slip and pitch Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 I read a thread on here about ex batts and whether they've had their wings and nails clipped. My hens aren't ex batts and have had their wings done but do I need to do anything about their nails? They get quite a lot of time free in the garden,to scratch around. Will that keep the length down enough? One of my hens is a Maran Coucou with feathery legs,who doesn't do very much scratching. She doesn't seem bothered by her nails but I can't help but think they look a little long. (I'm new to all this and only have the other two to compare her with) Maybe they just appear longer as she's a big 'ol girl! Any advice will be greatly appreciated,thanks x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 If they scratch around outside, then that will be enough to keep their nails down. Generally speaking their nails will be clipped when they are rescued - they will have been living on wire mesh and don't have anywhere to scratch, so their nails will be long and curly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slip and pitch Posted March 13, 2008 Author Share Posted March 13, 2008 Thats great,thanks very much. They do seem a bit long but they're certainly not long and curly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 I wouldn't worry - some of my girls' claws look longer than others, but on inspection, the end of the nail is very close to the quick. If they are grubbing around, they will wear them down without any problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...