Yes, removing rooster's spurs can be painful

[azygous]

Well, just look at him. He's practically one of the girls. You should see him in the middle of a dirt bathing session with the girls. It's hard to pick him out.

 

[WVduckchick]

He is a pretty thang.

 

[Mrs. K]

beautiful birds and set up

 

[andreanar]

Poor guy! Hes a handsome fella!

 

[fishingfreckles]

After ten years of keeping chickens, I just found this out.

I've had a total of seven roosters over the decade. I've removed spurs and the rooster has shown no reaction, one often falling asleep in my lap during the procedure. Usually, there is no bleeding, and if there is, it's been a drop and nothing more.

Not so with this present roo. His name is Strawberry and he's a three-year old Cream Legbar. Three days ago, I removed his spurs for the third time. I was prepared for the bleeding because his spurs have continued to bleed after the outer sheath was removed. This time I bandaged them so he wouldn't bleed all over the hens when he mated them.

As it turned out, he didn't feel like pursuing the hens because he was in pain. He would stand around with one leg drawn up under his belly. Or he would bend down and peck at his leg. He's been noticeably subdued for three day, and this morning, he didn't want to come out of the coop.

I have been giving him an aspirin at bedtime, and this morning I gave him one and lightly wrapped a strip of vet wrap around the still-wet spurs. I had left the bandages off last night to try to get the spurs to harden. I'll do the same again tonight, and he will eventually heal. It's taken a week in the past for his spurs to harden. This is the first time I have noticed my rooster was experiencing significant pain from it.

This is the last time Strawberry gets his spurs removed.

After ten years of keeping chickens, I just found this out.

I've had a total of seven roosters over the decade. I've removed spurs and the rooster has shown no reaction, one often falling asleep in my lap during the procedure. Usually, there is no bleeding, and if there is, it's been a drop and nothing more.

Not so with this present roo. His name is Strawberry and he's a three-year old Cream Legbar. Three days ago, I removed his spurs for the third time. I was prepared for the bleeding because his spurs have continued to bleed after the outer sheath was removed. This time I bandaged them so he wouldn't bleed all over the hens when he mated them.

As it turned out, he didn't feel like pursuing the hens because he was in pain. He would stand around with one leg drawn up under his belly. Or he would bend down and peck at his leg. He's been noticeably subdued for three day, and this morning, he didn't want to come out of the coop.

I have been giving him an aspirin at bedtime, and this morning I gave him one and lightly wrapped a strip of vet wrap around the still-wet spurs. I had left the bandages off last night to try to get the spurs to harden. I'll do the same again tonight, and he will eventually heal. It's taken a week in the past for his spurs to harden. This is the first time I have noticed my rooster was experiencing significant pain from it.

This is the last time Strawberry gets his spurs removed.

I removed the spurs years ago on my old giant white rooster, not much bleeding, easy peasy, I had to have him put down when he got so old the chickens were knocking him over and he would fall down,. I have a new rooster that was sent with the chicks when I got them he is about 3 years old. I had a polish crested chicken an old one, they are small. I found her dead with her back ripped open with a big skin flap dangling. She was afraid of him and always hid, but he finally caught her. so to make a long story short. I despurred him. they were about 3 inches long. he bled a lot but didn't seem in any discomfort. i put the purple spray on them and all seemed well. I checked on him and they are drying up and he acts like nothing ever happened. the worst part for him was getting caught. he isn't tame. I have been reading if you bake a potato and put the hot potato on the spurs for about 5 minutes it cuts back on the bleeding and they come off easier. I plan on making a necklace out of his spurs. kind of cool. in a weird way.

 

[azygous]

That's horrible about your hen being spurred to death! That is precisely why I have always tried to manage my roosters' spurs. Their potential discomfort is a small issue against the injury they could cause a hen.

I have saved most of the spurs I've removed, too, including a few sets from a hen. Hers are about an inch long, but there's no need to let them get any longer or sharper, either.

 

[aart]

I have saved most of the spurs I've removed,

I don't remove spurs, but kept the spur sheath from a cockbird(bird I mentioned in post #4, spurs were not quite as long as I had estimated) I slaughtered last year, fascinating structure.
Pencil mark is where tissue pocket ends, used a wire as a 'depth gauge'.

 

[fishingfreckles]

how do you shine up the spurs to make a necklace? anyone do this?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

A little background is in order here. A roosters' spurs are analogous to your fingernails.
A classic form of torture involves pulling out the interigrees' fingernails with a pair of wire pliers.

Here is a video of a new hen being introduced into a strange flock. Notice how the rooster is acting like a peace keeper or the cop on the beat by suppressing hen on hen violence and demanding submission. If you are having injuries to a hen's back like was mentioned in a previous post you are seeing pecking damage caused by a hen. To tear chicken skin it must be held and ripped. Not something that a roosters spurs are good at doing. I should know because I have been spurred 100s if not 1,000s of times when man breaking young stags all with very sharp spurs.

Just trim that bad boys' spurs but leave all the NAZI SS interrogation techniques out of your chicken husbandry practices.

 

[Folly's place]

Last fall I shortened my three year old cockbird's spurs because they were starting to get in his way while walking. Two people involved; I held him, another (stronger!) person trimmed them back far enough to get out of his way, and then filed the ends smooth.
Not into blood, no problem.
Mary