Clipping a chicken’s wings is super easy, and a great skill to have if you raise, or plan to raise backyard chickens. Learn the simple way to clip the bird’s wing for happy chicken keeping for you and the birds!
My Backyard Chickens are Not Free Range
As idyllic as the thought of hens pecking around the farm sounds, the reality is that they get into everything. Believe me, I keep on thinking it’s a good idea, and I keep on being reminded that it’s definitely not. They seem to have a knack for pooping exactly where we plan to step and throwing every bit of mulch out of the flower beds. Did I mention that the kids and I run barefoot 99% of the time? Well, the squish of poultry poo between your toes will change your mind about the virtues of free-range chickens real quick. You can read more about our choice to not free-range our chickens HERE.
For the last few months, our hens have been living in a converted dog pen. It’s definitely not as pretty as our old coop, but it’s served us well for a transitional period. Now that it’s spring, it was time to tackle the project of getting them into a larger space. We decided to update a pen on the farm that was once used as a large dog run. It already has sheep-wire fencing all the way around, and shelter. We just had to repair a few spots. It was the best option with minimal building which was a win for us!
If you’d like to be able to allow your chickens to move to different areas of your yard, you may also consider a Chicken Tractor! Basically, this is a mobile coop that does not have a bottom. This allows you to move the chickens around without worrying about them escaping! You can read more about how to build a chicken tractor here!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO CLIP A CHICKEN’S WINGS?
The hens were ecstatic when we turned them out to scratch in their new huge forest pen. They even stayed in it…for almost two whole hours. Then they got bored and promptly flew over and proceeded to scratch up my raised bed garden. After I chased them around like a psycho and considered turning them all into dinner, I decided the best course of action would be to clip their wings rather than having persistent escapees.
The thought process behind clipping a chicken’s wings is that it inhibits the chicken’s ability to move enough air to get very high off the ground when they attempt to fly and will help keep them contained with a high fence. You’ll notice in my video below that I only clip one wing. This causes enough of an imbalance to prevent flight without needing to clip both sides.
Clipping wings can also be for the chicken’s own safety if you need to keep them contained to protect them from predators.
CAN A CHICKEN STILL ROOST IF YOU CLIP ITS WING?
Even when chickens can’t fly, they can jump. Also, they don’t typically go into full flight when they are going to roost, they only need to go short distances. As long as you don’t have super high roosts or your roost isn’t higher than about 4′, your chickens should have no trouble at all making their way onto the roost in the evenings.
DOES IT HURT TO CLIP A CHICKEN’S WINGS?
The primary flight feathers do not contain nerve endings or blood vessels. Think of it like human hair, it doesn’t hurt to get your hair cut! As long as you don’t cut feathers that are too close to the base of the wing, or accidentally cut the skin, this process is completely painless for the bird. If you do accidentally nick the bird’s skin, I’ve read that you can use corn starch to stop the bleeding. It is a safe way to ensure that your chickens stay contained.
Will clipped feathers grow back?
Yes, your chicken’s feathers will grow back! Each year your chicken will molt, which means that they will regrow new feathers and lose the old ones. Young birds tend to molt multiple times a year and the different chicken breeds molt at different rates. For that reason, you will need to pay attention and re-clip the feathers when they have grown back to prevent the chicken from escaping.
What equipment do you need to clip chicken feathers?
The best part is the only tools or equipment you need for wing clipping are strong scissors!
Step-by-step guide to clip chicken wings
STEP 1: CATCH THE CHICKEN
This is by far the hardest part of the entire process. (If you don’t believe me, just watch the video at the end of this post). Our hens are not the sweet little pets that I see gracing the chandeliered coops of some Instagram accounts. We love them, but they haven’t been handled a great deal, and the only time they really act like they like us is when we’re feeding them. Otherwise, they want nothing to do with us.
The easiest way to catch your chickens is when they are in some sort of contained area. In our case that was the small dog pen where they had been living. Remain calm, and try to get them into a corner. Then close the gap between you and them, blocking their escape on both sides until you’re able to get your hands on them.
Then, I spend a minute or so just calming the chicken down and petting it. Hoping that it will start liking me and decide to be a pet instead of just a terror to my garden and bare feet. If you can get your chicken to calm down a bit, it will make the process easier and so the chicken will allow you to handle their wing.
To hold the chicken, firmly hold the chicken under one arm or between your legs while sitting. You’ll need one free hand to trim the feathers. If it’s your first time, it may be helpful to have someone else help you by either holding the chicken or doing the clipping to ensure that the chicken does not get away! Then you’ll have a loose chicken and have to catch them all over again, and nobody wants that!
Step 2: Identify the Different Types of Chicken Wing Feathers
The thought of clipping your chicken’s wings might sound overwhelming, but I promise the hardest part is already over. Once you catch the birds, it’s time to inspect their wings. It might seem like all of their feathers are the same, but when you look closely you’ll notice that the feathers differ in size and shape. There are three main types of feathers on a chicken’s wings, Primary Feathers, Secondary Feathers, and Covert Feathers.
Primary Flight Feathers
The primary flight feathers are the longest feathers that grow from the top of the wing (closest to the chicken’s head). There are usually about 10 of them.
Secondary Flight Feathers
The secondary wing feathers are the shorter feathers near the bottom of the chicken’s wing toward the tail.
Covert Feathers
These are the tiny feathers at the base of the wings, closest to the chicken’s body. I use these as a guide when clipping the primary feathers.
Step 3: Clip the Primary Feathers
Once you have spread your chicken’s wing and identified the feathers, it’s time to clip! You want to use a pair of sharp scissors to make this quick and clean. Identify the primary wing feathers and clip them using the covert feathers as your guide. I leave around a half inch of primary feather sticking out past the end of the covert feathers. And then that’s it! You are done! I only clip feathers on one wing because cutting feathers on one side is enough to keep them off balance and from flying. This makes the process really quick and easy for both you and your chicken! Then release the chicken and start the process over again with the next!
If you’re more of a visual learner, be sure to check out our video!
Watch the Video Tutorial For Clipping a Chicken’s Wings
Watch how we catch the chicken and how I cut the primary flight feathers on one wing.
Marquetta
This was really good to know as I am new to having chickens and wasn’t sure when I should clip their wings.