Removing/trimming rooster spurs

[StarburstnClover]

I'm sure somewhere in these many posts there is a topic about how to trim or remove the large back claw/spur on a rooster. We have two roosters and I've managed to trim them but always say to myself "there must be an easier way!" Could anyone who has had success with this post their procedure? Thanks

 

[McGoo]

I too, would love to know the best and easiest way to do it. Hope we find out. thanks.

 

[snowydiamonds]

Is there any reason why a person couldn't use the nail clippers for dogs on a rooster?

 

[CUDA]

I wouldn't recommend it as if you try to clip off spurs, you could easily crack, or splinter them. You are much better off to use a hacksaw, or rotary tool.

 

[Marlinchaser]

use a dremmel with a thin cuttoff wheel will say for small bolts etc.... works great, and no blood, but I cut the spur close to the leg.

 

[Cathryn]

TRIMMING SPURS: Supplies: flour or blood stop, and a pair of needle nose pliers. I hold my chicken under one arm. Then I take a pair of needle nosed pliers and place them in the middle of the spur, up a little bit closer to the leg than down the spur. Nest, I medium firmly clamp the pliers on the spur, yet not hard enough to crack the spur. Then I move the pliers back and forth. Do not pull the spur off, only wiggle a little bit back and forth, do not force the spur out of the flesh. Within 20-60 seconds the spur will loosen and it will fall right off. The flesh underneath the spur will be tender and weepy. Put flour or blood stop in it. At this point I like to spray the tender flesh with blue coat, then put more flour on it. If I am removing a spur from a show bird, I will use antibiotic powder like terramycain (sp?) on top of the flour or blood stop. When I am sure the weepy flesh is covered up, I put my rooster down and let them go on their way. This is way less painful and stressful than cutting spurs off, and you do not have to worry about them bleeding to death from it. It takes quite awhile for the hard spur cover to grow back. When it does, remove it again. Their spurs will get smaller and smaller with time. Hope this helps, Cathryn

 

[vbgarden]

Eureka! Success! Amazing!

I came onto the forum about a month ago because I had a little banty rooster whose spurs desperately needed to be either removed or cut back. They were long and had curled around until they were almost piercing his thigh. I was terrified about cutting the spur for fear of bleeding and trauma (to him and to me).

I read a couple of posts on the forum about removing the spurs with microwaved potatoes. The instructions were to microwave whole potatoes (one per spur) and, when fully hot, to stick the potato onto a spur and hold for five minutes. After removing the potato, quickly grab the spur with pliers and twist firmly.

Well, I tried it about an hour ago.... and......IT WORKED!!!

It not only worked, I don't even thing we would have needed the pliers. The spurs slipped right off, leaving a small spur behind that was whole and sharp and that (according to the posts I read) will continuing growing a replacement, longer spur as time goes on.

Mr. Chicken, held firmly by my next door neighbor, Kristi, never looked stressed or indicated that having the hot potato on his spur gave him any pain at all. We were careful to make sure the hot potato didn't touch any other part of his foot or toes.

In the past, one of our shared roosters actually impaled himself jumping down off a perch with huge upward spurs - enough of an abdominal injury that infection set in and we had to euthanize him. We were determined to try whatever was needed not to have that happen again.

Bless whomever it was that put this ridiculous but EFFECTIVE method up on the forum!!!

 

[tabootoo]

We just got a rooster. He looks like Barred Rock but you can see some dominanicker in him. He only has little nubs where the spurs are. Is he just to young to have spurs or has someone taken them off? He is full size. We were told he is young.

 

[MareeZoCool]

Cathry,: your decription of pulling the spurs has me terrified! I was hoping to use my dog's nail clippers to clip our roo's spurs. Guess the only time we'll ever do the trimming is late night, while he's sleeping.

 

[rcentner]

Quote:
I too was terrified to think of pulling the spurs off, but needed to trim my large roo's spurs due to new flock members and some possible chicks on the way. So I took my dog's nail trimmers and trimmed them just like a dog nail. I started low and worked my way up. I also had some syptic powder, one of them bled because I cut too short (just like a dog/cat nail), and the syptic rubbed off and didn't really do a good job, next time I will take the silver nitrate sticks from work cause those work better for larger bleeds. But I cut the 2nd one a little less and it didn't bleed at all. We did it at night after roost and he didn't seem to even notice. He was more concerned that we were holding him. they both look great, was a little blood to clean off the roost. I would rather do this than tear them off.