Remove spurs by cutting vs twisting.

[jher77]

I usually use my dog toenail clippers with the gauge to trim my roosters spurs, set on about 1/8" cut. Two quick nips and the spurs usually bleed a few drops of blood and that is about it. Rooster usually walks away like he is stepping on nails but usually gets over it within 30 minutes time.

Today I thought I would try the twist off method. Never done that before. The spurs are about 1" long. They came off fairly easily but man does it looks raw and I can tell he doesn't like that being raw like that. They bleed more and this seems like a bigger chance of infection. I don't think I gained anything as far as cutting more off, but they are a little thinner because the sides came off too.

How long does it take for the spurs to harden back up to be able to trim them again?

By cutting them I could trim every couple weeks if I wanted to, but not sure about a raw spur. I don't know if I will twist them off anymore unless I want the spurs thinner, but when they harden back up will they be just as thick as when I started?

What are the pros and cons here?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

People near me use a hot potato method when twisting. You heat a potato up pretty hot, push it onto the spur as close (but not touching) to the scales as possible, wait about 30 seconds and then take the potato off and twist the spur. It kinda cautorizes it and makes it not as raw. The males that did it this way didn't seem to be bothered by it.

I personally don't do anything with the spurs unless they're actively causing problems (puncturing hens or about to grow into the male's legs). I try to leave them as natural as possible and haven't had problems yet, even with an 8 year old bantam that's never had his trimmed

 

[jher77]

That's good to know.

The rooster is sitting around any which way he can to tuck his feet under him. I know it has to be bothering him to be acting like that. Never acted like that when I cut the tips off. Will he get over it, probably? I would try the potato thing next if I twisted them off.

Do you know if the spurs actually get thinner by twisting them off?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I don't know about the thinness.

It's probably pretty tender honestly. I can't imagine it's much less painful than a nail being removed. But they seem to handle it far better than a person would, so maybe it's not as bad?

 

[jher77]

Shoo. I could tell it was like loosing a whole fingernail when I looked at it when it came off. Hehe. If it was a butthole rooster I wouldn't be too worried, but he is a nice rooster and I kinda like him. He is a white leghorn so you don't many nice ones.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Shoo. I could tell it was like loosing a whole fingernail when I looked at it when it came off. Hehe. If it was a butthole rooster I wouldn't be too worried, but he is a nice rooster and I kinda like him. He is a white leghorn so you don't many nice ones.

I would stick with just trimming then. That won't hurt nearly as much

 

[jher77]

Here is the sheath sliced open.



The end of the spur may have lost 1/32" of its length while it got thinner by about 1/16". I've seen videos of others doing this and it looks like theirs lost about 1/2" of the spurs length. Not really what I was expecting to happen. How come mine didn't do that?

 

[LaFleche]

I use a dremel to cut the spurs off, which works beautifully preventing any bleeding and possible infection.
And there will be no pointy ends left that might gore the hens just as well as before the potatoe or twisting treatment.

 

[jher77]

I use a dremel to cut the spurs off, which works beautifully preventing any bleeding and possible infection.
And there will be no pointy ends left that might gore the hens just as well as before the potatoe or twisting treatment.

How far do you go back from the tip?

 

[LaFleche]

How far do you go back from the tip?

I cut them off at 1,5 cm from the leg.

Beware not to cut the toe. I use adhesive tape to tie the toes together, so they cannot get in the way.