Spurs

[Pampered Hen]

My rooster Leo is nine months and his spurs are growing in. I have read some about simply grinding them off to about 1/2 inch from the foot.
I'm curious to know whether the procedure is painful to the animal or if this is the mere equivalent of a pedicure.

 

[Lollipop]

Best method is a dremel tool with a cut off wheel. Cut about 3/8 from the leg. There may be a small amount of blood, but the wheel usually cauterizes it. It is, as you say, similar to a pedicure. Small amt of pain, sometimes, but when you put the boy down, he acts like nothing ever happened.

 

[DK]

I have read that you can take a potato bake it cut it in half and stick it on the spur and hold it there and it will fall off.I have not try this but maybe someone has.[ dont think it could hurt him] DK

 

[Big Red's Mom]

Okay I have a question......My roos spurs are super sharp and he is making his fav. hens loss feathers on their backs. They are not very long but again very sharp. What else can I do to keep him from hurting the girls. (without putting him out.) Oh I cliped the very end off anf files it smooth(some blood) freaked me out.....

 

[Smoky73]

If you keep trimmin it a little bit at a time, the quick will receed so you can trim shorter and shorter each time.

Once, my hubby and I did the oil method that we read about in one of the chicken books. soak in oil and take pliers and twist back and forth (not bend but twist like a knob) it will eventually loosen and come off. It exposed the whole "quick" which was a pointy fleshy matter and bleeding. However, I coated it with blood stop and we put him down. It stopped shortly after and when that part dried up, it fell off and he looked like a brand new cockerel! Just a round stub of a spur.

Now I just take hoof nippers and clip them about halfway down.

 

[WalkingWolf]

I did my hen with a dremel she did not even feel it, no blood, but I only took of 1/4 inch. This was after she punctured one of my ducks wings. I am scared of the hot potato, held a few in my life and can't see how the heat would not travel to the muscles of the leg.