How to Easily Clip a Chicken’s Wings

If you’re a homesteader or farmer, chances are you’ve got a flock of chickens running around. And if you’ve got a flock of chickens, you are probably going to want to clip their wings at some point. After all, clipped wings mean less chance of your chickens getting out and getting into trouble. But clipping chicken wings doesn’t have to be a difficult task. Here is how to easily and safely get the job done.

Before we start, why should you clip your chickens’ wings?

Well, there are a few reasons that it may be necessary to clip your chickens’ wings

One of the main reasons many flock owners choose to clip their chickens’ wings is to keep them safe from predators. By clipping their wings, you can keep them from getting out of their enclosure and roaming around where they shouldn’t be. If you’re looking to keep your flock safe and secure, clipping their wings is a good idea.

Another reason may be because you want to “ground” them. By only clipping one wing, the chicken will lose some sense of their balance and will not be able to fly. This can be beneficial if you have a chicken that is getting too aggressive, jumping fences, or causing problems in your flock.

Hand holding a chicken wing — *This chicken’s wings had already been trimmed but needed a touchup. Clipping wings does require maintenance; we try to clip them biannually.*

Does clipping a chicken’s wing hurt them?

While it may seem painful, clipping a chicken’s wings does not hurt them. In fact, they don’t even feel it. Chickens have a very different physiology than mammals and therefore don’t have the same nervous system. Their flight feathers don’t have any blood vessels or nerve endings, which means that cutting them causes no pain to your chickens.

Gathering Your Supplies

Chickens in a coop — We kept these chickens in their coop to make catching them easier.

First things first, you’ll need to gather your supplies. You’ll need a sharp pair of scissors and, if this is your first time, you may need something to restrain your chicken with, like a towel. In some cases, gloves may be necessary to protect your hands from their talons if you are dealing with a more aggressive breed.

Something important to consider when planning is what time of day to clip their wings. The best time to clip a chicken’s wings is early in the morning before they’ve had a chance to fly around and get too active. This will help to keep them calm and prevent them from struggling too much.

The next best time would be at night after your flock has gone to bed. While you may need supplemental light, they will be more docile after dark and easier to catch.

Restraining your chicken

Not to say there is an art to catching chickens, but there are definitely tricks that make it easier. We like catch them and then hold them upside down by their feet. This puts them into a trance-like state, and they usually don’t struggle much. If you don’t feel confident doing this, you can try wrapping their lower body in a towel to help immobilize them.

For those with larger flocks, you may find it easiest to have someone help you hold your chickens while you clip their wings. For the sake of both methods, we will show you how to do it by holding them upside down and how to do it by merely restraining them.

Cutting the Primary Feathers

Now that your chicken is restrained, it’s time to start clipping. First of all, you are going to look for their primary feathers. The primary feathers are the longest feathers on the wing, which can be found at the tip. You will want to clip these first. Cut as close as you can to their wing without actually cutting into their skin.

You can clip both primary feathers on one wing, or you can alternate between wings. We like to do one wing at a time to make the process quicker.

To clip these feathers, hold the primary between your thumb and forefinger and cut it at an angle so that it’s shorter than the rest of the feathers. Repeat this process until all of the primaries have been trimmed. You will ideally leave about 1-2 inches of feathers remaining.

Clipping a chicken's primary feathers — Cut the primary feather’s first

Clipping a chicken's wings — Some people prefer to hold their chickens when they clip their wings

Clipping the Secondaries

The secondaries are the shorter feathers located further out on the wing. Again, you will want to cut these as close to the feather shaft as possible without cutting into their wing. You can clip both secondaries on one wing or alternate between wings.

Once you have trimmed all of the secondaries, your chicken’s wings should be significantly shorter, and they will no longer be able to fly.

Clipping secondary wings — Cutting towards the secondary feathers.

Check Your Work

Now that you have finished clipping, it’s time to check your work and make sure you cut enough. The feathers should look something like this when you are finished.

Remember to supervise them for a few days after trimming their wings as they may be unbalanced and could fall while getting used to their new flightless state. You may also need to take a little more off if they are still able to get over their enclosure.

Upside down chicken with it's wings clipped

Clipping Your Chicken’s Wings: The Final Cut

Although it may seem daunting at first, clipping your chicken’s wings is actually quite simple and only takes a few minutes to do. Plus, it’ll save you time and energy in the long run by keeping them from flying over fences or getting into places they’re not supposed to be. So next time your feathered friend starts causing trouble, try giving their wings a little clip.