Farm Rooster Spurs need 'pruning'. Any of you done this before?

[BigFootsCousin]

I have a 2 year old 'Red Ranger' that is just absolutely slicing the hell out of my hens. He's really tearing them up. I just want to shoot him with the shotgun, my wife wants me to "butcher him". He's 2 years old and nasty, I don't want to eat him. I'm sick of him........

I googled "Hot potato" method, plier twist-off method, and a few others. What methods do you guys use to 'de-spur' your roosters, with minimal blood loss and trauma/pain to the bird?

This oughta be a good discussion! Anyone have videos of your methods?

BFC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moan3gXkSiw

 

[FireDance]

Well. Judging by the comments on this thread you have no other choice but to eat him. I would call a vet and see if he/she has recommendations. And of course YouTube can be your friend. If I called a vet I would look for someone who works with birds (exotics) or some old country vet who has seen everything.

Man. What a choice.

 

[naturallysweet]

You can put aprons on your ladies.

Or just cook him slowly in a croc pot and use him for soup and broth.

 

[LC]

Well, I have used pruning shears. If I cut too far and get a bit of blood then I apply some THICK black tar and they seem to recover just fine. It is really just like cutting toe nails.

 

[BigFootsCousin]

Well, I have used pruning shears. If I cut too far and get a bit of blood then I apply some THICK black tar and they seem to recover just fine. It is really just like cutting toe nails.

That's what I originally thought of doing, except using some heavy duty bolt cutters to lop those suckers off. Question: How 'close' do you get to the leg when you cut the spurs? I have a bottle of blood stopper from the vet, and I can if needed cauterize a bleeder, but I'd rather just do something 'easy', rather than complicate things.

BFC

 

[summerthyme]

First, are you sure it's the spurs doing the damage? I've got two mature roos with LARGE spurs, and I don't have any injured hens. (naked hens, yes... but no skin damage)

My turkey tom was ripping up his hens so badly that I trimmed his toenails and put aprons on them. But what really solved the problem was putting them out to pasture, where (to be a bit coarse) he had more to think about than screwing 24/7! No spurs on that turkey tom, BTW.

Summerthyme

 

[Night Owl]

Your hens will produce more without the stress of a rooster around, if you buy new chicks instead of producing your own I wouldn't have one around ....I killed mine the moment they crowed, then they are edible, 2 yrs old is pretty tough, even when you crockpot it.....not worth the cleaning it unless your short of food. Maybe good if you add green chills and shed for tacos. Green chili make mountain lion even tasty.

In Molokai, the farmers, sharpen the nails of roosters for cock fighting......hulihuli chicken is the results of the losers. Marinated with lots of soy sauce, sugar, beer & vinegar.

 

[ShadowMan]

Don't know if this is any help. But I've heard of folks just putting twist on wire connectors on the spurs with good results and no surgery necessary. I have no idea how well this works and have not actually done it. So word to the wise.

 

[Broken Arrow]

I just take a hack saw to them. I leave about a half inch length, and didn't have any problem with bleeding.

 

[Old Gray Mare]

I've used the goat's hoof nippers and take a little more than the point off. Spurs are like finger nails if it is cut too close to the quick it will bleed. If it dose bleed a little then my standard procedure is to clean the wound and put the bird alone in a cage with clean straw, food and water for a day or two. Our birds usually stop bleeding quickly as long as they are isolated from the rest of the flock. Chickens have a nasty habit of pecking injured birds especially those with open fresh wounds.

 

[Freeholder]

I just take pliers, grab hold of the spur at the base, twist, and pull off the horn casing. It's easy and I've never had more than a drop of blood from the procedure. You have to re-do it every year, as they do grow back (it's like toenails, only in a horn shape covering the actual spur).

Is the rooster taking care of the hens? Does he scratch around and call them to food? Is he mean to people? I've had some really good roosters that watched over and cared for the hens, and I like to keep those around, even if they start getting a little aggressive with me (I don't have any small children around most of the time, though).

If you do decide to butcher him, he'd make a good base for chicken broth. Just bone the meat when it's cooked and run it through a meat grinder (food processor might work if you don't have a grinder).

Kathleen

 

[Chicken Mama]

If you hate him and wont need him (really, who needs a rooster?) but wont dispatch him.....Trim the spurs!
http://www.softpaws.net



Then glue on the soft paws. They come in several sizes. But really....dispatch him.

 

[West]

Didn't see it posted..... Pull the cocks head off. Or cut it off with a knif/axe if your kinda weak, .... Skin the cock completely after removing the feet and wing tips/head. then gut it and remove all guts- gizzards etc, wash it... Quarter it... then DE- bone it into strips.. wash again...then soak in milk or butter milk for half the day, working the milk into the meat every hour or so..... Heat up frying pan...get 1/2 ince or less of real butter melted and ready to deep fry in old cast iron skillet........ take strips out of milk. Roll in flower and your favorite spices.... then fry the strips (1/2 inch in thickness+-) for about a minute or two on both sides, flour should be golden to dark brown....

The above works great for all kinds of good meat...Snake, frog, etc.....in fact harvest a few snakes and frogs when you do the old cock....NO ONE WILL KNOW...just tell them it's chicken...