Chicken toe nails...? Cut or not?

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clairabean

clairabean

Songster
9 Years
Nov 7, 2010
1,003
9
141
Kootenays of BC!
We just got ten mixed breed chickens. They were never let out of their coop and have quite long toe nails. The nails curl and make the toe kind of crooked. It is very noticable. I never thought much of toe nails, as my own flock never had a problem. They scratch to their hearts content in the yard, possibly keeping the nails short....?

So, do I cut these nails or just let them be and see how it goes? And HOW would I go about cutting a chicken's nails?
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Wrap the bird in a towel and trim them with clippers like what you would use on dogs' nails. Or you could just leave them to be worn down in their new home. They won't be long for long if they are suddenly allowed access to a real yard.

Good luck.
 
I would think they would be like my canaries nails when I was youger had one and nails got long we cut them with dog or cat clippers same way don't cut too close have stiptic powder on have in case you do. If they are white nails you should be able to see the quick of the nail.
 
Trimming their nails has to be done for show but should also be done as maintenance. Most people don't realize that they contribute to a rough looking hen's back. I am sure you all have seen all the post where women complain the rooster is being to rough with their hen's, when in fact a little nail trimming is all it takes to keep a hen's back looking good.
 
This is going to be interesting. These chickens are not as friendly as mine. Well, I guess I can clip their wings and trim thei rnames at the same sitting. A regular chicken spa.
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Chicken spa sounds good. Clip the nails and let them go have at it. If they are bending the toes to the sides, I would cut them so the toes can be used to scratch naturally and wear normally. Sideways nails don't tend to wear properly from the few i've had with bent toes.

That said, I do not trim nails as they file them away very well on their own due to the scraching they do on a few dozen truckloads of driveway gravel. Sometimes I wonder why they scratch the rocks vs the soft bug filled soil... maybe there are tastier bugs in the rocks? Mine have scrached their nails down to where you can see where the quick is looking at the tip end on.
 
The nails may have a long quick, if the nails are that long. Be careful, trim only about 1/8 to 1/4 inch at a time. I trimmed my one hen and she bled after only cutting off that amount.
 

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