BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[Beekissed]

I do mine alone too. I use a work station surface in my coop for lying him on his back, grasping both legs in one hand while cutting the spurs with the other, making a quick job of it. By keeping his legs elevated to his chest, he can't really do much and these big ol' WRs are pretty gentle birds. Easy to handle. Fat boys don't have much fight in 'em.

I only take off about quarter inch also, so there's no chance of cutting into his quick.

 

[DesertChic]

@DesertChic , would you be willing to post photos if you try it that way?

Part of why I used the pliers is that a 2-person job isn't really an option for me, so I just did Dumbledore's spurs with him on my lap. He didn't really mind all that much, it was just the oozing. That, and I had a nice lime green Carhartt work t-shirt that now has blood stains all over the front.

I'm also considering just grinding them down a bit at the time - that seems like something more easily done by one person.

- Ant Farm

I can possibly post before and after photos, but during...not likely to happen.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote: I may try this - mine are mellow as well.

Quote: Yeah, I was sort of thinking that a second person might lead to MORE error (or one of the people getting cut).

I do mine alone too. I use a work station surface in my coop for lying him on his back, grasping both legs in one hand while cutting the spurs with the other, making a quick job of it. By keeping his legs elevated to his chest, he can't really do much and these big ol' WRs are pretty gentle birds. Easy to handle. Fat boys don't have much fight in 'em.

I only take off about quarter inch also, so there's no chance of cutting into his quick.

Thanks!!!! Good tip!

Quote:
I totally get "no" during, but would indeed be interested in before and after.

I'm considering the dog clipper tip-off option - my boys are mellow as well, though a bit big and strong, and I have a great set of strong dog toenail clippers from when I had my greyhounds. Dumbledore is the most excitable one, and once I got hold of him and had him in my lap, he was fine. (Of course, I cared for him a lot after his dog attack, so he may at least be a little used to it, even if he doesn't like it). And Dumble (Cream Legbar cockbird) is the smallest of them... These are the three that have a trim in their near future:







- Ant Farm

 

[bramblefir]

I put mine on the counter (in the workroom off our barn, not the kitchen!) and then cover the heads and front half of the body up with my old barn coat. The darkness makes them freeze and I can simply drape one arm over them to keep the coat in place and use that hand to hold the leg while I nip the ends of the spurs off with the other. I use these, which are my goat hoof trimmers.

 

[DesertChic]

So I figured Bosch was healed up enough for him to snuggle on my lap again today. Bad move. When I set him down I discovered that he'd once again bled all over my pants and shirt. That clinches it...from now on I'm using the Dremel for all spur removal. He clotted quickly this time, but there's no way he should still be bleeding after two days of healing.

 

[Beekissed]

So I figured Bosch was healed up enough for him to snuggle on my lap again today. Bad move. When I set him down I discovered that he'd once again bled all over my pants and shirt. That clinches it...from now on I'm using the Dremel for all spur removal. He clotted quickly this time, but there's no way he should still be bleeding after two days of healing.

Sounds like he could use some vet wrap on those areas until they are healed up. Those naked stumps could be getting a little beat up in flock life.

 

[DesertChic]

Sounds like he could use some vet wrap on those areas until they are healed up. Those naked stumps could be getting a little beat up in flock life.

Those were my thoughts exactly. Luckily he's very easy for me to work with so I was able to wrap him up without any resistance from him... though once I set him down again he kept lifting up his feet and looking down at them like, "What the heck happened to me??? Why am I wearing sandals?" LOL!

 

[NanaKat]

I posted a while back about the many different ways I have shortened spurs.
The best way to deal with them is keep an eye on them and keep them short.
Every time I worm my birds, I clip their toenails....lets me know which bird has been dosed. I do it at dusk when the birds are on their roosts.
The roosters have their spurs trimmed then too.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

I posted a while back about the many different ways I have shortened spurs.
The best way to deal with them is keep an eye on them and keep them short.
Every time I worm my birds, I clip their toenails....lets me know which bird has been dosed. I do it at dusk when the birds are on their roosts.
The roosters have their spurs trimmed then too.

Yeah, I'm leaning toward that approach as well.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Thought I'd post some 3 week photos of some nice big boys from the cross of my Naked Neck rooster Tank and German New Hampshire pullets. Out of 10 chicks, 7 or 8 are boys, and of those all but one is bigger at 3 weeks than their father was. (And their father, from Ideal, was several ounces heavier than his hatch mates). Largest boy is 11.85oz at 3 weeks, most 10.41-11.85oz. (I only have two weight points, so I'll wait to graph until next week). This is looking to be a very nice cross. (Of the pullets, one is a runt, but the other one - or maybe two - are pretty big.) If you're on the NN thread, pardon the posting of these on both threads.

For reference - this is Tank at 3 weeks:


His kids:

Heaviest boy at 11.85oz:

Heaviest boy again:

Other boys:








"Runt" pullet (well, in comparison to the rest of the monsters - 7.48oz):

Big pullet (8.82oz):


My ambiguous chick - pullet or cockerel - all the other boys are obvious at this age in this cohort. 9.74 oz (which may mean it's a late developing small boy, I suppose)


- Ant Farm