How to safely trim your chicken's toenails. Watch our featured video: Clipping chicken toenails, get a few helpful tips, and get the best buys on pet toenail clippers. Free range outdoor chickens do not usually need a pedicure because they trim their nails by scratching around in the dirt, but sometimes you may notice extra long toenails or rough scaly looking feet or legs. If they are looking bad you should consider giving them a pedicure to keep their feet and legs in good shape and to keep your birds healthy. If you have an indoor chicken a pedicure is a must. For a basic chicken legs and toes pedicure you will need to:
Soak the birds feet
Look for the quick in the toenails
Trim toenails above the quick
File toenails to a point
Apply antifungal foot cream, olive oil or vitamin E
Soak the birds feet
Look for the quick in the toenails
Trim toenails above the quick
File toenails to a point
Apply antifungal foot cream, olive oil or vitamin E
You should bathe your chicken before giving them a pedicure or at least soak their feet for ten or fifteen minutes in warm sudsy water (I use Dawn original dish soap for chicken foot soaking). I like to bathe my chickens and give them a good permethrin dip before I give them their pedicure for several reasons. First and foremost by bathing them and treating them for parasites I am less likely to get parasites on me or my clothing that can be transferred to other chickens in my other coops, while doing their feet. (I like to wear a light raincoat and plastic shower cap while grooming my chickens) and the second reason is because I don't like the thought that a chicken parasite may get on me. Washing and soaking your birds feet will help to soften the toenails and make it easier to see the "quick" line and easier to cut.
What you will need:
Toenail clippers-You will need a good pair of pet toenail clippers or you can use a clean pair of wire cutters (I use both).
Emory board or File-a fat emory board or nail file is best to shape and file the nails to a smooth edge after clipping.
Stiff Brush-You will also need an old toothbrush or other type brush with fairly stiff bristles to clean dirt between the scales on the birds feet and legs.
Conditioning oil-After you have washed your birds feet, clipped their toenails and filed them you will need to condition their feet and legs. I like to use either coconut oil, vitamin E oil or olive oil. However, if the bird shows signs of scaly leg mites or bumblefoot, I use a good antifungal cream (the same kind people use for their feet).
Toenail clippers-You will need a good pair of pet toenail clippers or you can use a clean pair of wire cutters (I use both).
Emory board or File-a fat emory board or nail file is best to shape and file the nails to a smooth edge after clipping.
Stiff Brush-You will also need an old toothbrush or other type brush with fairly stiff bristles to clean dirt between the scales on the birds feet and legs.
Conditioning oil-After you have washed your birds feet, clipped their toenails and filed them you will need to condition their feet and legs. I like to use either coconut oil, vitamin E oil or olive oil. However, if the bird shows signs of scaly leg mites or bumblefoot, I use a good antifungal cream (the same kind people use for their feet).
You need to become familiar with your chickens feet before you start and after you wash them. Notice how they move and in what direction, look for brown or black scabs on the bottom of their feet, see if some or all of the scales are laying down or if some have raised up. If they are raised up your chicken has scaly leg mites (Click here to see how to get rid of them).
Check to see where the quick of the toenail is:Look at the toenails and see where the quick of the nail is (you may need to hold the foot over a bright light to do this-I use my egg candler to do this but you can use a lightbulb from a lamp or a flashlight if you want to). I use a knife or a sharp nail to scratch a line on the top of the toenail above the quick of the nail so that I do not accidently cut the quick (Keep some flour or fresh dirt or bleed stop, or cornstarch close by just in case you do cut the quick-this will help stop the bleeding). You will be able to recognize the quick of the nail as it will appear as a dark line in the middle of the nail, that goes only part way up the toenail.
Check to see where the quick of the toenail is:Look at the toenails and see where the quick of the nail is (you may need to hold the foot over a bright light to do this-I use my egg candler to do this but you can use a lightbulb from a lamp or a flashlight if you want to). I use a knife or a sharp nail to scratch a line on the top of the toenail above the quick of the nail so that I do not accidently cut the quick (Keep some flour or fresh dirt or bleed stop, or cornstarch close by just in case you do cut the quick-this will help stop the bleeding). You will be able to recognize the quick of the nail as it will appear as a dark line in the middle of the nail, that goes only part way up the toenail.
How to hold your chicken when clipping their toenails
When clipping your chickens toenails you need to make sure you have a good hold on them or have someone else hold them for you. When doing it by myself I like to wrap the bird in a towel like a cinnamon roll with it's head sticking out one end and toes sticking out the other end. Then I sit the bird on my lap with their legs sticking out of the bottom of towel in front of me and clip their toenails. I have found that using a toenail clipper for dog toenails works perfectly for this task.(I have also used a pair of sterilized wire cutters which works particularly well on really thick toenails and for removing spurs too).
How I clip my chicken's toenails
It is very important to look at the toenails under bright light so you can make sure that you do not cut into the quick of the nail as this will cause profuse bleeding. If you do nick the quick of the nail you will need to stop the bleeding quickly. The easiest way to do that is to put corn starch on it. After clipping all of the toenails, I use a large emery board used for filing human finger nails and file off any sharp edges and ridges in the nail. I file it into it's natural shape leaving a point on the end. Outdoor free range chickens will naturally file their nails while scratching the dirt for insects and to take their dirt baths. I like to apply a light coating of vitamin E on the toe nails to help condition them. After clipping, trimming, and filing the toenails, I like to soak the bird's feet in warm water with a 1/4 cup of Apple cider vinegar then put them in a pet carrier with a chicken diaper on my bird and wait for their feet to dry naturally. Once their feet are dry, I warm some olive oil and massage it into their feet then put them back in the pet carrier overnight before releasing the bird back to the flock.
What I do if I notice signs of fungal infection: If I notice any signs of fungal infections like darkness under the scales that doesn't come out with soaking and brushing, I like to use plain yogurt with no additives to give them a special treatment and to get rid of any fungus. I simply rub the yogurt into their feet and legs and allow it to dry overnight. The next day I scrub it off and apply antifungal cream.
What I do if I notice signs of fungal infection: If I notice any signs of fungal infections like darkness under the scales that doesn't come out with soaking and brushing, I like to use plain yogurt with no additives to give them a special treatment and to get rid of any fungus. I simply rub the yogurt into their feet and legs and allow it to dry overnight. The next day I scrub it off and apply antifungal cream.
References: Lockhart, Twain. (Nov.21, 2014). Clipping chickens toenails. Nutrena. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3YAJKZpgOU
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