I don't trim spurs unless they get long enough to interfere with his walking, or causing injuries. By then they are tough, and take a dremel to cut shorter.
Mary
Mary
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
I use the twist off method, usually there's little to no bleeding when I do it.I usually use my dog toenail clippers with the gauge to trim my roosters spurs, set on about 1/8" cut. Two quick nips and the spurs usually bleed a few drops of blood and that is about it. Rooster usually walks away like he is stepping on nails but usually gets over it within 30 minutes time.
Today I thought I would try the twist off method. Never done that before. The spurs are about 1" long. They came off fairly easily but man does it looks raw and I can tell he doesn't like that being raw like that. They bleed more and this seems like a bigger chance of infection. I don't think I gained anything as far as cutting more off, but they are a little thinner because the sides came off too.
How long does it take for the spurs to harden back up to be able to trim them again?
By cutting them I could trim every couple weeks if I wanted to, but not sure about a raw spur. I don't know if I will twist them off anymore unless I want the spurs thinner, but when they harden back up will they be just as thick as when I started?
What are the pros and cons here?
Spurs get shorter with each removal, not thinner.That's good to know.
The rooster is sitting around any which way he can to tuck his feet under him. I know it has to be bothering him to be acting like that. Never acted like that when I cut the tips off. Will he get over it, probably? I would try the potato thing next if I twisted them off.
Do you know if the spurs actually get thinner by twisting them off?
The spurs often don't grow nicely and backwards, but just straight to the middle, which will hurt and even slice open the hens during the mating act when the spurs get too long.I dont care what people choose to remove from their birds. They're yours, not mine. I'm not judging, but can someone give me a reason why? What purpose does this serve? Genuinely interested because it seems to be common and I can't understand why
Exactly.The spurs often don't grow nicely and backwards, but just straight to the middle, which will hurt and even slice open the hens during the mating act when the spurs get too long.
With every step the rooster takes, the spurs slide alongside each other and get their tips sharpened in the process. Sometimes the rooster even hurts his owns legs or is not able to sit right on the roosting bar because of his overgrown spurs.