We have a gentle rooster, but I don't know if his spurs can be just broken off without serious harm to him, or should I just let them grow? Will they cause harm to the hens? He's an "only rooster" in our flock.

-- Jean Bondiett (j_bondiett@hotmail.com), September 03, 1999

Answers

I don't have the information Jean wants, but my childhood experience with my _not_ gentle bantam rooster was that his spurs kept growing and eventually made a sort of bracelet around his ankle. It didn't grow into his flesh, but I think that would be a possibility. He also caught one of his overly long spurs on something and ripped it almost entirely off. Blood everywhere, and we had to catch him and remove the dangling spur and staunch the blood. If we hadn't been there, he might have bled to death. I believe that spur did eventually grow back in. Based on those experiences and the fact that he would try to spur us, I would recommend clipping a friendly roosters spurs on a regular basis. I believe you can have spurs permanently removed but I don't know what that entails. Something told to me (I haven't tried it as I don't have any roosters) to prevent injury from being spurred was to screw electrical caps (like for connecting two wires) onto the spurs. My source claimed it worked very well. Of course, you still have to catch the bird and attach the caps. Good luck!

-- Joy Froelich (dragnfly@chorus.net), September 07, 1999.

You can cut off rooster spurs by using a pair of diagonals. There is a blood supply to the spur but that is locted closer to the foot. Like a dog's toenail. Since he is the only rooster in the flock you don't need to worry about him fighting so if he was mine, I would just keep the sharp tips cut back.

-- Kathy Swietlik (jubilant@ncweb.com), September 12, 1999.

If you have a freindly rooster there should be no reason to get rid of his spurs. The rooster might use them to protect his hens against intruders of the animal kind, but not likely the human kind. I have had freindly and not so freindly roosters and have never touched ther spurs that is the nature of the rooster I would recomend leaving well enough alone. good luck and enjoy your Rosster they can be quite majestic!!

-- Star Irvin (irvinco@vbe.com), September 13, 1999.

I have cut off roosters spurs with a hacksaw but there is alot of blood. I never lost a rooster because of it. The sharp spurs will cut the hens backs.

-- dennis carpenter (dgn2country@COMPAQ.NET), September 13, 1999.

I have had both mean and gentle roosters and have never touched the spurs, they do use the spurs to protect the hens. I know that for a fact because of one rooster I had went after a neighbor's dog who liked chicken dinner. The roosters that I like and use are a cross between "game" and tame roosters I am not sure what is meant by that but the spurs get up to 3 to 5 inches long and they don't use them on the hens I have 18 hens and none have marks on the back because of spurs! Hope this helps.

-- Anita Janes (rambo@midamerica.net), September 29, 1999.

I usually leave the spurs alone like most others responding. However, the proper way to remove the spur (as I have been taught) is to hold the rooster by both legs in one hand and with the other hand and a pair of pliers, twist the spur gently as if unscrewing it. It will come off with very little blood and very little pain (I think, I've never had it done to me.) The spur will grow back but the boney part left on the leg will not have a sharp point and thus will not hurt any thing or any-body until the spur is grown back. If you do this enough you can have a necklace made of the spurs like the Indians did with the bear claws. Good Luck!!

-- Dean Klaus (dsklaus@accessus.net), October 07, 1999.

SINCE SPURS GROW ON A ROOSTER, I FIGURE THAT THEY WERE PUT THERE FOR A REASON. I DON'T THINK THAT HE IS GOING TO HURT YOUR HENS, ALTHOUGH THERE ALWAYS IS A POSSIBILITY OF THAT. I REMEMBER IN ONE COUNTRYSIDE ISSUE, IT SAID THAT YOU COULD TAKE SPURS OFF WITH A HOT POTATO. IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, YOU HEATED A POTATO IN THE OVEN (MUCH LIKE COOKING ONE FOR DINNER) AND ONCE IT WAS GOOD AND HOT, YOU PUT THE POTATO OVER THE SPUR FOR SEVERAL MINUTES (HOW YOU KEEP A ROOSTER HAPPY FOR THAT LONG, I DON'T KNOW!) AND THEN REPEAT ON THE OTHER SPUR. I BELIEVE IN TIME THE SPURS THEN JUST FELL OFF, NEVER TO REGROW. I DON'T THINK THE ROOSTER WAS TO FEEL ANY PAIN SINCE THE SPUR IS LIKE OUR TOENAIL. I'VE NEVER HAD ANY NEED TO TRY THIS, BUT PERHAPS YOU MAY WANT TO.

