Will I hurt him!?

[centrarchid]

Hacksaws are very easy to use. A smaller version can be purchased that can be handles even if birds struggles. I have yet to cut a bird with hacksaw even when bird struggled. Practice by cutting a dowel similar in diameter to spur while handling bird. Will build your confidence making so proceedure when actually performed to be more direct and easier on bird. Stress management for bird and handler being considered.

 

[ChucktheChick]

What is dubbing?

 

[centrarchid]

Trimming of comb, wattles and sometimes "earlobes" of roosters. Proceedure is done for gamefowl mostly. That process is unpleasant for bird although when done by skilled hands it is similar to stress induced by twisting spurs. Dubbing is done for showfowl and sometimes as a preventative of frostbite.

 

[ChucktheChick]

Oh. I have never heard of that...

 

[rbaker0345]

You cannot possibly compare dubbing to twisting spurrs. It is an arcane, outdated and pointlessly cruel practice. It is the reason I don't show game birds even though I love them. I am not speaking as someone who is not savvy to the world of showing gamebirds, I have dubbed before and I am good at it, but I absolutely refuse to do it. The pain is obvious, the scar tissue is an issue. There is no scar tissue when twisting spurs. They are made to come off fairly easily in case the bird gets his spur caught in something. Its more like a lizard letting go of its tail than like having a perfectly good and functional appendage, ruthlessly cut off with a pair of scissors.

 

[rbaker0345]

We are needlessly scaring you. You have the information that you need, the decision is up to you now. If you have anymore questions about twisting spurs, go ahead and PM me. I can direct you to someone in the poultry science department at Cornell who can probably give you some more information on pros and cons.