Supplies:
1. Heavy straight blade shears – short blade long handles.
2. Light curved blade shears - short blade long handles.
3. Towel 2 (bath size) or more if needed – for stag control and clean place for tools.
4. Alcohol or Betadine - disinfectant.
5. Running warm water – clean-up.
6. Cotton balls – to use to disinfect surgical area.
7. Paper towels – to clean up blood.
8. Surgical gloves - to prevent any zooanotic diseases. (diseases transmittable to humans)
Set the stags out on fresh grass for about a week before dubbing. Grass, as well as most all green leafy plants, are high in vitamin K which is natural blood clotter. Coop the stags two days before dubbing and hold their water and feed only grass and boiled rice for these two days. (Pick up some vitamin K at Walmart or somewhere and add to boiled rice).
Note: It's always good to have someone hold the stag for you as you dub. Stretch the legs of the stag out behind him and wrap him up in the towel snugly. This will prevent him from kicking around when you dub him.
Gently clean all parts to be dubbed with a clean cotton ball with disinfectant (Alcohol or Betadine). Don’t use a disinfectant after you start dubbing as the disinfectant destroys tissue and retards healing. Have your assistant hold your stag’s comb to start. Begin dubbing with the wattles and ears.
Reason?
Holding the comb is the best way to keep the stag’s head still while dubbing. Start with the ears using the curved shears. (Straight shears will work for this.)
Pinch and roll the ear lobe between your thumb and fingers to adjust the amount of lobe you want to trim off.
Note: While closely trimmed stags look good, too close of a trim may restrict airflow. The earlobe is often connected to the wattle, thus when it heals it will tighten up the skin around the stag's throat.
After pinching what you want to take off, start the cut from the bottom of the earlobe going up. The reason for this is simple, so you can see what you are doing without your hand being in your line of sight. Use the hackles as a guide for the cut, cutting right up to the edge of where the hackles start. If the stag is a bleeder, wipe the wound as you go with a clean, NEW paper towel.
REMEMBER: You don't have to make the trim in a single cut. Take your time and watch what you're doing. This is not a race if you don’t have time, don’t do it now!
Next come the wattles. Pea-combed fowl are easier to trim. Their wattles usually grow in a straight line. Simply take hold of the bottom and snip along the base of the wattle. (Using curved shears makes this easier) Straight combed, large wattle fowl are different. Their wattles often grow in a "U" shape or crescent shape at the base. Once again, screwing up here may cause air intake restriction. For this type of wattle, you may have to make three cuts.
The first cut will remove the bulk of the wattle itself. The following will cut off the front and the back. Lift up the wattle. You will see a small feathered patch of skin between the wattles. This is your guide. Cut along the feathered edge.
BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO CUT INTO THIS FEATHERED STRIP!!!
From the bottom, it will look like your job is done, but from the side, it will look like you only cut off the very bottom of the wattle. Start the next cut from either the base of where the earlobe was, or the base of the lower beak. Trim off all "unfeathered" skin. Remember, if he's a bleeder, wipe constantly, so you can see what you're doing. In the case of the crescent wattles, the wound will look really big. Don't panic, the skin will close in about a day. You're almost there!
Now for the comb. Start at the base of the comb, starting from the back of the head to the beak. This is the only time you use straight shears. Start the cut by "snipping" the base of the comb, just to get the cut going. The base is the toughest to get through, so a small "bite" here is best. After starting the cut, aim the blade to the top of the beak. Any higher and the stag will look like a rhino. Pea combs are a snap. The skin is usually thin and easy to get through. Straight combs are the worst.
The base of the comb is usually very thick. That's why you need to get into the habit of taking the small "bite" first. By small "bite" this means use the first 1/4 inch or so of the scissors to just start the cut. Leverage is now on your side, making the initial cut a snap. Take as many "bites" as needed to remove the comb. It shouldn't take more than three.
After the comb is off, pluck one of the "cotton ball" feathers at the base of his tail and stick it on the wound. This will soak up the blood and help him clot faster. Use the thick feathers at the base of his tail or the ones on his thigh NOT hackle feathers. That's it, you're done.
Now clean all your tools with warm running water first; wipe them down with the alcohol, wipe them dry and you're ready for the next stag. DO not cross contaminate from one stag to the other. There are no time limits on this. Take your time and do it right!
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