Market Farming

[Lucy Goodman-Owsley <goodows AT excite.com>]

I trim the spurs on my roosters not because of agression but because the
spurs can make it hard for them to walk/run and the spurs can cut the backs
of the hens during sex as well as making it hard for the rooster to properly
mount the hens.

I take pruners or really heavy duty toenail clippers and a file and snip off
about 1/4 inch at a time. You can usually cut off 1 " without drawing blood.
I file the ends to blunt them and to get off any splinters that might crack
the spur (kind of like trimming hooves on horses). A dog nail cutter would
work very well for spur trimming

Don't twist the spurs off unless you have a cauterizer. I haven't done this
but read that they will bleed to death pretty quickly if the would isn't
immeditly staunched and cauterization was the only reccomended method of
doing that.

It is suggested to have cockerels despured young by burning the site before
the spurs start to grow
>  
I will be trimming roosters tomorrow most likely.


Lucy Goodman-Owsley
Boulder Belt CSA
New Paris, OH
Website: http://www.angelfire.com/oh2/boulderbeltcsa
Organic Farming and Gardening Forum:
http://www.InsideTheWeb.com/mbs.cgi/mb135705
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