My two cockerels are six months old and their spurs are just beginning to erupt into nubs about as big as the tip of your little finger. By the time they're a year old, they'll be not quite an inch long, but you can remove them at that time if you want to play it safe.
It's really very easy. You get your roo into a comfortable position on your lap, and steady his foot with one hand while grasping the base of the spur with some pliers. Twist gently back and forth, and you'll see it loosen. Keep twisting gently back and forth until it separates from the fleshy little nub underneath. Lift off the hollow "horn" and repeat with the other one. You may get a tiny drop of blood, but when I did this procedure on my adult roo last year, he was so relaxed he fell asleep in my lap. I put some Bag Balm on them and they hardened in about a day or two.
The spurs will slowly grow back, and you may want to do it again in abut a year and a half. I'm a big fan of spur removal as long as your roosters don't need to defend free ranging hens. It will prevent nasty lacerations of your hens during mating, as well as any people suffering gashes from a flogging roo, requiring stitches. They can be nasty little weapons.
(just at 10%)
