Spurs on rooster

[aart]

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.

Oh, trim down to a 11/16" in length...
not trim off 11/16"..
Sorry, I misunderstood.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Oh, trim down to a 11/16" in length...
not trim off 11/16"..
Sorry, I misunderstood.

I am also sorry that I wasn't clearer.

 

[arrowti]

Not quite on topic but related- what reason do you trim spurs? I've had roosters for 4 years and never trimmed them. One of them seems to shed a spur every year (this year he shed his right spur, last year he shed his left) and it regrows quickly. Maybe he's just an oddball, my game bantam never shed any spurs...

Is it just for protecting the hens from possible spur injury? Or abnormal spur growth? I guess if spurs grow like some horns they could curl around and hurt their leg. Just curious (and interested!).

 

[HollyWoozle]

We trimmed/filed Olaf's because he had wounded three hens quite seriously. My family have owned chickens since before I was around and have often had cockerels, always without issue, but I think Olaf doesn't have the best conformation and technique perhaps. We have had no problems since just lightly trimming the ends and filing them smooth.

 

[aart]

Is it just for protecting the hens from possible spur injury? Or abnormal spur growth? I guess if spurs grow like some horns they could curl around and hurt their leg. Just curious (and interested!).

You've answered your own question....
....not sure if you read the whole thread, but IIRC those things were already mentioned.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Not quite on topic but related- what reason do you trim spurs? I've had roosters for 4 years and never trimmed them. One of them seems to shed a spur every year (this year he shed his right spur, last year he shed his left) and it regrows quickly. Maybe he's just an oddball, my game bantam never shed any spurs...

It seems that your rooster has hulled his spurs perhaps by taking a lick at some errant hen or juvenile roo and wrenching off the exterior of his spur on some hard surface like the pen or coop wire. Hulled spurs will regrow, after a fashion but a rooster who has slipped his spur or spurs (slick legged) will never regrow a spur.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Not quite on topic but related- what reason do you trim spurs? I've had roosters for 4 years and never trimmed them. One of them seems to shed a spur every year (this year he shed his right spur, last year he shed his left) and it regrows quickly. Maybe he's just an oddball, my game bantam never shed any spurs...

Is it just for protecting the hens from possible spur injury? Or abnormal spur growth? I guess if spurs grow like some horns they could curl around and hurt their leg. Just curious (and interested!).

I do it because they get so long it interferes with them walking and roosting. I don't trim them if they seem fine. I also will trim any that look particularly nasty and pointed.

 

[shannon84]

I do it because they get so long it interferes with them walking and roosting. I don't trim them if they seem fine. I also will trim any that look particularly nasty and pointed.

Same here he was clanking them together when he walked, plus I did it for the hens, for his walking/roosting comfort as well....

 

[shannon84]

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.

Same happened to me I broke a huge pair of dog nail clippers, it's unreal how thick and hard those spurs get. He has white spurs and I try to see where his quick ends. So hard to judge it.

 

[Mamahen64]

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!

A rooster will not bleed to death from a bleeding spur. It's what alot of people say because they heard it, but I just read from a expert that it's just something someone said and that he has never ever seen or heard of a rooster bleeding out and die.I just now clipped my roosters spurs and did it ro short he is bleeding pretty good so I just put flour on it. I'll let u know if the saying is true if he does die.. I hope not he's my favorite rooster.