Many hens few eggs

[frustratedearthmother]

H has removed spurs due to breeding injuries.

Makes sense.

 

[Rammy]

My roosters grow so long that if I dont trim them he starts tripping over them. Plus he doesnt tear up the hens during breeding.

 

[Rammy]

This is how I remove the spurs.

 

[Beekissed]

Bee, the thing that holds me back from doing the task is my fear of cutting into the quick. I know.... Just do it.... What's the worst thing that could happen?

That's the thing...it's fairly easy if you just nip the tip. The quick is about 1/2-1 in. long or less, depending on the breed...in the vid above they look even longer than that, but I've never had a rooster that gets regular trimmings to develop a quick that long. Anything beyond that should be fine. I just clip the sharp point and, if it's active breeding season, I'll dull that clipped portion with a quick dremel pass over it. Same with his nails. If you'll watch how roosters breed, the spurs should never hit that hen...even if those spurs are 2 in. long, I've never seen them scrape a hen, it's more the claws that do the damage. Spurs are too far up the leg.

If the spurs are so long they are causing breeding damage, it's simple just to trim them to a length where that can't happen. Takes awhile for a spur to grow back.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I also note that when the spur is pulled off, the remaining stump looks to be very sharp. I can imagine that as it builds up cuticle, it would remain sharper than it would if trimmed. I'm guessing that if one continually removes spurs, that stump or quick would eventually get shorter and shorter. Thing is: Goliath is over a year old, and his spurs are quite long. Pretty much b/c I avoid tasks that I lack confidence in. Yeah, time to put on my big girl pants, and get over it, huh???

 

[Beekissed]

I also note that when the spur is pulled off, the remaining stump looks to be very sharp. I can imagine that as it builds up cuticle, it would remain sharper than it would if trimmed. I'm guessing that if one continually removes spurs, that stump or quick would eventually get shorter and shorter. Thing is: Goliath is over a year old, and his spurs are quite long. Pretty much b/c I avoid tasks that I lack confidence in. Yeah, time to put on my big girl pants, and get over it, huh???

Time to make you a chicken sling, LG. Hands free working on a helpless bird makes such tasks easy peasy.

 

[Rammy]

I just wrap mine in a towel, put him on his back in my lap, and trim his spurs. Hes a good boy.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

I think you should come visit and show me how it's done.

 

[Rammy]

You just want me to trim your rooster for you.

 

[CrealCritter]

8 eggs today... I'm happy they are laying again finally. Hopefully they pick up the pace pretty quick. I'm still getting some sex links though... Maybe just six (yeah right).