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Home Lifestyle Rooster Spurs: Everything You Need To Know

Rooster Spurs: Everything You Need To Know

Did your kid just bring a few chicks back from school? Did you search for information online, and are you worried about one of the chicks turning into a rooster and scratching your kids?

Some of your chicks will probably grow into roosters, as it’s hard to tell the gender of a tiny chick.

Or do you just want your chickens and roosters for your farm or garden?

Well, this article will tell you everything you need to know about bone spurs and how to deal with them!

What Is A Spur?

What is a spur, you might ask? Well, it looks like a huge fingernail, but scarier. It’s a bit like a velociraptor in Jurassic Park, but a bit less scary than that (I promise).

A spur is a part of your rooster’s leg bone, so it’s a bit like a bone outgrowth. It’s made out of keratin, which roosters’ beaks are also made of. It’s thick and sharp and develops after the roosters reach their sexual maturity.

A part of the spur will be covered by flesh. This is called the ‘quick.’ The spur grows from the base of the leg to the outside. So there’s only blood at the base, just like animals’ nails.

Spurs can be trimmed and should be since they grow continuously and can grow really long.

When Do Spurs Start Showing?

You’ll see spurs showing on your roosters at approximately three months and at first look like a small bump. Spurs also continue growing for your roosters’ entire life.

Why Do Roosters Have Spurs?

If your chick has a spur, it means it’s a rooster. The spurs have two main functions:

Defense Method

Spurs are designed for your roosters to defend themselves against predators and their flock. So it’s cool that they have defensive purposes, but it’s less fun when they start attacking you, your family, friends, and even attacking hens.

Spurs can either serve for intimidation or attack, so be careful around your roosters, at least until their spurs are removed. Usually, roosters will also make noise and puff up their feathers to intimidate potential predators.

Attack Method

They can also attack other roosters, as they can get really territorial. It doesn’t matter if they live with them or not. It’s usually because of competition: roosters will want a circle of hens for themselves, and not share them with another male.

Roosters can fight other roosters, aka competition, until death or until the others are submissive and the pecking order (basically the social order of chicks) is established. They do that with their beaks and spurs. And you don’t want a blood scene on your farm.

If your roosters are starting to hurt people or animals around them, you should remove or trim their spurs! Also, if you own more than one rooster, consider keeping them apart from each other, just in case.

Why Should You Remove The Spurs From Your Roosters?

You should really consider removing the spurs from your roosters, as they can attack people and other animals. If they attack you or your family because they see you as a threat, you should really remove their spurs, if you want to keep your rooster.

Sometimes, roosters won’t hurt other hens, animals or people voluntarily as an attack or defense mechanism. If their spurs grow too long or the wrong way, they can cause injury.

For example, when they want to mate with hens, they jump on their backs and keep them still using their feet and beaks. So spurs can really hurt hens while mating.

Also, spurs can be a danger for the roosters themselves, as it can get caught on certain things. Just like a long fingernail (we’ve all been there). So roosters can hurt themselves trying to break free from whatever their spurs got caught on.

Plus, if they are stuck, they are an easy prey for predators, and you don’t want that. Also, spurs can be uncomfortable for them if they grow wrong. The talon of your rooster might brush against your rooster continuously, which leads to injuries and infections.

So if you want to keep your roosters healthy, not be a danger to themselves or others, you should really consider trimming or removing their spurs.

How Do You Remove Spurs?

It’s really easy to remove spurs, so don’t worry! You don’t have to be a vet or anything fancy. Sometimes, spurs can fall automatically after you just trim them. Also, if you remove spurs yourself, you should know that you should remove them every year.

You won’t hurt your roosters with these simple quick methods:

Method One: Trimming

You don’t need to remove spurs if you’re scared of doing that. You just need to trim them to control the length.

Think of spurs like fingernails: they can be trimmed and it won’t hurt if you do it right. A dog nail trimmer is great to use on a rooster’s spurs. You simply need to trim the end off.

Or, you could use pliers to make sure the spurs are extracted properly in their entirety. Clippers are also a good alternative, as they are sharp and remove a lot more quickly. Just be careful with clippers, as they can hit the bone.

Spurs won’t be completely removed with a trimmer, but at least there’s no more danger for you or anyone else on the farm!

Of course, if you’re not comfortable around your roosters and are afraid of getting clawed, there are other methods you can use to remove spurs.

Also, you’ll have to trim your rooster’s spurs quite often, as they are like fingernails and grow throughout their entire life. And be careful that the quick not to bleed while you trim the spurs.

Method Two: Filing

Rooster spurs can also be filed down with a metal file. Use the file as you would on your own fingernails. Just be careful not to file too low or your rooster will be in pain and bleed a little bit. So basically, stop before hitting the bone.

