How to trim rooster spurs?

[aart]

I've read about sugar and cayenne pepper in human survival situations. Would those work as well?

I wouldn't want to get hot pepper in an open wound.
Birds don't have capsaicin sensors in their mouths, not sure about skin.

 

[Cody19]

For where i live, i am the vet. Spurs have to be shortened sometimes when they are walking and the spurs rub their legs to the point of infection. I thought about it a bit more and I think it is too excessive to pull spurs and leave them with none. They feel a little pain when you cut the quick, but not too bad.

It appears to be the same as cutting the quick in a dog’s toenail. I have a silkie rooster which, as you know, has weird toenails growing every which way. Two of his nails have to be cut frequently or they touch his leg. His spur gets super long so it gets trimmed. A couple of times I have caught the quick but styptic pencil worked great. Any open wound can lead to infection, especially since they walk on the filthy ground, so I stop bleeding asap and apply antibiotic and/or silver gel to cover area. Silver spray and gel have work wonders for everything since the spray can be used on their face and will not harm them if eaten.

 

[Banana01]

Exactly.

Why do you want to remove the spur? Is it just something fun and sexy to do because you can? Have you read that you "need" to but don't know why? Or is there a specific problem you are trying to address. I'm not asking anybody specific, just something for people to think about. It's not just roosters, some hens can grow spurs that need to be adjusted. I have difficulty coming up with a problem that would require removing the entire sheath or the entire spur but you never know. In most cases removing the sharp point is sufficient to solve the problem. I suggest you don't do anything unless there is a real problem.

The spur has a quick in it. The quick does not go all the way to the end. If you just cut the tip off and don't go back to the quick it won't bleed and won't cause any pain to the chicken. That should solve most problems. But it's not usually easy to know exactly where the quick ends. It's a good idea to have some corn starch or flour to throw on it if needed to stop the bleeding. I use a Dremel tool with one of those discs you use to cut metal. On the very few occasions I've cut the quick it's only been a drop or two of blood, but I'm just trying to take the sharp point off. Not the whole thing. When I finish I put the rooster back in with the flock, no special aftercare. He mates with a hen or two so they know it is still his flock (since he was separated from the flock for a bit) then everything is back to normal. Even when I cut to the quick it's not a big deal.

The way I look at it any time you cause an injury that bleeds you've opened it up for a possible infection. I consider my way to be a really low risk, but not zero. It's a risk I'm willing to take if I have a real problem to solve.

Well look at the original posters photos. Im not sure I would pull or cut those. But I was asking what it means to "pull" a spur, because I have been cutting them, and all the replies were oh no, its better to pull them.

The guy in the video is pulling them to protect his hens backs. I have roosters that cant walk properly, and one had his legs go necrotic because I ignored spur injuries a long time. I have bantams that have huge spurs and fight with each other. And cutting them off with a metal saw is overly crude method to me, pulling the sheath off is very elegant and this thread was the first clarification i saw on the method. Thanks for replies.

 

[Banana01]

Plus not to mention someone mentioned culling a rooster because his spurs were too long. That requires a little bit of discussion lol

 

[Brooks_]

Plus not to mention someone mentioned culling a rooster because his spurs were too long. That requires a little bit of discussion lol

That could've been me, and it's still on the table. I have my reasons.

 

[Banana01]

That could've been me, and it's still on the table. I have my reasons.

I had a rooster with two necrotic legs that could only limp, but he didnt need culled. Id be curious if the spurs are the primary reason why you are culling, or is the rooster on some sort of naughty list to begin with? Since spurs can be nubbed down to a small point, it cant be for like a safety reason.

 

[Brooks_]

I had a rooster with two necrotic legs that could only limp, but he didnt need culled. Id be curious if the spurs are the primary reason why you are culling, or is the rooster on some sort of naughty list to begin with? Since spurs can be nubbed down to a small point, it cant be for like a safety reason.

I don't like the thought of physical alteration. His spurs are not an issue for him or his ladies at this time, so I remain on the fence. He does not like to be handled. I fear that handling and potentially hurting him by trimming/pulling spurs could make him view me as a threat. I will keep options open, but I would rather thank him for his service, than turn him into an enemy.

 

[Banana01]

I don't like the thought of physical alteration. His spurs are not an issue for him or his ladies at this time, so I remain on the fence. He does not like to be handled. I fear that handling and potentially hurting him by trimming/pulling spurs could make him view me as a threat. I will keep options open, but I would rather thank him for his service, than turn him into an enemy.

Ok but they do grow back like finger nails. Chicken beaks are made of the same material and chickens are able to scrape their beak to reshape it over time because it grows back. Their spurs however sometimes grow and become too large for their comfort, it is doing them a favor.

 

[Brooks_]

Ok but they do grow back like finger nails. Chicken beaks are made of the same material and chickens are able to scrape their beak to reshape it over time because it grows back. Their spurs however sometimes grow and become too large for their comfort, it is doing them a favor.

But if I piss him off, no favor is given to him or me.

 

[jher77]

Hehe @BrooksHatlen try these. I use them.
clippers with gauge

Its not a big deal for you or the rooster after you do it once. You just have to watch it so you dont pinch a toe with the back part. Its only bloody for a few minutes and its only drops of blood. You do have to do it more often since it only takes off maybe 1/8" or so.

If we see this, then we'll know the rooster won.