Beak Trimming

[casportpony]

I'm glad you trimmed his beak! It has been a while since I've trimmed some spurs, my roosters never fight so it's just something I let go untouched

About two years ago I was doing a rooster roundup and grabbed one with really long, sharp spurs. That spur went deep into the the palm of my hand. My hand got infected pretty bad. It happened to DH once too, so now I trim them if I have them caught for something like a beak trim.

 

[Bamabexchicks]

Now I feel like I need to check out my roo's spurs!! He would never hurt anyone on purpose but it's like having skewers sticking out of your legs. Things happen! I have a hen I call "Snape" because of her long curved beak. I've trimmed it once (bled like heck) and once it just broke off. She's definitely a genetic reject. She is supposed to be a Marans (got the eggs off Ebay, the other two that hatched were a rooster and a BLIND rooster) -- she's skinny, gangly, bug-eyed and has that tremendously hooked beak. Nothing like my sleek fat glossy black Marans from Cackle... But she is THE BEST momma (to her surrogate eggs - I don't hatch hers). And she lays lovely speckled deep brown eggs so...I also have a hen with severe scissor beak. I've never trimmed her but perhaps I should. The two halves of her beak don't meet in the slightest but she is able to scoop up soaked mash enough to stay fed. I don't have a breeding program so I have the luxury of having "special needs" chickens Anyone have a good name for a one-eyed chicken? My kids call her Cyclops but that's an ugly name.

I would call her "Winky"

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Trim his beak with nail clippers or a good pair of dog nail trimmers.
Was he dropped over your fence with an overgrown beak?
Once his beak is normal length he should naturally keep it worn down by rubbing it on rocks and the ground.

 

[Shadrach]

And I feel the need to confess that I used my horse hoof nippers to trim his spurs.

Just out of curiosity why did you trim his spurs?

 

[RodNTN]

About two years ago I was doing a rooster roundup and grabbed one with really long, sharp spurs. That spur went deep into the the palm of my hand. My hand got infected pretty bad. It happened to DH once too, so now I trim them if I have them caught for something like a beak trim.

Oh no! I'm so sorry! Thankfully my boys' spurs aren't that long yet.

 

[MontanaChickDoc]

Now I feel like I need to check out my roo's spurs!! He would never hurt anyone on purpose but it's like having skewers sticking out of your legs. Things happen! I have a hen I call "Snape" because of her long curved beak. I've trimmed it once (bled like heck) and once it just broke off. She's definitely a genetic reject. She is supposed to be a Marans (got the eggs off Ebay, the other two that hatched were a rooster and a BLIND rooster) -- she's skinny, gangly, bug-eyed and has that tremendously hooked beak. Nothing like my sleek fat glossy black Marans from Cackle... But she is THE BEST momma (to her surrogate eggs - I don't hatch hers). And she lays lovely speckled deep brown eggs so...I also have a hen with severe scissor beak. I've never trimmed her but perhaps I should. The two halves of her beak don't meet in the slightest but she is able to scoop up soaked mash enough to stay fed. I don't have a breeding program so I have the luxury of having "special needs" chickens Anyone have a good name for a one-eyed chicken? My kids call her Cyclops but that's an ugly name.

 

[casportpony]

Someone commented about birds picking lice off of each other, which I have seen them do. Here are some pictures that @Dany12 posted:

 

[Shadrach]

I think most people would kill the poor chap. I think I probably would in the circumstances I have here.
Can he eat on his own?
Do you have a picture of him once his beak was trimmed?

 

[Shadrach]

Do the hens groom him?
As is in the picture he can't groom himself properly.
Two hens I've had here in particular had beaks so badly butchered they couldn't get lice off.
I'm fairly attentive to the chickens, I still miss stuff, but I always knew these two hens needed treating for lice because a senior rooster would be following them around pecking at their rear ends.

 

[MissChick@dee]

That’s a pretty long beak.
I’d trim then file.
Cuticle nippers are good. You can get a Clean edge.
They have 2 sided emery boards one is a course grit the other is for fine shaping and buffing. I love those.