How do I cut his spurs?? Help please
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How do I cut his spurs?? Help please
I vote for #2. We've done this before with a RIR whose spurs grew so long and sharp he was cutting hens without meaning to. We held him in a towel, and used a pair of pliers as described above. Just twisted back and forth until the spur cap loosened, then pulled the whole thing off. Very little blood, and the chicken didn't budge, so I don't think it hurt too badly. I'd do this instead of clip, which can bleed like crazy if you go too deep and hurts as well.Use a dog nail trimmer to trim clip off part of the spur. Go slow, and stop if it begins to bleed. In most cases, though, you can safely remove 1/3 of the spur before you reach the bloody portion. If the spur does begin to bleed, put some flour, styptic powder, or cornstarch on the spur, and this will help stop the bleeding.
Another option, depending on the size of your rooster's spurs, is removing the spur's outer layer. Grasp the base of the spur firmly with a pliers, twist slightly, and pull. This should cause the outer layer of the spur to be removed, leaving a tender, smaller spur. Keep your rooster isolated overnight, as the new spur will be susceptible to damage for a while until it hardens. By the next morning, the spurs should be hardened, and your rooster can go back to the flock with his new shortened spurs.