Have someone help you, as it will be easier. Calm your rooster down and wrap him in a towel, leaving only the legs out, so he can’t move.

Or, you could use a rotary tool, like a Dremel (see below), with a sanding attachment.

Method Three: Use A Pair Of Pliers

Instead of using a dog nail trimmer, you could use a pair of pliers. It’s beneficial to have someone help you, as it will be much easier to remove the spurs from your rooster.

Have your helper flip the rooster over to its back and hold the rooster like that.

Then, hold one leg with one of your hands and, with the other, take your pliers and twist them around the spur. Turn the pliers counter clockwise, and then the spur will just come out, revealing the quick. Afterward, do the same for the other spur.

When you’re done extracting the spurs, dust both in either blood-stopper or cornstarch. There shouldn’t be too much blood, but you should make sure to stop the bleeding with either product before putting them back in their coop.

Both products will make the blood dry pretty quickly. The rooster might still bleed for a few days if he trips or bumps himself, but it won’t hurt or disturb him normally.

Repeat this process for all the roosters you have. It will be worth it!

Method Four: Use A Dremel

A Drumel (that’s the brand’s name) is a rotary tool. You can use it to trim your rooster’s spurs to a shorter, safer length.

The Drumel will grind down the spur, so it’s really popular in spurs removal, as it prevents any infections or too much blood loss.

You could also use a saw, but I would advise against that, as there’s a big risk of cutting their blood supply, as spurs are connected to the leg.

Method Five: Remove The Sheath

You could also remove the sheath if you’d prefer. It’s the outer layer of the spur on a rooster. A rooster’s skin has many layers, including the sheath and the quick. If you want your rooster to keep its spurs, this is a good method to use. The disadvantage is that you’ll need to remove the sheath quite often and keep track of the length of your rooster’s spurs.

It’s easier to remove the sheath than it sounds, but you shouldn’t do this if blood scares you or grosses you out. Overall, if you’re afraid of hurting yourself or your roosters, or if you’re afraid of blood, you should really let a vet remove the spurs for you.

So, if you’ve decided to remove the sheath yourself, here’s what you should do:

  • Have cornstarch or another blood-stopper ready, as well as blu-kote to prevent any pecking or infections.
  • Warm the spur to soften up the skin. It will make it easier to remove the sheath. You could use a hot baked potato for that, for a couple of minutes. Just put it on the spur to soften the sheath.
  • After the sheath is softened, grab it with pliers and twist it. The spur will come out, leaving a new one to grow.

How Do You Use The Potato Method?

I told you to use a potato in the above section, but how do you heat the potato, and how do you know it’s heated enough?

Well, it’s simple. Just pop a potato in the microwave until it looks cooked (approximately eight to 10 minutes). Then, impale the potato over your rooster’s spurs for a few minutes (around one or two). Afterward, just remove the potato and twist off their spurs. It’s that simple!

The moisture, humidity and heat of the baked potato will soften your rooster’s spurs.

It’s up to you if you want to use this method. Just be aware that it might be painful for your roosters to have a hot baked potato shoved onto the spur, just as it’s painful for you to stick your finger in a hot potato. But, apparently, it works!

Method Six: Go To A Vet And Have The Spurs Surgically Removed

Of course, if you’re afraid of getting hurt or hurting your rooster, you could always bring it to the vet and have the spurs surgically removed. This is probably the wisest option, as you know the spurs will be removed properly, without hurting your rooster too much.

If you want your rooster to permanently get rid of its spurs, a vet can do that for you, and you won’t have to worry about removing your rooster’s spurs ever again. If there is no predator around where you live, your rooster probably doesn’t need its spurs anyway.

You should bring your rooster in when it’s still a chick, as the bony core won’t be completely developed yet, and it’s a quick operation. Your chick rooster will recover quickly. You could also bring your rooster in as an adult, but the vet will need to amputate the bone. Of course, the rooster will be under anasthaesia, but there can be complications after the operation.

Just don’t try to surgically remove your rooster’s spurs yourself if you’re not a vet or a professional. Otherwise, your rooster could lead to death.

Final Thoughts

Now you know everything you need to know about rooster spurs, and you can decide if you want to remove them or not.

If you have predators around your farm, you should probably let the roosters keep them. Just shorten them a bit for everyone’s sake.

If you want to remove spurs at home, make sure you have someone helping you keeping the rooster still while you trim them. And stop the bleeding with powder. Also, know you’ll have to repeat this process annually if you don’t surgically remove the spurs.

Keep your roosters calm and everything will be fine!

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