Trimming Nails ??

[cherp68]

We've had 2 Red-Sex-links for almost 2 years now, we are still learning as we go.

Are we supposed to be trimming their nails?

 

[mkearsley]

I tried trimming one of my hen's nails. It was very hard to not cut too deep, and she squirms more than a dog or cat. Good thing I had some Magic Powder (sold at the local feed & supply store) to stop all the bleeding from two toes

If your birds are outside, or scratching in something rough (sand or soil) they should wear down their nails. Then hen I trimmed was bought from a hatchery & she never was able to naturally trim her own nails since she was inside the first 10 months of life. By the time I got her, her nails were all kinds of deformed (which is why I trimmed). My birds that I bought as chicks & have let free range have no issues with their nails being really long since they're constantly scratching around the hard ground.