Spur Managment

[daisyduck42]

Hi, been a while since i have checked in here.Just wanted to get some input on cuttin Roo spurs.My bantams seem to be the absolute worse for gettin really huge long and or/ thick ones.We Trimmed my oldest cochin last year but they had already gotten so thick quickly that clippers didnt take off much.He eventualy lost one but is doing super is is my oldest cochin roo being 4 yrs old.This year my maylasian serama and duckwing roo's spurted out quickly too.We tried cuttin the Malaysian last year and didnt even take off barely none and it started bleeding :? I bought one of those Pedipaw things for my dog and my ferrets even though I think just nail clippers work super for ferrets.But I took it out used it on my Maylasian Serama its workin good slow process hes such a big baby but I wouldnt over exert him so gonna do some more tomorrow.Maybe this sanding thing works best but if was faster process would be great. Let me know what you guys do for spurs. TY DD

[robin416]

I can address the bleeding part and trimming. If you want to avoid bleeding then only remove short pieces, allow the quick to retract for a week then clip again. Eventually you will get them trimmed down where you want them.

Many remove the spurs. I've never done it so I'll leave it to them to tell you the technique. I just can't quite make myself do it. Maybe someone will come to my house and do my Hamburgs, maybe?

[silkiemom]

I twist them off w/a pair of slim nose pliers. Keep some flour and/or corn starch close by in case of bleeding but hardly ever need it. It is fast and simple! beverly

[Evy]

I twist them off w/a pair of slim nose pliers. Keep some flour and/or corn starch close by in case of bleeding but hardly ever need it. It is fast and simple! beverly

I agree that's the easiest way. If you have the strength in your fingers, you don't even need pliers. Grasp the spur at the base , twist & pull. You may have to rotate it a couple times to loosen it. It then should slip off. The best part is that it takes nearly a year to reharden.

[greg rountree]

I have always used the regular dog toe-nail clippers the ones with the hole to poke the nail thru..this works well for Bantams but on those big-o-boys- I have a very small saw about 6" long that i use--then i file them with a nail file to round them off. Once you start clipping them--they grow back faster it seems. The Toe-nail clippers get dull after 5 or 6 times of use and need to be replaced often--when filing the spur use a metal heavy-duty nail file as an Emory Board is a joke. Always have the ingredients on hand to stop bleeding if you cut into the quick--hope this helps--Greg :)

[HunterFarmer]

Great thread, I had a Jersey GiantXBuff Orp rooster who's spurs got so bad he was cutting himself and having difficulty walking normally. I tried using my Dremel and was surprised how close the quick is to the tip of the spur. It bled but he did not squirm while I trimmed the first one. He stood like a soldier on my basement work bench for the entire 'operation'. I got enough trimmed to make walking much easier for him.

I'll try the twisting method the next time one of my boys needs shortening.

[K&SWaterfowl]

We have a barnyard hatchery quality black rosecomb rooster that we've had for a long time. He gets some monster spurs. Five plus inches. He often gets hung up on his spurs. Last summer they got so bad that we caught him and took him into the workshop, holding him very tightly and restraining his legs so he couldn't move I cut the spurs with a bandsaw. We used a really fine toothed blade and didn't cut off that much. Just enough so he could walk without getting caught on the spurs. It worked really well and it didn't even bleed.

[rickinaz]

me too!!! i have been away for a while! a few years ago, i read a thread here that gave instructions for spur removal using a hot potatoe, that seemed pretty uncomplicated to me...i won't go into the details...'cause i can't remember them, but maybe some one who has used this method could re-post!

[Pathfinders]

me too!!! i have been away for a while! a few years ago, i read a thread here that gave instructions for spur removal using a hot potatoe, that seemed pretty uncomplicated to me...i won't go into the details...'cause i can't remember them, but maybe some one who has used this method could re-post!

I tried that just once. The idea was to microwave a potato (for a minute? don't remember the time) then cut it in half and jam it on the spur. The heat was to soften the hard spur, then you could pull it right off.

I followed the directions, and applied the two halves to the spurs of one of my older LF cock birds. The spurs came right off, and he bled like a stuck pig! Was still seeping blood hours later, despite my using blood stop, cobwebs, cayenne, etc.

I won't be doing that again.

Laura

[Blackorps]

One of my poultry buddies uses the Hot potato method and loves it. I imagine that the Hot potato would have a cauterizing affect. She claims that she had No bleeding. I may be wrong, but I think she twist the potato and the spur comes off. Maybe that way the heat pervents the bleeding. I have personally not used this method yet. :)

[cathryn]

This is what I do.
TRIMMING SPURS: Supplies: flour or blood stop, and a pair of needle nose pliers. I hold my chicken under one arm. Then I take a pair of needle nosed pliers and place them in the middle of the spur, up a little bit closer to the leg than down the spur. Nest, I medium firmly clamp the pliers on the spur, yet not hard enough to crack the spur. Then I move the pliers back and forth. Do not pull the spur off, only wiggle a little bit back and forth, do not force the spur out of the flesh. Within 20-60 seconds the spur will loosen and it will fall right off. The flesh underneath the spur will be tender and weepy. Put flour or blood stop in it. At this point I like to spray the tender flesh with blue coat, then put more flour on it. If I am removing a spur from a show bird, I will use antibiotic powder like terramycin on top of the flour or blood stop. When I am sure the weepy flesh is covered up, I put my rooster down and let them go on their way. This is way less painful and stressful than cutting spurs off, and you do not have to worry about them bleeding to death from it. It takes quite awhile for the hard spur cover to grow back. When it does, remove it again. Their spurs will get smaller and smaller with time. Hope this helps, Cathryn

[Pipper's Mom]

I use a scissor type cat nail clipper for trimming nails on my bantams and I decided to take a bit off of one of the roosters spurs. The first spur I took about a quarter inch off with no problem, the other one I started to cut and had to wiggle it back and forth trying to get through the spur....next thing I know I have the entire length of spur off and caught in the clipper!!! I couldn't believe it came off that easily!!!! It only bled a little bit around the base, nothing to worry about and it healed with no problem. I haven't done spurs since. :lol: