Do I need to Cut my hens toenails?

[fushalilly]

I used to have 4 free rangers and they never needed their nails cut becaue they wore them down easy.

Now I have hens and they are not free range, they are confined. They look a lot longer than my other ones looked, should I cut them?

 

[ThePolishPrincess]

Free-range birds rarely need nail trimming because they file them down by scratching around in the dirt. However, birds that don't have access to digging in the ground get longer nails and depend on their caretakers to file or cut them. So in short, yes, you should cut them down if they are very long, or they can be painful for the bird. Dog nail trimmers work very well for this.

 

[Manok-Tao]

Quote:
Do chicken's nails have a quick?

 

[Tala]

Quote:
Do chicken's nails have a quick?

YES

Just cut the transparent part of the nail

 

[fushalilly]

Okay, thanks!

 

[LynneP]

You may find that an abrasive surface in the coop and another in the run will be useful- patio block, cinder block, rough-surfaced briaks, granite rock...I use these to keep my hens' nails down.