Can I trim a silkie chickens foot feathers

[Bryce Thomas]

Just the very feet feathers, not the thigh feathers just the foot feathers. My silkies have been getting muddy feet since they like to splash water around in their coop from their waterer. Will it hurt them if I trim their foot feathers?

 

[thehenandchick01234]

I would think that it would be okay to do just one the feet but only since it is a silkie. The feathers on a silkies feet are like hair, this way you won’t have to deal with bloody feathers.

 

[Bryce Thomas]

I would think that it would be okay to do just one the feet but only since it is a silkie. The feathers on a silkies feet are like hair, this way you won’t have to deal with bloody feathers.

Im kinda a noob, so please explain with the one foot only and the bloody feathers i know what bloody feathers are but does trimming a silkies feet feathers cause blood feathers

 

[3KillerBs]

Yes, you can trim feathers if you're careful not to hit a blood feather (a still growing feather with blood inside the shaft), because that can cause serious bleeding. If you do hit the blood feather, pull it out, apply pressure to the area, and the bleeding should stop quickly.

But best to fix the mud problem through taking any or all of these measures:

• Adding appropriate bedding to the coop so that it's not bare dirt. The bedding can soak up a certain amount of splashed water and help it evaporate -- but only if your coop has adequate ventilation.
• Removing the water from the coop and putting it into the run.
• Elevating the waterer to the level of the chickens' backs.
• Changing to a horizontal nipple waterer.