Single hen

[MedusA]

We noticed yesterday that Muggle had a mudball on her foot. We bathed it off with warm water and then noticed one or two of her claws on that foot seemed quite long, so thought we'd have a go at clipping them using the rabbit's nail clippers.

 

The first one went fine, but I obviously cut the second one too short and it bled like crazy.

 

Poor Muggle. I held her for ages with a bit of kitchen paper soaked in tea tree oil pressed against it. I thought it wise not to let her walk around in the mud in case we risked introducing infection, so she spent the night in a box in the utility. Fortunately it was getting dusk so she was getting ready to roost anyway. Hopefully I can just put her out, with the other girls, as usual this morning.

 

Anyhow, as I've never seen a thread on here about it before, just thought I'd ask.....do chickens ever need their nails clipping, or were we wrong to do so?

[Egluntyne]

Usually if the free range, they wear down sufficiently.

 

Ex-batts often have to have their claws clipped on release because they haven't had the chance to wear them down.

 

I have never bothered to give my girls manicures.

 

I remember cutting a guinea pigs nail too short once and the poor thing nearly exsanguinated in my hands.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Don't know about chickens, but I still feel guilty (14 years later ) that I cut YS's nails a few days after he was born and one bled a little . He was 10 days overdue and his nails were really long and I was worried that he'd scratch himself .

[Snowy]

There's a good article in this months Practical Poultry mag about trimming nails! It doesn't need doing often as they scratch about so much.

[chickenanne]

One of ours managed to tear her entire claw off - no idea how - and I know exactly what you mean about the blood - she was reasonably happy, we were the ones who were stressed and upset, blood EVERYWHERE. She seemed to loose GALLONS of blood.

We just bathed it in salty water and antiseptic, there's not much you can do, really. We went so far as calling the vet, but she said best thing is jsut to leave it well alone. The hen (Pertelote) was a bit wary and careful for a few days, but it's now growing back well, so don't worry.

[stoice]

My mums ex-batt, Alice, needed a pedicure 5 months after she'd had them done when rescued. We have now noticed that she's flat footed! (If that's possible) She walks with all her weight on the palm part of her foot so her toenails hardly ever touch the floor. We put this down to having to stand in her wire cage in the battery farm. Poor girl. Perfectly happy now though. We just looked at the length of our non ex-batts toe nails then allowed a few mm more just in case.

[bronze]

Its amazing how blood can just look so much when in fact it was probably hardly anything.

[Angels4]

I just saw this on the television last night. It's for dogs and cats, but I bet it would work for chickens. It is an electrical nail file and instead of cutting the nails you use it to file them down. Supposedly much more comfortable than cutting the nail.

 

www.peticure-grooming.com

[MedusA]

Thanks for all the replies and advice guys. She's right as rain this morning and back muggling around with all the other girls.

 

I've never had this problem with any of my other hens. Muggle does free-range, but admittedly isn't much of a scratcher, more a waddler. Maybe that's because she is flat-footed too? I'll have to watch her gait more closely to analyse it.

 

I like the idea of the electric nail file. "Muggle goes to the Beauty Parlour".

[cathybc]

I cut one of my bunny's nails too short once

 

I rang the vet in a panic as there was lots of blood; she said that it should stop on its own, try to keep the animal calm as struggling/stress can make the bleeding continue for longer - and suggested dipping the affected paw in flour (!?!?)

[Guest]

I cut one of my bunny's nails too short once

 

I rang the vet in a panic as there was lots of blood; she said that it should stop on its own, try to keep the animal calm as struggling/stress can make the bleeding continue for longer - and suggested dipping the affected paw in flour (!?!?)

 

that's right, cornflour is best, failing that cotton wool. all birds' talons/claws have veins in so you need to be very careful when trimming them.

 

A piece of slate in the run would act as a sort of nail file, seems to work for our girls. They kept digging a hole in the same corner of the run and said hole would soon fill up with dirty water and they would drink from it (dirty girls!). Filling it up with aubiose made no difference so in the end, DH filled it in and put a piece of slate over it. They still try and dig there but all they achieve now is a nice manicure!

 

don't feel guulty, there's many a slip twixt cup and lip....

 

glad you're both okay