[aaronsundin]

Hi everyone ,
We have four lemon millefleur sablepoot banties now 4 months old . They are in a large enclosure in one of the outbuildings but will be going outside soon . The feathers on their feet are very long and one of them looks like its having trouble walking . Is it ok to trim these feathers and if so how much do you take off ? I can imagine them getting dirty quite quickly once they're outside, especially with this wonderful summer weather we're having .
 

[Sylvia]

Sablepoots were bred for the fowl fancy and aren't equipped for mud, poor dears. You can trim the feathers as you would, say a dog's claws, up to just below the blood supply. You'll need two of you and a strong light to see just where to clip.
If you were wanting to show them you would have to keep them inside in any kind of damp weather.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

If they have difficulty walking then it would be a good idea to trim as Sylvia says but if you are letting them out in the sun to play and the ground is dry then their feet will be fine. The feathers may get a bit grubby or a little damaged when they dust bathe or scrat around but if you are not planning to show this wont matter. If they mix with other animals and get something smelly and unpleasant on their feet you can wash them.
I have Croad Langshans which have leg and toe feather and mine range happily all year but I live in a sandy area and I dont show my birds.
Triming their foot feathers will feel a little like triming your finger nails. If the scissors arn't strong or sharp enough it will pull at the root and the birds will wriggle and try to pull away. Getting someone to hold the bird while you aply a little preasure on the leg at the root of the feather will help with this. Do make sure that you dont cut too short as Sylvia says.