-- MICHAEL SMITH (KIRKLBB@PENN.COM), November 07, 1999.

We also have had roosters that don't bother anyone with the spurs and then we got Buster. Hes a huge cross between a california white and we think a Rhode Island Red. Gentle as a lamb before breeding age and then got really mean. He jumped at my son and actually broke one of the spurs off about 1/2 way down. He bled like crazy, but it stopped on its own. I also asked my vet about removing them and he told me he never had but could do it for about 125.00. Needless to say Buster still has a spur and 1/2. We have to take a shovel in with us to feed and collect eggs or he'll do a back attack. I have seen metal covers you can use in some of the magazines, but we would prefer not to have to catch this bugger.

-- Mark & Melanie Prows (prowspnygirl@aol.com), January 30, 2000.

Thanks everybody! Bright Eyes has since broken both spurs off somehow, and doesn't seem to be any the worse for it. I don't know if I would want to try breaking them off him myself, or if there was much bleeding. The spurs are beginning to grow back, though, so it would seem to be only a temporary solution anyway.

-- Jean (j_bondiett@hotmail.com), February 03, 2000.

What a hoot! I have just about laughed myself silly reading about all these vicious roosters, and have an image of them with electrical gizmos screwed onto their spurs, as well as one escaping with a hot potato stuck onto one leg! Our one remaining rooster doesn't have long spurs YET....but the 5 hens we have left have no feathers left on thier backs because we left the young roosters in with them too long, and their was too much competition I guess. Anyway, I too was worried about what would happen when the rooster gets to feeling his oats...make that scratch, or whatever, and whether it would cut up the hens backs where the feathers haven't grown back. Maybe I will make them some little coats out of used jeans...YEAH! Wouldn't that look classy with the rooster and his electrical gizmos? If someone tries some of these remedies, let us know what works and what doesn't! Jan

-- Jan Bullock (Janice12@aol.com), February 06, 2000.

I was spurred two summers ago and spent a full week in the hospital! The gave me shots for 2 weeks but I am allergic to anything that would really help so when my leg got the size of a cannonball watermellon, into the hospital and onto IV. The Dr. called in an infectious disease guy because as he told me"Everyone else who got spurred this year is well already"! Husband shot the roosters. Now when we need new layers we go to the auction or a neighbor. I know this is late in coming, but just wanted you to know that if anybody tells you nothing will happen, just send it on over to me cause if anything weird strange and unusal is going to happen you know who will get it!

-- Susie*Ks (goodartfarm@msn.com), April 29, 2000.

I thought I should add that in some localities it can be illegal to remove spurs from a rooster. The creeps that get their jollies from setting one animal on another in a fight to the death remove the spurs from their fighting cocks and fasten on special metal spurs for the actual fights. The presumption is that that is why you de-spurred your rooster. If it helps the authorities even slap the hands of people who set such fights, I can live with roosters with spurs. If you are really having problems with a rooster, better to make him into soup. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), May 03, 2000.

I'm sorry I didn't get the name , but to the woman whos child was attacked by the rooster .PLEASE destroy him , if he attacked once he will again . I would not want the child getting caught in the face with a spur and losing an eye .Do whatever you have to but get rid of him .

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@slic.com), May 03, 2000.

We had a rooster that attacked people once and it met the soup pot pretty quick. I have a special toe nail clipper for small dogs that I trim the end off the spur. the rooster have these to fight with and can cause considerable damage to one another. I started despurring after some of our roosters were fighting and one got killed.

-- kirk schofield (kirkman13@hotmail.com), December 13, 2000.

It would be nice if we could all keep our roosters in their "natural" state, but that isn't always a wise thing to do. If any rooster attacks people, especially a child, either get rid of it or remove the spurs. We have three roosters, one with sharp spurs we are going to remove. He is a Top Hat and has trouble seeing, so will jump at people if they have on baggy pants. There is a site that gives great information and tells how to correctly remove spurs. Visit the Palm Beach Pooultry Fanciers Assoc. The best thing to do is to get a raising poultry book to understand your chickens and roosters. One thing my book kept repeating, is if you have a truly aggressive/mean rooster, get rid of it before it hurts someone!! Don't forget your county extension office as well, they can answer all sorts of questions about diseases in the area, where to go for help and also who may raise chickens in the area. We have 3 roosters and 25 hens, all were raised by hand and are very tame.

-- Quinn (quinnofhearts@yahoo.com), March 14, 2001.