Keep chickens from flying by clipping their wings.
The best way to keep chickens from flying is to clip their wings. If done correctly, this practice is humane and does not harm the chicken. It is only necessary to clip one wing which makes the birds off-balance when they try to fly. Clipping can be done successfully by one person, but it is always helpful to have an extra set of hands. Clipped wings keep chickens inside a fence and they become easier to handle. The practice also makes chickens more vulnerable to predators and this needs to be considered before beginning the task.
Instructions
1. Throw an old towel over the chicken. Pick it up by holding both hands around its wings to keep them from flapping. Calm it down by talking to it and stroking its feathers.
2. Hold the chicken in your lap and extend a wing so that you can see the flight feathers. The flight feathers are the first 10 to 12 feathers next to the chicken's body.
3. Shorten the flight feathers by about 50 percent using either sharp scissors with a rounded tip or sharp wire cutters depending upon the quill size. Cut only quills that are white. Quills that appear very dark, almost black contain blood and the feathers are still growing.
4. Smooth the wing back against the chicken's body to see if it is trimmed in an even line. If the chicken is not bleeding, release her. If a large amount of bleeding occurs, call your veterinarian immediately.
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