rooster spurs

i am a fairly new owner of chickens and i am having problems with a rooster that digs into the girls with his spurs when they mate. so far this has caused some nasty damage to one of them (we had to put her in a separate kennel because he would not stay off her, she is the alpha female, possibly more alpha than the roster). is there any way to trim or file his spurs so he won't do that any more? and if so do you have to worry about a quick like on a dog or rabbit? i do not to hurt him, Hank is an awesome rooster very protective of his ladies (he brings them the good food or points it out to them, it is rather sweet), but i worry if i do not do something he is going to keep ripping up the girls during amore. any suggestions would be appreciated.

It's not his spurs,it's his gigantic claws.I suggest eithr more hens,or hen saddles.

google removing the spur case. And you can file the nails... I need to do this.

Good for you taking your hen away -- make sure any injury that she has heals thoroughly before any more exposure.

You can use a dog nail clipper to trim the claws. Yes you need to be concerned that you don't cut to the point where the claws will bleed. Hen saddles to protect your females may be a good idea.

Despurring is easier the oftener you do it -- there is a technique to detach the spur covering and what is underneath is soft and flexible. The first time I did it it bled more than I expected. The rooster will be sore/tender for awhile. You may want to put him in a pet carrier--especially if there is a lot of blood.


You can see here examples of the hollow outside of the spur - like a tough fingernail -- and some of the blood still on my hand and on the paper towels.

Here is a how-to video....


There are a couple of others you could find by google. I find it easiest to use a pair of pliers (just normal pliers to get a good grip and to have the leverage -- don't squeeze too tight and twist off. Put the pliers at the very base of the spur too - right next to the leg -- and hold the leg in your other hand to protect the chicken.
good luck with it!