Step 4: Cut back the primary flight feathers

Using a clean pair of sharp scissors, clip around 2/3 of the length of the first 10 or so feathers on the chickens wing. Take a look at the diagram below to see roughly how much of the feather you should be cutting off. You can also use the chickens secondary flight feathers (located in the same position on the wing as the primary flight feathers, just closer to the chicken's body) as a guide.

The idea is to cut off a significant amount of the feathers, while not making a cut so close to the chickens wing that you make them bleed. Chicken feathers have blood veins extending into them about an inch or so. If you cut below this point, the feather is completely dead, the chicken feels nothing, and the wings get clipped successfully.


Apparently the veins in the feather itself just don't clot very well.

If you cut the primary feathers carefully, there's no reason why you should ever cause your chickens to be in pain or to bleed during this process.


My chickens have gotten into other yards. I always clip them but always fly. Thanks!
<p>thank you for for the detailed description on this post</p>
Yep, no sense in gluing the poor things to the perch :D <br>
step 4 looks exactly like my chicken.
<em>You guys are making a big deal out of nothing.&nbsp; Clipping a chicken's wings is not that big of a deal.&nbsp; First of all all you have to do is clip one wing.&nbsp; That makes a chicken trying to fly non aerodynamic.&nbsp; you don't have to &quot;pet or invert&quot; the chicken, you simply hold it down and clip the feathers being careful not to get close to the &quot;wick&quot; of the wing. You have to do this about once every two months.</em>
There is a reason why this website is called &quot;<em>instructables</em>&quot;.<br /> <br /> Clipping feathers may not be a big deal if you've done it before but for someone who has never handled a squawking, flapping chicken whilst trying to simultaneously wield a pair of scissors and not damage the bird the process could be seen as daunting.<br /> <br /> If for one have never attempted to clip feathers but should I have need to do so in the future this instructable has provided a good reference point, my thanks to NoahW for providing it.
I agree xenobiologista. &quot;Pinioning&quot; by removing the wingtip is a cruel as any other form of docking: can anyone honestly tell me that docking farm animals is regularly done with anaesthetic? I didn't think so. Dogs are more likely to be tail-docked with anaesthesia. As Pwag says at 3:24 PM, once young chickens have learnt that they &quot;can't&quot; fly with a trimmed wing, they tend not to - similar to why an adult elephant can be held by only a foot-chain and a peg, but can actually drag a huge log: it's all in the mind.
Hi, <br>I am from India and I have three Aseel hens. I had one for year and recently got two more. The old ones' feathers are clipped. I did it because I was afraid it would fly away and get killed by street dogs or something. <br>But after laying eggs and chicks a couple of time, she doesn't go anywhere. <br>Is it possible for her to grow then new feathers so she can at least protect itself from cats and other things if she is in danger? how to make the clipped feathers grow back? I dont think she has molted in a year... Please someone guide me.
Awesome tattoos.
Thanks - really clear instructions - like the others, we are off to try it now <br> <br>Thanks for your help <br>
Beautiful bird - she looks like our Aracona cross, Stripe.
A large salmon net is a good way to catch escaped fowl without excessive chasing. You still need to herd/chase them into a corner but the net works much better than the hands for the inital catch. Then carefully fold their wings up and lift them out by their feet. <br> <br>I used to keep pet chickens at our old place and looked up one day to see the door of the run open, all 6 birds out, and my 5-yr old chasing them around the fenced main yard in an attempt to recapture them. We got them rounded up before the hawks and neighbor cats came over. <br> <br>Re: Bloodfeathers - when my cockatiels would break a blood feather by crashing into something, pulling the remains of the feather out with forceps stopped the bleeding more surely than styptic powder. This was done on the advice of an avian vet and hurt about as much as pulling out a hair from one's head.
Hey, thats me. Jackette of all trades please.
Great instructions, very clear and unambiguous!<br> For anyone unsure of their abilities, <strong>never fear, this is easy!</strong> I'd rather clip a feather any day, than give myself a haircut with a mirror.<br> <br> Clipping a feather at the halfway mark is no more dangerous than trimming your beard halfway. No classes needed, no supervision required.<br> <br> We come to sites like this one because we are self-sufficient or we are trying to exercise our God given mental powers of observation and deduction. We are not helpless, incompetent, or otherwise lacking in ability to learn. If one can use a computer, post a comment, and pay the bill for the Internet Service... one can certainly use scissors to clip a few feathers. I hope everyone who needs encouragement to &quot;do it yourself&quot; can find the courage to do so after reading this comment.<br>
PS Clip the feathers <strong>NOT</strong> the wing<br/>
Honestly, MoxXieMox you must have never kept chickens, chickens are far from fragile.<br> <br> This Instructable is spot on. And in my view as an owner of chickens ducks etc, is a more humane thing than have them escape and get gored to death by next doors dogs or cats.<br> <br> Only ever clip one wing, do not be tempted to clip both or the bird will still be able to fly to a certain extent.&nbsp; I once had a Mallard duck that decided to follow its wild cousins because I had clipped both its&nbsp; winds.&nbsp; I found out later from the guy i got the Mallard from that i should only have clipped one wing.<br>
&nbsp;I would always resort to a veterinarian, but something as simple as this... &nbsp;The feathers don't supply blood or life-sustaining energy to the body of the birds. &nbsp;I think this instructable is safe to follow.
Hey, this is not an issue to be left to a vet. This is a simple procedure and will not put the chicken into shock. Besides the price for the vet to come and clip is way over the price to replace your neighbors garden bed
Honestly, this is something that chicken owners should learn how to do. I don't know what kind of birds you handle, but chickens can handle this type of thing with no problem.
hello, i have done this to my chickens, it's not fun when a chicken fly away, we just cut the feathers, not the whole wing, there are no nerves in the feather, it's just like cutting hairs.
It's funny how many folks think they always need to find some other person to do things for them. Kudos to you for learning and sharing how to do things. Clipping feathers is like clipping hair. No pain no muss. Clip only one so they are off balance and they'll not be flying off to get themselves in trouble with cars or neighbor's animals. This is about safety for the chicken. If I can keep them in the controlled environment of my yard, I can keep the other stuff out.<br><br>One thing you might try, is clipping after they've gone to roost for the night. They are just ready to sleep and don't care what you do! No catching. :)<br><br>Happy chicken keeping!
Great idea, catch them when they are tired.

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