Now I'm confused.....!!???

[NestingHillsSC]

heritage breeds are birds that have been in the uS for a long time. RIRs since 1904, Delawares, since 1940, Brahmas, since 1874. Hopefully these will quite different than hatchery birds. If you get some really nice RIRs they will be a very dark red, blood red, males looking almost black on parts of their body. Male RIRs do have a tendency to be pretty aggressive some times. The story grandma tell of being chased around by a rooster, was probably a RIR

Yes, yes and yes!! HAHAHAHA. Here is a pic of his birds from the Heritage Rhode Island Red thread. https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/5528425/width/350/height/700/flags/LL

Actually I have 2 production red roosters. The younger one don't attack but don't get near you either. The older Rooster is the only one I can just walk in a pickup. Hens won't even let yea. I have a customer who buys eggs and when they come over always brings there 4year old. She always has to pet the rooster. He don't care. He has like 3-4" spurs too. LOL.

When you pickup the hens they hate it. They move there heads away from you and give the "WHAT!!" look.

There under your feet when you feed them of course, there not mean. There just not lap chickens. Which is fine with me.

 

[Bill 101]

Saw the picture, really nice looking birds At some time in the future you may need to shorten or remove the spurs. They can get so long to interfere with his breeding ability or even walking. Sometimes the get knocked off on their own, but removing them is easy & the hens will thank you.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Somebody said just to take wire cutters and cut them in half or so.

 

[Bill 101]

You can do that, but you can also take them completely off. On a LF it may take more than one person. You hold their leg firmly in one hand right at the spur, take a pair of pliers & grip the spur close to the leg, about 1/2" away & very slowly start to twist back & forth, kinda in a circle around the spur just a little bit at a time, you will notice that after a bit the spur seems to come loose & will come right off. It leaves a really short inner supr. It may bleed a bit, but its nothing to be concerned with. If the bleeding bothers you , put some sugar on it.
the bird isn't going to like it much, that's why I'd suggest 2 people for a LF, one to hold the bird. I use to do it to my bantams all the time, never lost one. You can't have show birds in a show with 2-3" spurs

 

[yinepu]

I have one who has extremely sharp spurs.. gotta remove them soon... or send him to freezer camp..lol

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Yea. The one with the spurs is just my older production reds.

 

[NestingHillsSC]

You can do that, but you can also take them completely off. On a LF it may take more than one person. You hold their leg firmly in one hand right at the spur, take a pair of pliers & grip the spur close to the leg, about 1/2" away & very slowly start to twist back & forth, kinda in a circle around the spur just a little bit at a time, you will notice that after a bit the spur seems to come loose & will come right off. It leaves a really short inner supr. It may bleed a bit, but its nothing to be concerned with. If the bleeding bothers you , put some sugar on it.
the bird isn't going to like it much, that's why I'd suggest 2 people for a LF, one to hold the bird. I use to do it to my bantams all the time, never lost one. You can't have show birds in a show with 2-3" spurs

****, you said it might bleed. But I'm covered.

The first spur I did I took a hacksaw 1/2' Fron his leg and thought I could just saw it off. Got half way through and he was not happy. Started bleeding all over. So I got my wire cutters and just cut it off. To make it quick. So on the second one I was going to do it again just with the wire cutters. NOW I realize about the hold onto it and twist thing. The outer spur came right off. Left about a 2" inner spur. I just left that. So now He has one that is cut 1/2" off and one that just has the inner spur. Maybe in a week I will take him back in and get that small outter shell off the spur I cut close.

I should have watched a video on this first. I guess this is where experience comes into play. Now I know. Sort of. At least I know how to get the outter shell off much easier now at least.

 

[Bill 101]

On the one you cut off with a hack saw, you were to close to his leg & you were cutting through the inner spur too

that's why it bleed so bad ---WOW, that would hurt, no wonder he was flopping around

 

[NestingHillsSC]

On the one you cut off with a hack saw, you were to close to his leg & you were cutting through the inner spur too

that's why it bleed so bad ---WOW, that would hurt, no wonder he was flopping around

NO SH*?.

When I put him back outside he went right to scratch and calling the hens. Like nothing ever happened. But when that one heals I guess I need to take the rest of that outer spur off. Well now I know.

Very easy to do if you know what your going.

Funny I can hang them upside down slit there throat and pluck them without a problem. But I know I was hurting him but went to far and had to finish. Made me ill.

 

[gimmie birdies]

DO NOT MIST! misting is just for hatching days, and then you can just put a sponge in the incubator!