Long Nails

[jtl977]

Our girls tend to get really long nails. We tried to clip them with regular finger nail clippers and it went fine until the very last nail which I accidentally cut too deep and she started to bleed. I felt awful about it but she wasn't at all upset. The nails are long again (they catch all kinds of stuff under them and I think make it hard for them to sit on their perch.) Does anyone have an suggestions? Has anyone tried a nail file? Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[sekinkead]

I keep a couple of cinder blocks or bricks in my coop/run so that they keep thier nails trimmed for me. I started that last winter after someone else on here suggested it and it seems to work. I haven't had to trim any nails since I started keeping them in there.

 

[RhodeIslandRedFan]

Rather than human nail clippers, nail clippers for dogs might be easier to use. If you hold the nail in front of a light, you should be able to see and avoid the vein in the nail as you clip. If the nail is dark and you can't see the vein well, trim just the tip of your chicken's nail. If you trim the tip on several occasions, you should be able to eventually trim the nail to a shorter length without any bleeding. If you accidentally do clip the vein, apply some flour (or quick-stop powder) and the bleeding should stop shortly.

sekinkead - Do you think a cinderblock might be too abrasive? Repeated contact with rough surfaces can cause abrasions on the bottom of a bird's foot, which can lead to bumblefoot. Would a smoother stone work just as well? Just a thought!

 

[jtl977]

Thank you both.....those are great ideas! We appreciate the help!

 

[AbbyDog]

My birds also got really long nails- I first noticed when I saw blood on the perch after one broke. We used dog nail clippers. Running around in my garden wasn't enough to keep them short. We also placed a couple of paver stones in their coop, right in front of the automatic waterer, in the hope that it might help with the nails and also keep down the dust that gets into the water bowl.