Do my roosters nail need to be cut?

[Adelic]

My rooster has pretty long nails and VERY long spurs, they are so long that they click together when he walks. I’m also worried about him hurting the hens while mating because of them.

I don’t want to lose his trust and hurt him but is there a painless way I can shorten them? All the vidoes I have seen of spur trimming are done on short spurs.
Do you think his nails also need some help? He is free ranging over half the day but I have no Idea what his habits looked like before I got him.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

You can use dog nail clippers and just take the sharp tip off.

I only ever retrieve spurs if necessary for healthy birds, but my boys usually don't get quite that sharp

 

[WIchickMama]

I use a cat toe nail clipper on my hens---one of the girls holds them, I wash their feet, use a flashlight to find the quick and trim. Quck and painless

 

[Adelic]

I use a cat toe nail clipper on my hens---one of the girls holds them, I wash their feet, use a flashlight to find the quick and trim. Quck and painless

I’ve never heard of the glashlight method, thanks! I wonder if that works with rooster spurs as well
I guess the pet store is in my future

 

[artbykarenehaley]

Do you have a concrete pad, bricks, or gravel area your chickens have access to? If yes, use this area for feeding scratch. This might help him naturally wear down his toenails.
The spurs I would trim is on dog clippers or possibly a Dremel. The Dremel would need to be done slowly to prevent getting too hot. The dog clippers are faster but you want to have good grip strength.

You can place a cloth bag or a t shirt over his head while you trim to calm him down. Chickens often go into a calm state while their heads are covered.
Restrain him by wrapping him in a towel with his legs pointing back behind him.

As for breaking trust, I think he will be okay. Covering his head while you work may prevent him from associating the experience with you.
Give him a nice treat afterwards if you think it'll help!

 

[janiedoe]

My rooster has pretty long nails and VERY long spurs, they are so long that they click together when he walks. I’m also worried about him hurting the hens while mating because of them.

I don’t want to lose his trust and hurt him but is there a painless way I can shorten them? All the vidoes I have seen of spur trimming are done on short spurs.
Do you think his nails also need some help? He is free ranging over half the day but I have no Idea what his habits looked like before I got him.

The electric nail grinders for dogs work well. You can find them for under $25. If you have an electric grinder (such as a dremel) those work well too.

 

[artbykarenehaley]

My rooster has pretty long nails and VERY long spurs, they are so long that they click together when he walks. I’m also worried about him hurting the hens while mating because of them.

I don’t want to lose his trust and hurt him but is there a painless way I can shorten them? All the vidoes I have seen of spur trimming are done on short spurs.
Do you think his nails also need some help? He is free ranging over half the day but I have no Idea what his habits looked like before I got him.

I like his pants

 

[K0k0shka]

The spurs need clipping if they interfere with his walking, but the nails don't look too long at all. They look normal to me. You'll know when nails need trimming - when the whole toe twists sideways because it can't stay straight anymore with the curved nail pointing down. Like this:

 

[artbykarenehaley]

The spurs need clipping if they interfere with his walking, but the nails don't look too long at all. They look normal to me. You'll know when nails need trimming - when the whole toe twists sideways because it can't stay straight anymore with the curved nail pointing down. Like this:
View attachment 3250482

Yes Napoleon, this chicken has large talons

 

[K0k0shka]

Yes Napoleon, this chicken has large talons
View attachment 3250501

Um... What?