Dubbing

[Lalaith]

Hi all

I was wondering whether anyone dubbed their roosters' combs and wattles and whether the healing process was horrid for them. i had read that the process was best done when the birds were fairly young and that it was actually beneficial to the birds' health. Is this really the case?
Thanks.

 

[Lalaith]

Really- does no one do this? I am looking for some feedback. I'm not exactly leaning towards it, but I have read a bit on the subject and I think it sounds logical, especially given our cold Canadian winters...

I just wanted to know more about the healing process and the effect on the birds.

 

[NYREDS]

I raise some Game Bantams so I dub males regularly. They barely notice. Finish one & turn him loose & he's likely to just go to eating or start to chase a hen around. They are completely scabbed over by the next morning & completely healed in a week or two.
It's cold here in upstate NY too & some of the large combed males don't fare too well. When I raised Andalusians I dubbed the males before winter because if I didn't their combs would freeze off & that is painful.

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

I dub my game roos. You need to wait untill they 8 months to a year old, to be sure they have quit growing. It does bother the birds. after they are dubbed they are back to normal in 20 minutes. Its best to do it when its not very hot and do it quickly and then leave them alone. Hope this helps.

 

[NancyDz]

Moody chickens does it, she should be able to help you....


Nancy

 

[Lollipop]

Dubbing Advice - How To Dubb A Rooster. For Show Fowl, Gamefowl and OEG's
Chickens - Dubbing Tips For Show Fowl - OEG's

I've dubbed hundreds of OEs and gamefowl and the only part of dubbing I look forward to is the way they look when they're all healed, it changes their appearance dramatically. All you will need is some SHARP scissors or dubbing scissors, something to wrap the rooster in ( a slightly damp towel works good ), blood stop powder ( just in case ), a roll of paper towels, alcohol and a clean bucket of cool water. Clean the scissors and wipe them down with the alcohol, snugly wrap the rooster in the damp towel and if your lucky enough to have a good helper have them hold the bird and keep the head still by holding the comb.

I start with the wattles, pull the wattle down stretching slightly and as close the beak as you can starting from the front working your way back towards the earlobe, remove the wattle getting ALL folds and wrinkles. When the wattle is removed go to the earlobe and pinch up all you can with your off hand, WATCH HIS EAR and remove as much as you can. Repeat the procedure on the other side. I try to leave a thin strip of skin between where the wattles were, if you don't it'll look like you cut his throat, But it's OK, it'll heal. Now the comb, take your time and decide how much to leave, too little or too much and the bird will not look as good as he could have. These little roosters have a natural line that runs horizontally in their comb, use that as a guide ( I usually cut slightly above the line ).

The first thing I remove is the back part of the comb ( the blade ), cutting as close to the comb's base as you can, cut it off ( straight up and down ). Then starting at the front ( some start from the back ) as close to the beak as you can begin making the cut ( some like a straight cut, some like a slightly curved cut ). KEEP IN MIND YOU CAN'T PUT IT BACK IF YOU CUT TOO MUCH OFF. When you've completed cutting you should have a point at the back, round it off, slightly. Look him over real good to see if you need to go back and trim anything you may have missed. A good clean dubbing job makes a lot of difference at the shows.TIPS,DON'T DUB IN HOT WEATHER, their blood is thin and the game birds bleed a lot heavier.

I dub my roosters at night but early enough that I can watch them for a few hours. They are easier to catch and they settle down quicker in the dark.Sometimes you'll have one that bleeds a little heavy, when that happens I pull a downy feather from under his vent and put it over the comb and sprinkle the blood stop powder over it.TAKE YOUR TIME, it's a chore you'll want to be over and done with, BUT, poor dubbing hurts your chances at the shows.

 

[Lalaith]

Thank you very much for the advice. From what you are telling me, it sounds as though the birds are able to recover quickly and the benefits outweigh the stress of the procedure. I will give the matter some more thought. Love this forum!