Rooster spurs - can they be trimmed???

[CochinBantams]

My rooster has a favorite hen; he mates with her all the time and she is loosing the feathers on her back from it. I also worry about his spurs. He is just getting old enough that they are coming out. Is there a way to trim them or blunt them? If so what is the method without hurting them?

 

[miss_thenorth]

I have used dog nail trimmers and basically clip the same way. You need to make sure you don't clip the quick. so just take off very small mount at a ttime, or you could use a dremel to dull them, or you could buy a saddle dor your girl.

 

[CochinBantams]

Thanks for the tips. I was thinking of clipping with my dog's trimmer, but wasn't sure if they had a "quick" or not.

 

[hoppy]

I've heard of people using a "saw" to remove them, they do grow back and yes they will bleed some.
hot potato.

 

[opalwednesday]

check into the spur removal solution. you use pliers to twist the thing at the base and all that's left when you slide it off is the quick, which eventually gets harder and harder until you remove it again. it's supposedly not painful.

 

[stoopid]

I have different birds that all have different spurs. Yes, they are similar to a toenail with a quick, some of my boys, they grow fat and long, other roos, they curl up, and fall off every year. I have a japanese bantam, has the same spurs for 5 years, I just file the ends so they don't poke the girls. Strange, isn't it? I just use the dog nail clipper, and chip away a little at a time so you don't get blood. Make sure you have blood stop just in case.