Keeping Chickens Newsletter

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Donna Jacobson : Hi. I am a new chicken owner and I have a silly question. Am I supposed to trim my little chooks nails? I have a few of the hens whose nails are getting crazy long. Also - should I take the spurs off my roosters? Thanks and I am loving the newsletter!!

My Reply : You don't have to trim their nails but if they are very long it will probably be more comfortable for them if you do (nails can be clipped like a dogs). If the backs of your hens are being shredded by the roosters spurs then you may wish to take the spurs off completely, but sometimes just clipping the point and filing can solve most of the problem.

Jennifer McLaughlin : I saw your post about frostbite and noticed that every rooster that I have has very black tips and stripes on their combs. Is it wise to trim them off?? And how do you go about putting the vaseline on. I would not want to hurt them if it's too sensitive.

My Reply : I don't think it would be wise to cut anything off yourself. In bad cases of frostbite the frostbitten parts will blacken and dry up and eventually fall off on their own. In mild cases it can clear itself up leaving little if any signs of frostbite. Gently applying a little vaseline to the comb and wattles should help reduce the chances of getting frostbite (although it is no guarantee). Moisture in the air, coupled with cold is one of the main causes of frostbite so ventilation (but no drafts) in the coop is important because sometimes it can be the moisture in their own breath that turns into frostbite.

Mary Page : I am wondering about laying crumbles and scratch. Seems like the chickens like scratch better than laying crumbles. My neighbor postulated that if the chickens eat a lot of scratch they will not lay a lot of eggs. What do you think? Should scratch be a treat or a dietary staple?

My Reply : Scratch is to chickens what sweets are to kids (or me!) and really should only be given as a treat. Layers crumbles (or pellets) are specifically formulated to aid in egg laying and so should be the main part (eg. 90%) of a chickens diet.

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