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Red Oak Farm
3040 Big Buck Road
Trezevant, TN 38258
owners@redoakfarm.com
Copyright © 1998 -2008
All Rights Reserved
Red Oak Farm
Revised: almost weekly
Claw Removal
This is not something that we have personal experience with, but we will share what we have been told by farmers that do remove them.
This is done when the chick is at least 12 hours old, usually as it is on it's way from the hatcher to the brooder box, however, other farmers return the chick to the hatcher for another 12 hours.
Using a cauterizing chicken debeaker, remove the two outside claws by cutting the claws off at the first knuckle just behind the claw.
Some farmers dip the toes in a powder blood stop after cauterization. Others use a 7 percent iodine for seven consecutive days to prevent infection. The chicks must be watched closely and good biosecurity used to prevent infection.
On the pro side of this practice, the birds are less likely to damage each other or you when you are handling them. The hides will not be damaged. There is no harm to the health, growth or breeding of these birds.
On the con side, well, we don't like declawing cats either. That's just us.