ABOUT WING FEATHERS
The longest feathers on a chicken’s wing are its primaries, also known as primary wing feathers or flight feathers. Coverts are the shorter wings that cover/overlap the primaries. Secondary wing feathers, which are located behind the primaries, are not routinely clipped.
Clipping the flight feathers of one wing limits a chicken’s ability to fly by interfering with balance. There are ten primary wing feathers as shown below fully extended.
WHEN TO CLIP PRIMARY WING FEATHERS
Some chickens find the grass greener on the other side of any place they are, but there are times when it is necessary to confine them for their own safety (busy road, dogs next door, etc) or to preserve a garden. Wing clipping a way to limit a chicken’s ability to fly.
ADVANTAGES OF WING CLIPPING
- Safe, painless way to ground a chicken. Clipping flight feathers disrupts a bird’s balance, which can prevent flying over fences intended to safeguard it.
- Temporary: feathers will grow back when the chicken molts.
DISADVANTAGES OF WING CLIPPING
- Hampers bird’s ability to use flight as an escape mechanism, leaving chicken vulnerable to predators.
- May result in injuries from the inability to descend safely from heights (roosts/branches)
- When done improperly, can result in bleeding.
- Disqualifies show chickens.
PIN FEATHER WARNING
Newly emerging feathers have a vein-filled shaft that will bleed if cut or injured. Avoid cutting any of these pin feathers during wing clipping.
HOW TO CLIP A CHICKEN’S FLIGHT FEATHERS
For maximum safety and efficiency, a partner should be roped into helping with wing clipping.
- Operator 1 holds chicken’s feet in one hand, pressing chicken close to body while fanning the wing feathers out with the free hand.
- Operator 2 locates coverts and primaries.
- Using sharp, long scissors, Operator 2 clips primary flight feathers just BENEATH the coverts.
Some chickens are more ambitious, spirited or motivated than others to clear a fence, which may necessitate the clipping of primary feathers on both wings, the clipping of secondary wing feathers and/or installing overhead netting in the enclosure.
Wing clipping has not stopped Kate from hopping up and over a four foot high fence despite her size. I am not willing to clip secondary feathers or coverts, however. She isn’t in danger when she is on the other side of the fence, but she does make a mess in the mulch in the front of the house. I can live with it.
Kathy Shea Mormino
Affectionately known internationally as The Chicken Chick®, Kathy Shea Mormino shares a fun-loving, informative style to raising backyard chickens. …Read on
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ABOUT WING FEATHERS
The longest feathers on a chicken’s wing are its primaries, also known as primary wing feathers or flight feathers. Coverts are the shorter wings that cover/overlap the primaries. Secondary wing feathers, which are located behind the primaries, are not routinely clipped.
Clipping the flight feathers of one wing limits a chicken’s ability to fly by interfering with balance. There are ten primary wing feathers as shown below fully extended.
WHEN TO CLIP PRIMARY WING FEATHERS
Some chickens find the grass greener on the other side of any place they are, but there are times when it is necessary to confine them for their own safety (busy road, dogs next door, etc) or to preserve a garden. Wing clipping a way to limit a chicken’s ability to fly.
ADVANTAGES OF WING CLIPPING
- Safe, painless way to ground a chicken. Clipping flight feathers disrupts a bird’s balance, which can prevent flying over fences intended to safeguard it.
- Temporary: feathers will grow back when the chicken molts.
DISADVANTAGES OF WING CLIPPING
- Hampers bird’s ability to use flight as an escape mechanism, leaving chicken vulnerable to predators.
- May result in injuries from the inability to descend safely from heights (roosts/branches)
- When done improperly, can result in bleeding.
- Disqualifies show chickens.
PIN FEATHER WARNING
Newly emerging feathers have a vein-filled shaft that will bleed if cut or injured. Avoid cutting any of these pin feathers during wing clipping.
HOW TO CLIP A CHICKEN’S FLIGHT FEATHERS
For maximum safety and efficiency, a partner should be roped into helping with wing clipping.
- Operator 1 holds chicken’s feet in one hand, pressing chicken close to body while fanning the wing feathers out with the free hand.
- Operator 2 locates coverts and primaries.
- Using sharp, long scissors, Operator 2 clips primary flight feathers just BENEATH the coverts.
Some chickens are more ambitious, spirited or motivated than others to clear a fence, which may necessitate the clipping of primary feathers on both wings, the clipping of secondary wing feathers and/or installing overhead netting in the enclosure.
Wing clipping has not stopped Kate from hopping up and over a four foot high fence despite her size. I am not willing to clip secondary feathers or coverts, however. She isn’t in danger when she is on the other side of the fence, but she does make a mess in the mulch in the front of the house. I can live with it.
We have a seven foot fence around the yard. Our chickens are now three months old and love to flap their wings and run/fly. Do we need to worry about them flying over a 7 foot high fence?
It’s impossible to predict. Hopefully not.
I have never heard of such a thing!! I will pursue this line of fencing first thing Monday morning!! The ladies have all had their wings clipped this morning (amazingly simple) and within an hour or two were over the four foot fence and in my neighbor’s yard!! There is an area there (Louisiana) where it is boggy and I couldn’t get to them, so had to let them find their own way back this evening. Only one was in the coop, so we proceeded to search around (getting dark) for the other three who were hiding out in my… Read more »
You can try electric poultry netting. http://www.the-chicken-chic…
My fencing is 4 ft all around. My four ladies have been happy free-ranging in the back yard for about a year now. Suddenly, they have decided to fly to the top of the fence and go pilfering their bugs from my neighbors, and recently have gone to the front of the house near to the street! I read where you stated that clipping a wing (or both) probably won’t stop them from hopping a 4 ft fence!! I hate to keep them all cooped up in that 8′ x 8′ enclosure!! But I cannot have them scratching in my… Read more »