Wing Clipping

Wing clipping can prevent your chickens from flying. This is helpful to keep your chickens safe inside a predator-proof pen or run, but also keeps them out of your garden and prevents them from venturing to your neighbors. 

When done properly, wing clipping is painless. When clipping the wing, only do one side. This will throw the bird off balance when trying to fly. If you plan to show your bird, wing clipping is not recommended. 

How To Clip Your Chicken's Wing

Extend the wing and locate the flight feathers. You will need to locate the first 10 feathers called the primary flight feathers.

Cut the primary flight feathers only. Chickens have blood vessels in their wing feathers, so it's important not to cut too short as this can harm the bird. We recommend cutting no more than 50% of the feather length. If you cut too short and the feather starts bleeding, locate the base of the bleeding feather and pluck it. You can also use styptic powder or corn starch to help stop the bleeding if you prefer.

Feathers do grow back and will need to be clipped periodically. A properly trimmed wing should look like the photo below. 

For even more information, check out our YouTube video below.