Rooster Spurs

[gettheflockoutofhere]

I have a 9 month old RIR rooster who has developed quite an attitude and flogs or spurs you when you turn your back on him while feeding or collecting eggs. Does anyone know of a humane way to remove or grind down his spurs? I don't want to hurt this bird, but I don't like being hurt by him either.
Thanks for any advice or suggestions.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

We use a dremel tool on ours to keep them trimmed down. It works well.

 

[pkeeler]

In my limited experience, this is only going to get worse. You could try Googling Robert Plasmodon, he has an article on how to change aggressive rooster behavior. But if that doesn't work, I would eat or sell the rooster. RIR roos are notorious, so unless you want to breed one, I would go for a more docile breed of rooster.

 

[Bec]

I have a rooster that does the same thing. I just file down his spurs and while it still hurts to get flogged, there is no puncturing the skin.

 

[briana1975]

Our RIR roo was dinner. He just did not get any nicer. We now have a great Buff Orp roo who is great with the hens and the whole family. The only one he doesn't like is our Boston Terrier mix dog. He doesn't attack him just keeps a very close eye on him. We don't keep them together unsupervised either though.

 

[SmartyChick]

I would send him to freezer camp...there are too many sweet roosters that need homes to tolerate an aggressive one.

 

[azygous]

Here's a terrific how-to on removing rooster spurs.

It's amazing - they're like horny caps on his fleshy nub, and they just twist right off! No cutting, squeezing or yanking, just need a pair of pliers!

Please don't eat him yet!

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

I do exactly that. Grasp his leg firmly, & with a pair of plyers, twist the spur & it will come off. It won't bleed either. It will grow back so you'll have to do it once a year.