removing rooster spurs

[elongoalie2002]

Any ideas/tips on removing rooster spurs? My rooster's spurs are stripping my hen's backs to where they are completely bald on their backs. and is it the spur that is damaging/tearing out the back feathers. any tips to help the girls out. I am unable to seperate him from them.

 

[ocap]

i saw a lot of information, either on this site or youtube. it looked easy. a little blood. look at the farm store in your area for blood stopper like they use when cows are dehorned. a gentle twist with a pair of pliers and most of the spur is removed

 

[cafarmgirl]

We just trim our roosters spurs and file the ends so they are rounded. Painless, bloodless.

 

[elongoalie2002]

does that help with the damaging/removing of the hen's back feathers?

 

[cafarmgirl]

does that help with the damaging/removing of the hen's back feathers?

Yes because we keep them short, rounded and smooth, we just don't cut back past the quick or remove them completely. Rooster gets a pedicure about every two months.

You can also try a hen saddle to help protect their backs until they molt and regrow the feathers.

 

[elongoalie2002]

i tried a hen saddle on one of my girls, after watching her run contantly for 10 min like a dog was chasing her and the rooster chasing her and pecking at her back I removed the saddle. when this was done she wasbreathing heavy from exhaustion for several minutes. any ideas on how to introduce these to the girls so they don't freak out and the rooster doesn't attack his ladies?