A Silly Question - Maybe? (about spurs)

[djkCR14]

Does anyone ever cut back the spurs on their rooster's feet? Here's some pics of my rooster - he's gorgeous, but those spurs are crazy looking ...
In case you're wondering, he also has feathers on his feet )

...

 

[kelseyc]

I cut my roo's spurs only when he starts using them to hurt the hens or other roosters. I just use a pair of sharp sewing scissors. It shouldn't bleed much.

 

[roostersandhens]

I would only cut back the spurs if they are starting to curve back and grow into his leg. The reason I think that trimming them is a very bad and cruel thing is because I am pretty sure that that the spur has nerves, and it would hurt a lot to have them cut.

 

[chickenboy100]

What we do, in order for them to still have spurs to defend them selves, and I don't think it hurts much, kind of like pulling a tooth, is we take a pair of pliers, grasp the base of the spur, and twist it till the sheath of the spur pops off, then there is a softer, more fleshly think underneath that is the main of the spur, and just put something on there to stop any bleeding, as well and keep him in a dry, clean place for a day or two, and he'll be fine, still be able to defend himself, and not have such a long spur.

 

[djkCR14]

I used to work for a vet years ago, but never had any experience working with chickens. I've cut tons of dogs nails that curved too far, especially the dewclaws that people forget about. It's the same concept I guess, but the spurs seem a lot tougher. I'm wondering if I can use a large nail clipper for dogs to do it, - - Or as I watched in a video, if you need to use a hacksaw or electric wood cutting tool - that seems extreme. My rooster does have his spurs curving, and when he walks, it looks like he pokes himself in his butt - poor guy. He struggles to get comfortable on the perch - I noticed that yesterday. I also watched a video where they just used a pliers - squeezing and snapping it right at the base and then twisting it off. It bled - more than a drop that the guy said. It really looked like torture, but amazingly the rooster never made a peep. I just want to try trimming my roo's spurs, maybe take half of it off. If I get a chance, I will try today and see how it goes. (I have company coming today so have lots to do). I'll let you know what happens ....

 

[djkCR14]

Haha Chickenboy100 - We must've posted at the same time ...

 

[WYNot]

You could try the hot potato method...

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/home/rooster-spurs-trimming-and-removing

 

[chickenboy100]

I used to work for a vet years ago, but never had any experience working with chickens. I've cut tons of dogs nails that curved too far, especially the dewclaws that people forget about. It's the same concept I guess, but the spurs seem a lot tougher. I'm wondering if I can use a large nail clipper for dogs to do it, - - Or as I watched in a video, if you need to use a hacksaw or electric wood cutting tool - that seems extreme. My rooster does have his spurs curving, and when he walks, it looks like he pokes himself in his butt - poor guy. He struggles to get comfortable on the perch - I noticed that yesterday. I also watched a video where they just used a pliers - squeezing and snapping it right at the base and then twisting it off. It bled - more than a drop that the guy said. It really looked like torture, but amazingly the rooster never made a peep. I just want to try trimming my roo's spurs, maybe take half of it off. If I get a chance, I will try today and see how it goes. (I have company coming today so have lots to do). I'll let you know what happens ....

I still think that the twisting would be best, because think how that the blood from twisting was, now think that plus what ever comes from the main spur cutting, because the twisting is just for the sheath, and cutting would be way more blood.

 

[luvussomechicks]

Do you think the blood and pain would mainly come from cutting the quick. Could I just twist off the spur and glue on an electrical nut with superglue? I read another thread saying they glued one on the spur itself but, I would think the quick would be better. What do ya'll think?

 

[Spangled]

Does anyone ever cut back the spurs on their rooster's feet? Here's some pics of my rooster - he's gorgeous, but those spurs are crazy looking ...
In case you're wondering, he also has feathers on his feet )

Your rooster is gorgeous!

But his spurs do look like they could puncture him when he jumps off the roost. Maybe. I have worried about that with a few of mine in the past.

We do the thing where we take the pliers and twist off the outer coating of the spur. It's kind of like a dunce cap that goes on over the top of a conehead. It takes a bit of persuasion to come off, but really not that much. I am just so afraid of hurting them, but they have all been fine.

After dark on a calm night, my partner holds the fella and I do a bit of gentle but firm twisting. I think it's only attached at the bottom of the dunce cap because once that comes free, the whole dunce cap just slips right off.

There is a little seeping blood and we sprayed a little disinfectant on it afterward. None of the roosters ever make a peep which puzzles me. It really must not hurt. And I can only see a benefit to the procedure.

The core of the spur is sort of big at first, but over the next few days it either gets rubbed a little smaller or shrinks a little. Then it slowly grows another dunce cap over the top of it. It seems like thick fingernail material. It takes a while for it to get super pokey again.

Once it's all done, it's really a relief to not have to worry about the fella puncturing himself on the curving spurs.

The dunce cap seems to not be alive ... more like hair ... without nerves. The part that is under the dunce cap, that reminds me of a conehead, seems to be alive. It extends nearly the whole length of the dunce cap. I wouldn't cut a spur off because I think it would be actually cutting through material that has small capillaries inside. I would worry about pain, bleeding, and infection. But that's just me. I know others have had good results with things like dremel tools, but for us personally, that's totally unnecessary because we get good results with the twisting method.