Cleaning + Trimming Nails

[lmadeline146]

Where I live, the avg temp is 15-25 degrees F. My flock all have pretty muddy feet since the ground has been wet, and their nails are growing pretty long. How would I go about filing their nails and cleaning all 11 of their feet?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Do you have photos of their feet?

Do they free roam, live in a coop/run, etc.? Photos of your setup may help too.

A lot depends on your setup, straw may be beneficial to spread across muddy areas, but having good drainage will go a long way in keeping birds out of the mud too. Having a portion of run covered so there's dry areas can be of benefit so birds have a place to get onto dry soil/bedding too.

As for cleaning feet, unless they have large poop/mud balls attached to the nails/toes, I would not wash feet in those temperatures.
If nails need trimmed, you can just wipe off excess dirt, then trim with clippers, taking care not to trim too much getting into the quick. I've found if I have a hen with nails that have overgrown a little it's best to trim, then repeat in a few days until I get the nails back in shape.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/beak-and-claw-trimming.74570/

 

[lmadeline146]

Do you have photos of their feet?

Do they free roam, live in a coop/run, etc.? Photos of your setup may help too.

A lot depends on your setup, straw may be beneficial to spread across muddy areas, but having good drainage will go a long way in keeping birds out of the mud too. Having a portion of run covered so there's dry areas can be of benefit so birds have a place to get onto dry soil/bedding too.

As for cleaning feet, unless they have large poop/mud balls attached to the nails/toes, I would not wash feet in those temperatures.
If nails need trimmed, you can just wipe off excess dirt, then trim with clippers, taking care not to trim too much getting into the quick. I've found if I have a hen with nails that have overgrown a little it's best to trim, then repeat in a few days until I get the nails back in shape.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/beak-and-claw-trimming.74570/

They free roam in warm weather, and have a good sized run. Since it’s getting cold, we only open their door for 4-5 hours a day, and they choose to stay inside the coop. They do have dry bedding inside the coop aswell, and whenever we do a coop cleaning, we spread the old straw around the run.