Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[Molpet]

only spur problem I had was a hatchery Barred Rook HEN! In her old age she developed spurs and they curled around into her foot. I didn't notice until she was limping one day and I used a cat nail clipper. They were much smaller than roosters. She was about 4 when she developed them, almost 6 when she quit laying and they were a problem. Went down hill when she was 7, Just laying on her side , couldn't walk and I gave her mercy.

 

[Shadrach]

Do roosters' spurs overgrow, and if so, why?

They have never been a problem for any of my roos. I don't know what they do or don't do to them, but I have never seen any that seem to be too long. I have seen broken off tips (evidently hollow, as you say) very occasionally, but no blood and no fuss.

I imagine it's like chimps' fingernails, turtles' or parrots' beaks, rodents' teeth and other always-growing working animal body parts: they grow constantly because they get worn down by use, and usually become a problem when insufficiently used.

Nails, teeth, beaks yes, they wear down with use. I can't see what use would wear down a roosters spurs.

 

[fluffycrow]

Nails, teeth, beaks yes, they wear down with use. I can't see what use would wear down a roosters spurs.

Overmating

 

[Ladies-Eight]

Ex Batts good morning one and all!

Tea is ready.

Temperature is in the 80s mostly sunny.

Have a great day!

 

[MaryJanet]

What happens when a roosters spurs overgrow?
I've often wondered and I've been fairly sure that the rooster has and always has had a way of dealing with this. In Catalonia I noticed that some roosters had uncomfortablyy long spurs and then they didn't. I put this down to accidental damage at first but having watched Henry deal with his spurs both of which curled upwards and were making sitting uncomfortable; I could see him shuffling about trying to prevent them digging into his belly. I wrote in this thread some time ago that one spur had broken off. I've got the broken off bit somewhere. It's over an inch long. The other spur broke off sometime today. I couldn't find the discarded piece. Like the last time, no blood, no fuss, just shorter spurs. I'll try and find some pictures at some point. The spur ends seem to sort of die off leaving a hollow tube into which the new spur point grows. At some point these end tubes get knocked off.
I can't help wondering if the rooster knows when to give the spur a knock to remove the hollow casing.
It makes the trim your roosters spurs a bit of a nonsense if they can sort the problem out without our help; much like many other problems we unnecessarily interfere with.

I wonder if it's the same for hens who grow spurs? I suppose it would have to be.

 

[Shadrach]

Three hours today. 20C with periodic rain.
No noticable change in Carbon today. I should get more time with them all tomorrow and thus get a better idea of how she's coping.

Last of the broad beans. 4 kilos off 5 plants in total. I've given most of them away. The plants have rust so I pulled and bagged them this evening.

Fret went straight to the nest box this evening did the pancake and swore at me when I checked on her. Not unexpected but I don't think I'm going to let her sit now. I want the last lot to be a bit older before I let her sit again.

Everyone got out on the field for a couple of hours in between the rain.

Without Fret on the adults roost bar the two males took a chance and roosted at the end.

 

[MrsNorthie]

Fret went straight to the nest box this evening did the pancake and swore at me when I checked on her.

Fret wants a reeeeeally big tribe, I think she wants to take over the allotment!

 

[Perris]

Nails, teeth, beaks yes, they wear down with use. I can't see what use would wear down a roosters spurs.

They exist for fighting other birds or potential predators, so that's the obvious candidate behaviour. Cock fighting - when the cocks haven't been fitted by humans with metal blades - is rarely fatal.

 

[Perris]

congratulations @notabitail on your article on raising mealworms being featured on the front page of BYC!

 

[BDutch]

Thanks for mentioning it here @Perris.
Great article, and thanks for the ‘easy to raise mealworms’ instructions @notabitail. Are you still raising mealworms?