn't make a jot of difference to them.  They fly over the fences "unbalanced". 

[chrismahon]

Trouble with clipping wings is it removes their main defence mechanism. We also only trim when absolutely necessary. Just the primary feathers on one wing progressively, until we have taken enough off to stop the escapee.

[Veronica]

Yes, I did know it was just the one wing - but as you say, plural if more than one chicken!

Jackie at Garden Hens (as above) showed me how to do it and how it works when I and a friend were buying hens from her.

All answers useful. Think for the moment I'm where I was, that I'd prefer not unless seems necessary. We used to have Barnevelders and Vorwerks, as well as an earlier lot of Cream Legbars. The Barnevelders did use perches, but were quite inclined to stay on or near the ground. The Vorwerks used to fly up to my shoulder all the time to try and get first dibs of corn or any other treat off me. Think they would have flown quite high given half a chance.

I'm trying to be realistic about breeds and not get ones that should be roaming wild and free, since they won't be in our garden. Definitely getting Barnevelders again and we'll see what else.

Thanks, all

[Bodger]

Trouble with clipping wings is it removes their main defence mechanism. We also only trim when absolutely necessary. Just the primary feathers on one wing progressively, until we have taken enough off to stop the escapee.

Of course, if they stay where they're supposed to be, then they shouldn't really need the defence mechanism.

[Stereo]

We don't as a rule. We clipped Nermal's wing yesterday (our gay garden runt cockerel) as he was getting up the 6' fence between us and the neighbour's garden. 5 minutes later he was up there again. Up in the main pen our rhodes and legbars must get 10 foot off the ground at corn time. They can fly from the back on the pen to the front, so about 15 meters no problem. I think they could get further if they tried. None have ever shown any interest in getting out over the 1.2m electric net though so we leave them that way. I suspect if they did they would want straight back in.