Help: Rooster's spur ripped off!

[Keeperofmunchkins]

I was just outside waiting for the chickens to go to bed for the night and saw my two year old rooster somehow get his spur caught in the chicken wire and snap it at the base!

It was hanging on by a thin bit of flesh or something and started gushing blood. I took him inside, threw some corn starch and black pepper on it and the blood slowed. But the thing was more off than on so my husband snipped it away. It stopped bleeding with more cornstarch and black pepper so I bandaged it.

I fed the rooster a few grapes for sugar plus a tiny crumb of paracetamol and put him to bed. He still crowed and ate and drank something so seems to be doing OK. But I'm worried! He lost a lot of blood and the spur is completely gone. It was a very large spur. Is it likely to get infected? I also now want to trim the other spur because it is also very large and I'm concerned it could also end up getting damaged.

Sorry I don't have any photos. I was a bit panicked to be honest. There was so much blood!

 

[azygous]

No need to panic. Roosters and hens lose spurs all the time, and they live through it. You've done a very good job of first aid, and he'll heal nicely. Since the fleshy nub had to be cut off, he will likely be a famous one-spur roo.

Trimming or removing his other spur would be a wise idea. Simply twist the spur at the base close to the shank until you feel it loosen, then simply lift it off. If the fleshy nub is very long, you may snip the tip off to shorten the new spur that will form around the nub. But have the corn starch and bandage ready for any bleeding. I've dealt with hens and roosters spurs for ten years, and never had one get infected.

 

[2003ChickenZamon]

Losing spurs is a common thing. Nothing to worry about.

 

[Keeperofmunchkins]

Oh thank goodness it's not serious. I didn't know there was actual bone inside spurs until this happened and I started googling. I always thought it was flesh inside a hard nail-like material. One site said infection could be a problem and I started envisioning bone infections spreading through his leg...