Trimming a chicken’s beak, toenails or spurs can be intimidating. It probably wouldn’t be so bad if they could tell us when something hurts, but since they can’t, we tend to be a little reluctant to do the trimming for fear we might cause some pain or discomfort. A chicken’s beak, and toe nails, and a rooster’s spurs are all made out of keratin, a fibrous protein structure. That is the same thing that our hair and fingernails are made of and we know that cutting our nails doesn’t hurt, unless we get too close! And just as our hair and nails continue to grow, so does a chicken’s. Hopefully, through most of a chicken’s daily activities, they wear their nails and beak down naturally and don’t require any intervention. A chicken’s scratching in the dirt, looking for bugs and seeds, help to wear down their nails. You might have noticed a chicken wiping their beak on the ground as if to clean some dirt off. This act will file down a beak and keep it in check. A rooster’s spurs on the other hand grow out the side of the leg and are sharp, pointed and often used in disputes with other roosters. They do not touch the ground and so it is harder to keep them filed down. Spurs can grow to be quite long and get to the point where they interfere with walking, or injure a hen when mating. That’s when it’s time to intervene.
When you look closely at an overgrown nail, beak or spur, you will notice that the end looks almost opaque. There are no nerves or blood supply in the ends, so trimming does not hurt the bird. It is the same as trimming your own finger nails. As you get closer to the base of the nail or spur, you will notice the existence of a blood supply. This is called the quick. If the nail or spur is cut down into the quick, it will bleed and be painful, just as if you cut your nail too far down. When trimming nails, spurs and beaks, it is best NOT to trim to drastically the first time. Trim a little, repeatedly over time. The quick will recede as you trim, and it will be easier on your bird.
To effectively complete this task, you will need a few tools: 1) a sharp pair of dog toenail trimmers or snips, 2) a nail file, 3) some form of blood clotting agent. I use cornstarch, but you could use a styptic powder.
You know that it is time to trim your chicken’s nails when they begin to curl, or cause problems with walking. When trimming, it’s a good idea to clean off the nail. I use an alcohol wipe, which will help discourage infection if I accidentally hit the quick. Cleaning off the dirt will help to make it easier to spot where the quick starts, which looks like a dark shadow underneath the sheath of the nail. If the nail is really overgrown, you might want to soak the foot for a few minutes to soften the nail a bit before trimming. This will help to keep the nail from splitting. Using sharp trimmers will also help to reduce possible nail splitting. Tuck the bird securely in your arms, extend the foot, position trimmers between the quick and the end of the nail and cut quickly. File any rough edges with a nail file. If the nails are long, you may need to trim a little every few days until the optimum nail length is achieved. If you cut the quick and bleeding occurs, apply some cornstarch or other clotting agent. If there is a lot of bleeding, apply pressure for a few minutes until it stops, then apply cornstarch.
How much should you trim off? The toenail should not curl, but should have a slight natural downward curve that allows the chicken to walk comfortably.
More often than not, it is the chicken’s top beak that will need trimming, not the bottom. Then end of the beak that needs trimming will be lighter, but it is always a good idea to look inside the mouth to see where the live tissue ends to avoid cutting too much. Simply use the nail trimmers or snips as you would on nails, or you could use a nail file to gently file the beak down. Occasionally the lower beak will need trimming. Again, look carefully inside the mouth to see where live tissue ends before cutting. I have a hen who looks like her bottom beak is overgrown. On careful inspection however, her top beak has broken giving her bottom beak the appearance of being overgrown. Use caution when trimming a beak as it can be painful if trimmed too short. Watch your chicken carefully and only trim the beak if it is impeding the bird from eating normally.
Spurs are a little thicker than toenails and can be more difficult to trim. They are more likely to split than nails and again, it is not wise to trim too drastically and risk damaging the quick. The tips can be trimmed or filed to eliminate the sharp point and reduce the hazard. First locate where the quick ends, usually a little more than halfway up the spur from the base. Position trimmers about halfway between the end of the quick and the end of the spur. Cut, then file any rough edges. There is a method for removing the spur cap, but that will expose bone and tissue, leaving it open to possible infection, bleeding and sensitivity. Only under extreme circumstances would I consider removing the spur cap.
Providing proper care for your chickens is important to their overall health and well-being, and nail trimming when necessary is a part of that care. You don’t need to be nervous about it, just take it slow and easy and recruit some help to hold the bird to make the job a little easier. Your chicken might be a reluctant participant at first, but they will be grateful when it’s over!
Source:
https://countrysidenetwork.com/daily/poultry/feed-health/trimming-chicken-beaks-claws-spurs/