How do you clip chicken wings?

Cut chicken wings with relative ease by cutting their 10 large primary flight feathers. Take care not to cut the wings too short to avoid causing pain to the bird. Also, make sure not to cut the shorter wings to ensure that the chicken stays insulated.

1. Hold the chicken

   Catch the bird, and then hold the chicken down facing you. Put its chest on your forearm and the bird's feet between your fingers. This allows you to have a free hand with which to clip the chicken's wings.

2. Examine the wings

   Fan out the wings of the chicken to examine its feathers. The first 10 large primary flight feathers on the wing need to be trimmed, but only one wing needs to be cut because cutting both is not required to make the bird flightless. Take care not to cut off the smaller feathers because they are important for keeping the chicken warm.

3. Cut the feathers

   Observe the feathers, taking note of the lighter parts near the tips and the darker color further up. It is vital not to cut the darker section of the wing because it has a blood supply and cutting it harms the bird. The lighter feathers at the tip are safe to cut, but make sure not to cut too little off to avoid having no effect on the bird. Use sharp scissors to cut along all 10 of the large feathers, cutting just below the short feathers. Hold the chicken for a few moments after cutting to calm it down before letting it go.