Clipping chickens nails?

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

can anyone tell me how to clip my chickens nails? They are way too long and one if four and the people I got her from never in her life clipped her nails and I don’t want to mess up my chickens toes but I don’t want to make my chickens bleed so can someone explain it to me Thanks!

 

[azygous]

Here's the secret to trimming chicken nails. Go slowly and watch for a tell-tale "dot" to begin to appear. That dot is the beginning of the quick. If you continue to trim after you see the dot, you will get a bead of blood that says, "I told you so!"

Chicken nails can fool you into thinking a lot should be trimmed off because they appear quite long. Some chickens have these long nails, and trying to trim too much off, especially too quickly, results in alarming bleeding. And yes, it hurts the chicken. Quite a lot.

Just in case, have some corn starch in a little bowl at the ready to tip the bleeding nail in. It will stop the bleeding.

 

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

Here's the secret to trimming chicken nails. Go slowly and watch for a tell-tale "dot" to begin to appear. That dot is the beginning of the quick. If you continue to trim after you see the dot, you will get a bead of blood that says, "I told you so!"

Chicken nails can fool you into thinking a lot should be trimmed off because they appear quite long. Some chickens have these long nails, and trying to trim too much off, especially too quickly, results in alarming bleeding. And yes, it hurts the chicken. Quite a lot.

Just in case, have some corn starch in a little bowl at the ready to tip the bleeding nail in. It will stop the bleeding.

thanks that was very helpful

 

[DaviJones]

Entirely what azygous said, nicely done. Just wanted to add that they have a much larger quick than dogs and cats and a flashlight could possibly be helpful as well.

My tip for if you cut the quick, throw some corn starch on it and apologize until the guilt goes away

 

[azygous]

And kiss the boo-boo you made.

 

[Boonie Stomper]

If you look at the side of the claw you may notice a dark center that doesn't go all the way to the tip. That is the quick you don't want to cut. Just clip or grind the lighter tip part.

 

[Chicken-lovebirdchihuahua]

Thanks everyone you were all so helpful!

 

[Wolfgang B.]

Make sure it's really necessary though. In most cases it doesn't need to be done at all.

 

[CCUK]

I asked the same a couple of days ago. This may also help
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/claw-trimming.1222492/