Topic of the Week - Beaks, spurs and nails

[FlyingNunFarm]

- How and when do you trim your chickens' beaks and nails?
I trim nails as needed. Both Hens and Roos. I've trimmed one beak. She was an older girl and not feeling the best. I think she let it go to concentrate on feeling better. So I helped her out when I thought it might be a problem.

Before/After
- Do you remove your roosters' spurs and how do you do it?
I trim rooster spurs frequently. At the same time I check their nails. I use a Dremel with a sanding drum. Or I have a fine wood file. I've had an awful injury on one hen from my inexperienced boys and I'd rather be safe then sorry. I also started wrapping their spurs with coach tape. I check it frequently to make sure they haven't broken through it and it's not to tight.
I started trimming spurs early. By keeping the spurs short from the start the quick has not gotten longer. Therefore the spur itself has stayed short.

With his wraps.

- How do you manage beak problems, such as cross beaks, broken/cracked beaks?
I haven't had to deal with cross or broken beaks.

 

[lilapot]

I haven't heard of trimming their nails. My chickens are free range, I am not sure if I need them. Nevertheless, how would I trim them? I was thinking about it, as out hens nails are long and encrusted with mud.

 

[ChicMagnet33]

Please help my poor BPR. She broke her beak yesterday I have no idea how it happened. I found no blood anywhere in the coop or run. I let my flock of 6 out for maybe a half hour while cleaning the coop to free range they didn't go more than 10 yards from the coop the entire time. She was one of my favorite birds and I feel terrible for her I know a chickens beak is vital to how it survives and I'm not sure what to do for her, how to handle this, or if she is really even going to be able to eat or drink. I put soft canned pumpkin in the coop today for her as well as a different type of waterier. Please take a good look at the picture (pretty much entire beak gone, NO BLOOD) let me know anything I should do first aid wise, and any other information I might find helpful. Is this common? Should I take her to a vet? Will the beak regenerate at all? Will she be able to survive? How badly will this affect her quality of life? How does this happen my BO looks to have a small crack in her beak also and I'm scared this is going to happen again? Could she have pecked the glass window in the background of the picture hare enough to break it? Thank you everyone I appreciate the help just feel bad for my bird want to take care of her and don't want this to happen to my others, this is my first flock.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

Please help my poor BPR. She broke her beak yesterday I have no idea how it happened. I found no blood anywhere in the coop or run. I let my flock of 6 out for maybe a half hour while cleaning the coop to free range they didn't go more than 10 yards from the coop the entire time. She was one of my favorite birds and I feel terrible for her I know a chickens beak is vital to how it survives and I'm not sure what to do for her, how to handle this, or if she is really even going to be able to eat or drink. I put soft canned pumpkin in the coop today for her as well as a different type of waterier. Please take a good look at the picture (pretty much entire beak gone, NO BLOOD) let me know anything I should do first aid wise, and any other information I might find helpful. Is this common? Should I take her to a vet? Will the beak regenerate at all? Will she be able to survive? How badly will this affect her quality of life? How does this happen my BO looks to have a small crack in her beak also and I'm scared this is going to happen again? Could she have pecked the glass window in the background of the picture hare enough to break it? Thank you everyone I appreciate the help just feel bad for my bird want to take care of her and don't want this to happen to my others, this is my first flock.

I would suggest posting an emergency thread or searching on BYC for "broken beak"
Chickens are tough. You'd be surprised what they can handle. I've never dealt with a broken beak but I would think maybe triming it so it's more even would be helpful to her. Softer, smaller food that's easier to pick up. If she's not able to eat you may have to tube feed her.

Again search other threads or start your own. Lots of help to be found on BYC!

 

[GardenTillers44]

FlyingNunFarm "I use a Dremel with a sanding drum. Or I have a fine wood file."

Thanks for the tip. We just added our first roo (10 wk old Orpington) to the flock and learning as we go. I have a Dremel set and plenty of wood files in the shop that should work.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

FlyingNunFarm "I use a Dremel with a sanding drum. Or I have a fine wood file."

Thanks for the tip. We just added our first roo (10 wk old Orpington) to the flock and learning as we go. I have a Dremel set and plenty of wood files in the shop that should work.

The dremel is quick but dusty. I use the file by myself. I do hold the spur as I file to take away some of the vibration. It takes a little longer but I personally feel like I have more control. I was always worried with the dremel if they decided to flail I'd dremel a leg or myself.

 

[AB Gamebird Farmer]

I recently acquired a polish rooster with some dirt nasty spurs. I will definitely be using this method to shorten his spurs before I let him breed my hens. Thanks for sharing!

 

[gummybear61]

Hello all

my question today is how to manage my roos growing spurs. i have never truly worried about them but the are growing now and harming my girls leaving slight cuts on their sides and damaging their beautiful feathers.
i have taken him to vet but as the vet was shaving/filing them down he started to bleed. the vet stopped and told me to make another appointment so that he can properly sedate him and preform a 'minor surgery" removal. this make me nervous i know it need to be done.

i have you tubed other possibilities to remove them but i want it to be as humane as possible. i came across a few videos and one struck me as interesting. does anyone know about POTATO removal. yup i said potato. i saw several videos that used this method and it seem to be easy clean and harmless.

Advice anyone....

 

[Chickeggdiction]

Hi All, After hearing about a fellow chicken addict having issues with hens with no feathers on her back, I began looking at how to prevent this after discovering I have way too many roos in my last purchase. I came across a post about using a hot potato to remove the outer shell if you are one that prefers the no pain method. I attached the link if anyone is interested in this method. https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/home/rooster-spurs-trimming-and-removing

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

To each his own but I can't bring myself to remove the outer shell. To me it seems like ripping off a toe nail. What's left is the nail bed. Soft and tender until it grows another nail coating.
Using a file and wrapping them after may be more work but I'm more comfortable with that option. My girls also have saddles. (I currently don't have enough girls for 2 Roos)