Spurs on rooster

[shannon84]

I wrap gorilla tape around my rooster’s spurs, or just regular duct tape. Gorilla tape is stronger though and works better. Sometimes I clip the very tip. I tried to completely blunt it with a Dremel but it bled and that type of bleeding is VERY difficult to stop. Your rooster can bleed to death that way (you can use bloodstop powder or cornstarch to help stop it if it does start). I think it is safer to go the duct tape route. For me, the duct tape eventually peeled off some spur and left a blunt tip on one. I’m waiting for that to happen with the other one so that I can leave them untaped. Also if the spurs are sharp the rooster can tear the hen’s sides during mating. I’ve had it happen more than once!

OK, so the tape helps blunt the end of spurs, and you doing this after you cut the tips? I had no idea a rooster could bleed to death that way! That's so scary!

 

[shannon84]

Use a half of a hack saw blade and before you start sawing saw a hard bar of soap or a lump of bees wax. this way if you slip up and cut into the quick or living part of the spur the soap or bees wax seals the blood vessels as you saw.

Is this how you do your roosters? That's amazing that it seals it off! Can that get infected?

 

[shannon84]

I haven't had to do it (yet - I have 4 young cockrels) but someone else shared this link on another thread and it appears pretty easy and painless, although I'm sure it is just the woman's experience making it look easy...

She did make that look so easy thank you!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Is this how you do your roosters? That's amazing that it seals it off! Can that get infected?

I've never had a rooster get an infection because his spurs were trimmed.
I have trimmed thousands and if you use caution you will never cut off enough spur to draw blood. Try to cut about 11/16 of an inch long or maybe a little more. There is also no good reason that the smallest woman on Earth can not cut off a roosters' spurs using a spur saw or a hack saw blade. The biggest problem I had with dog nail clippers is breaking them on large spurs.

The soap or bees wax also acts as a lubricant to make the sawing go easier.

 

[Shadrach]

Use a file! Roosters are supposed to have spurs and I don't understand why people insist on cutting them off. There may be a need to remove a sharp point because of the risk of cutting the side of a hen during mating but after that....why trim them?

 

[aart]

Use a file! Roosters are supposed to have spurs and I don't understand why people insist on cutting them off. There may be a need to remove a sharp point because of the risk of cutting the side of a hen during mating but after that....why trim them?

This^^^
I just nip the very tip off then file it a bit so it's not so sharp.
Unless the spurs are so long it interferes with his walking or pokes him in the butt while roosting there's no reason to cut them shorter.

Here's a spur I saved when slaughtering a cockbird.
The line is where the tip of the quick was and you can see I filed the tip to dull the point.

Try to cut about 11/16 of an inch long or maybe a little more.

I think you meant one/16" and not eleven/16"??

 

[HollyWoozle]

I just had to start trimming for the first time a few months ago, after our cockerel wounded some hens. I used dog nail trimmers and a file and just trimmed off the sharp point and filed it smooth, as well as doing the same with his claws. I found the quick grows very close to the end of the spurs and claws in our cockerel and once I did go a little too far and just hit the very end, but I had a sort of stypic pen that you dip in water and rub on the end and it sealed it immediately and stopped bleeding.

The cockerel was eating out of my hand the next day and seemed to suffer no ill-effects, whilst all hens have recovered and have not been wounded since. I found it best to see the quick by doing this in the dark (taking him off the perch after he'd gone to bed) and shining a bright torch through the spur. It is hard to see so just go easy and trim the very ends.

Good luck!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

This^^^
I just nip the very tip off then file it a bit so it's not so sharp.
Unless the spurs are so long it interferes with his walking or pokes him in the butt while roosting there's no reason to cut them shorter.

This is why I trim mine. Some of my older roosters get really long butt poking spurs.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

… Here's a spur I saved when slaughtering a cockbird… you can see I filed the tip to dull the point.
View attachment 1584474

I think you meant one/16" and not eleven/16"??

No, I would never allow a cock bird to have a spur longer than about an inch. Then once the spur is trimmed the first time there is never a chance that there will be a sharp point to harm either the hen or the human.

 

[Delaneygraces]

I use many methods, depending on the bird, and the amount of spur needing trimmed. I use mostly a dremel, and take off small pieces as a time, and the closer to the quick, I switch to sanding/grinding it down. I also only grind/sand if a sharp point needs removed. I also use dog clippers for sharp points. The second method I use, which has been stated above, is a hack saw with some bees wax (I take a bit of my Burt’s bees wax chapstick and rub on there) and hold the spur to a light so I don’t get to sawing where the quick is.