Author Topic: Cockerel's spurs causing damage (Read 3006 times)

Dans · « **on:** April 24, 2016, 02:14:48 am »

Hi all

We have a lovely cockerel (hybrid) with 7 girls to shower his affections on. Unfortunately he seems to have favoured our two Cream Leg Bars to the extent that one has a very fluffy back and the other seems to have lost all her feathers and is looking sore.

I've had a look online at trimming spurs but all the ones there seem a lot longer than our boy's. Is it length or sharpness of the spurs that causes damage or is it his claws?

I saw two methods online, one was trimming, would a pair of cat nail clippers do the job or do I need something more heavy duty? The second method involved a pair of pliers and didn't look pleasant at all, but I could see how it could avoid cutting them too short. Any thoughts?

I've attached a picture of our two pestered hens (it's not great - my photography is lacking!), as well as one of our boy. I've sprayed the worst affected girl with wound spray as she was looking quite pink and I was a bit panicky about pecking!

Any advice would be greatly received. I'm starting to think keeping this boy is more trouble than he is worth, but he is quite friendly so would be a shame to send him to the pot.

Dans

suziequeue · « **Reply #1 on:** April 24, 2016, 09:32:35 am »

Personally we use the pliers method. After loosening them a bit, they just come away. The cockerel doesn't react to it at all but - I agree - it's not for the faint hearted.

Once the outer shell has come off the we trim the rest back a bit and spray them with magic blue spray and let him back onto the perch. These days they take about a year to grow back and it does get easier with time. Out boys is nearly three now so knows the routine. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. We always shower him with mealworms afterwards.

nutterly_uts · « **Reply #2 on:** April 24, 2016, 11:19:31 am »

What about breeding saddles for the girls too?

Dans · « **Reply #3 on:** April 24, 2016, 11:33:08 am »

Thanks

Can they wear the saddle and free range?

I'll have another look at the pliers method, his spurs just seem so short as it is. Think he was born last year.

Dans

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #4 on:** April 24, 2016, 11:46:00 am »

I've read that the outer casing of the spurs can be softened with a soak in oil first. As he's a young bird he shouldn't be doing that much damage. Is he favouring those two and ignoring the others? If so you could try separating them out and making him take a look at the others.

Fleecewife · « **Reply #5 on:** April 24, 2016, 12:00:28 pm »

Hi Dans

I wonder if that's where the expression 'down trodden' comes from?

We had a similar situation last year when our cockerel was full of teenage excess. He chose two hens upon whom he repeatedly showered his affections - one was much worse than yours

.
I bought saddles from Flytesofancy and chose the ones with wing flaps. I phoned to check which size to get. They are made of a densely woven canvas and don't let the rain through, so yes they can wear them when running free range. The two who wore them were fine with them, although I found them fiddly to put on initially. By moulting time, one grew all her feathers back, the other still looks a bit bald in patches, but not red and raw. Porthos the cockerel has matured a bit too, and is much gentler with his ladies, who are saddleless this year. When they were on, I took them off each week to check for parasites or problems hidden under the saddles - there were none.

I frequently wonder about spur trimmimg, but we're not keen on the idea, and as the saddles have done the job I think we'll leave it at that

suziequeue · « **Reply #6 on:** April 24, 2016, 06:01:59 pm »

Agree. Saddles are good too. Ours free range and last year we left them on some the younger ones for most of the summer. Good You a Tube vids on how to size and fit them. Very straightforward.

Eve · « **Reply #7 on:** April 24, 2016, 08:47:32 pm »

We us saddles too after a hen lost a big flap of skin once

They look too small but it's deceiving as they do fit.

Dans · « **Reply #8 on:** April 26, 2016, 11:52:23 pm »

Seems like saddles are the way to go.

It may well be the root of the term downtrodden. She seems in good spirits but she does look quite a state, especially as she now has a purple back (I got a little worried about pecking).

It is quite possible he is just being over zealous. He's young and does seem to have favoured this hen in particular, she is next to him on the perch each night.

Hubby is now thinking about if we actually need a cockerel as he is currently seeming more hassle than he is worth but I guess that is another thread!

Dans