Clipping Chicken Wings
The girls are 20 weeks old now, and we’ve had a few escapees from their fenced in area so you know what that means? It’s time to do a little wing clipping. For those of you who don’t know the chickens are at my Gram and Aunts place about 3 miles from me and my Aunt is on crutches so I can hardly expect her to chase that one chicken that decides to fly the coop on a daily basis. Especially when it’s time to put them to bed at night, she has to chase a chicken and fight off the mosquitos making it a not so pleasant bedtime ritual.
So we had no choice, trimming their flight feathers was a must. Let me tell you chasing chickens is a chore. We have 30 layers and rather than just trim the escapee we decided to trim all 30 of the chickens. When 30 are running around the fenced in area its pretty easy, but when you get down to the last 3 they gave me a run for my money.
Here’s how we did it. I would grab a hen, flip her over on her back, and my Aunt would stretch out a wing and trim back the flight feathers. We’d then put that hen in the coop and do the process all over again. It finally came down to the last 3 hens, and do you think I could catch those things? They just weren’t having it, so we finally gave up and let them be for the night.
The next day I was delivering food and guess what? Another hen was outside the fenced in area. Yep one of the three I suppose that I couldn’t catch the first night. I knew the task was going to be even harder than the night before, because now it has the free range of both barns and 40 acres of property. After about 15 minutes I did manage to get it cornered and clipped.
Here’s some good news….we’re now getting eggs and have a local organic store willing to purchase everything we don’t use ourselves. We’re hoping by selling the eggs it will pay for the feed from here on out.
Has anyone tried putting a lemon slice in with your fresh eggs when you hard boil them? I read somewhere this makes the peel easier. Well it didn’t work, I noticed no difference at all, there seems to be many tips out there but I’ve yet to find a method that I’d stick to!
Here’s what works for me 100%. Use older eggs. Bring the eggs to a boil, turn off the heat, keep covered, and set them aside for 20 minutes. Then roll the egg cracking the shell and peel right off. Has to be older eggs. I always keep the fresh for baking, etc. but the older ones I boil. Work, been doing this for years. Old tip from years ago from Martha Stewart.
Diana how old do they need to be? I will have to mark a carton with the date to remember to only use them for hard boiled.
Oh, my, I could just picture you chasing chickens! How nice to have fresh eggs.
Kim I was quite the sight Im sure, I bet those hens were all laughing at me from the coop.
Thank you for sharing your hens with us. I’d like to have hens but for me maybe just six not sure. You have such a nice area for them. Glad you found a place to buy the eggs you don’t use will really help pay for feed. Love the pictures you have taken of them.
Rita I would like less hens, maybe just enough for eggs to eat but I guess if we’re going to have 30 we may as well be making some money from them.
Good Morning Dawn~ I can just picture chasing determined hens. The best way that I’ve found to catch them is with
a fishing net. It stops them long enough to get ahold of them. Thank you for sharing the pictures.
A tip that I use when trying to boil eggs is timed the way Diana cooks them with a little salt add to the
boiling water. After they are removed for the stove I let the eggs sit in a vinegar and water solution for about
20 minutes. They are easy to peel every time. A lady that works at an egg farm gave me that tip.
Krys my son told me to use a fishing net too, lol. Instead I just looked like a fool running after them. I will have to try your method, thanks for the tip.
Can’t imagine having to chase down the chickens…I use the same method as the first commenter…that advice was given to me by a friend who is known for her fabulous gourmet deviled eggs….Great that you have a buyer for your eggs! Have a great weekend!
Shirley I must be doing something wrong 🙁 Ive tried it that way several times with no success.
My Mom swears by this method: after boiling put the eggs in ice water. She covers the eggs with ice until eggs have cooled. My Mother is now in a nursing home. I take hard boiled eggs to her every week. She KNOWS when I don’t put the eggs in ice water because she’ll make a point of telling me how hard it was to peel the eggs.?❤️
Renee I’ve tried this method several times and I don’t notice a difference. My eggs are right out of the chicken though so maybe if I let them sit for a week or so I would have better luck.
I steam my eggs, seems to help. I think it’s better than anything else I’ve tried.
Well Jillian Im going to have to google that one, you’re the second person that’s recommended it.
I couldn’t help but lol at your description of trying to get the hen. It brought back a memory of my grandmother (in Poland) asking me if chicken was ok for supper and I said of course. It was early morning and suddenly I heard a lot of squaking and screaming from outside. I looked out to see my grandmother ax in hand – chasing this poor hen and then with one quick swish the chicken was headless and still running around. Being a true city girl and a Montrealer to boot I was shocked! For the rest of my trip (I was there for 6 weeks) I didn’t and couldn’t eat chicken without thinking of my grandma!! LOL!! Luckily, I was there only for the weekend as I had to return to the University the next day!! What a flashback and memory ….I was only 18 and sooooo naive!!
LOL don’t you just love it when something stirs a memory. I wonder how she did it so swiftly, she was obviously a better chicken chaser than me….
LOL!! Yes it certainly does!! According to my mom, they lived on a farm (during the war in France) and their only food source were their animals. Her mother was the one that was handy with the ax. Mom had a one story she often told to make us the food we had – mom had a pet lamb that would accompany her to school.(her name was NOT Mary!) The lamb would wait outside the schoolhouse (6 grades in one room!). One day her lamb was gone but yes, you guessed it, it appeared on the supper table!! Mom never ever served us lamb!!!
Oh no that’s horrible 🙁 When I was growing up we raised our own beef and I was a vegetarian for years. I couldn’t bear the thought of eating the cows I’d been feeding. Now I’m not so sensitive, I realize they’re not my friends but are being raised for the purpose of a food supply.
Dawn
You are a true country girl and your ladies are lovely.
Sure wish you lived closer so I could buy your farm eggs!
I second the first ladies advice, it does work.
Kim, I wonder what Im doing wrong I cant get it to work for me.
Try steaming the eggs. The peels slide off slick as a whistle. I am away from home where my direction are, so you will have to google the amount of time.
Leslie I will look it up, Ive never heard of steaming them. Thanks for the tip.
Dawn,
I can just see you chasing down the hens and clipping the wings. Too funny! I bet those fresh eggs are so worth it.
Have a great week end.
Kris
Kris, yep I sure did and they sure are speedy, lol.
Hi Dawn. I only clip the right wings. They cannot fly lopsided, so doing only the one wing is adequate.
As for hard boiling fresh eggs, I have tried many methods, but this one works the best! Boil the water, and then when it to a rolling boil, carefully drop each egg down in the water, with a slotted spoon. I reduce to med/hi heat. Boil for 10 min after eggs are all in water. Removed from heat, and run cold water over. Try it. Works great!
xo Kris
Kris, that’s all I do too. I will try your method, it sure is a pain trying to peel fresh eggs 🙂
Our backyard neighbors just got chickens. It was a shock at first to hear them in the morning, but now we are used to it. And the promise of fresh eggs is nice.
Carol Im surprised where you live that that’s allowed, but if you get fresh eggs I would be happy about it.