Removing/trimming rooster spurs

[CUDA]

If you cut the spurs, and stay out of the quick, you will have blunt spurs, and NO bleeding at all. Slipping the outer casing off is never a good idea IMO. If you just keep them cut back, they will be blunt all the time, if you remove the outer casing, you will just end up with a sharp spur again.

 

[speckledhen]

Cuda is absolutely correct. The dremel tool is awesome for cutting, cauterizing and smoothing. Does an great job. Just have someone hold the bird well so he doesn't struggle and cause you to cut his leg. It's really not hard at all, trust me.

 

[vbgarden]

I agree with the advice to keep up with spurs and blunt them as they grow. In our case, we learned the hard way that waiting a couple of years to deal with spurs was not the best solution (even though the method we found here online worked fine). I like the idea of filing them regularly and keeping the sharp point off.

 

[Brick243]

Quote:
This is how our county poultry show superintendent took the spur casing off. He has been showing poultry for well over 30 years. I did my own roosters after that, no problems. Rooster barely reacts to having the outer shell of the spur twisted off. I might add that cutting the end of the spur off works well also. I guess it is just a personal choice of how you want to do it.

 

[Cathryn]

Quote:
I've done it for 46 years, and my grandparents did before. it's how I keep my males spurs on the smaller side and deter fighting in the spring. Whether you cut the keratin tip off of the spur or remove it, the covering will grow back. Cathryn

 

[CUDA]

Well, slipping the husk off exposes the quick inside, which can become damaged easily this way, and when it does harden up again, it's sharp right away. If you cut the spurs back, they are always blunt, and you never risk exposing the quick. Look, if it works for you, that's great. I just feel personally that cutting spurs back is much safer, and does a better job of keeping other birds from getting hurt, or blinked. To each their own.

 

[vbgarden]

Sounds sensible to me. We were scared off by warnings about bleeding, cutting too close... etc. I think the idea of filing them down or lightly cutting the tips as they grow is a great idea.

 

[shareverwonder]

My rooster is 7 months old. I guess he has spurs starting. Do they look like the toe nails? He has what looks like a toe in back but no nail growing out of it. Help!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I used the dremel tool and cut off about 1/3 of the spur. I think he was about 10 months old but can't remember for sure. How much you can cut off without hitting the quick probably depends on the age of the rooster and maybe his breed. Anyway, I did not see any blood. The rooster obviously felt no discomfort. I think the whole process hurt him about as much as trimming my toe nails hurts me as long as I stay out of the quick on my toes.

I wrapped the rooster in a towel, around his body holding his wings down. Covering his eyes keeps him calmer but make sure he can breathe. Once he was wrapped, he remained calm throughout the whole process.

 

[Jmurcks]

I didn't realize that the spur had such an extended quick inside and day before yesterday I noticed my rooster's spurs were very long.
I thought they were just like overgrown nails... (real chicken newbie here guys!)
I got the dog nail clippers and about half way down gave it a clip... Blood everywhere!! He bled a puddle before I could get it stopped.
Luckily I was trimming nails and had some syptic (forgive spelling) powder ready and I put some on it and it stopped.
I was more traumatized than him but I didn't dare do the other side!

So I guess that is what happens when you use dog nail clippers (from bad experience).