Hen with spurs

[MoodyChicken]

All hens have spurs, they just don't usually develop. At the "heel" you'll see a rounded scale that is slightly bulbous, that's the hen spur. I had an EE that had some monster spurs though. She needed to be trimmed on a regular basis. It's a genetic trait, not sure if it's dominant or recessive, but it's not super common. Never rely on spurs as a way to identify sex.

 

[HiDelight]

about feet and spurs

I am so new at this and just got four more hens to add to my laying flock

we did not notice when I got them and that is my fault because the guy sold us a wonderful group of young hens when we went back we just pointed and chose from what he had left

one of the Ameracauna's we picked up has big ugly old looking feet and two spurs one is really long the other is short short (if I can I will take a picture of her and post it so you can see but she is so busy it will be hard! )

I just wonder if I got an older hen this time? ..all the other hens have pretty feet this one has logs and spurs actually two of them have big older looking feet but the one has the spurs ....she is a a very beautiful chicken otherwise her feathers are glossy and she is quite active and a nice bird..but she has not so much as visited the nest box

I just hope she is not an old hen ..I did email the guy who sold them to me for some advice on this ..he is a great guy and would never (I believe) intentionally sell me an old chicken ..but he has a lot of them and has done some trading so maybe a couple of older ones slipped in the mix and he missed it too ?

I know she is a hen but can you tell me about these giant spurs and those feet? I am kind of bummed ..they do not look diseased or anything more like tree trunks! they seem very healthy!

I just hope they are not old old that would be a drag

 

[Matt A NC]

Quote:
If the scales on the feet are lifting up and enlarged, it may just be a case of scaley mites. A few days of coating the feet and legs with vaseline normally smuthers them out and helps the scales sotften and heal back to normal.

Matt

 

[chandler]

You say you have a hen with spurs, well my wife let me know that one of our roosters lays eggs. Yep, this rooster, or whatever it is, crows every morning with the most beautiful “cock-a-doodle-do” you have ever heard. It has nice spurs and the comb and wattles and the hole 9 yards. But it also lays the nicest white eggs of the bunch. It’s an Old English, and it just laid an egg this morning and then jumped up on the top limb and just “cock-a-doodle-do” like it does every morning. Any body else have a rooster that lays eggs? Please tell me I’m not loosing my mind and this is normal to have one of these rooster/hens! Have a nice day!

 

[Tanichca]

My Phoenix hen had short spurs.

 

[Karrie13]

I just noticed tonight that I have an EE hen that has spurs. The thing is she doesn't lay eggs, squawk, or crow! I think I have seen fertile eggs but then I think there is NO WAY because I do not have any roosters. But now I am not so sure. This chicken will be a year old in May and I flipped it over and felt the pelvic bones to make sure she wasn't laying and there is no way, barly a finger tip apart. So I just wonder now if she is a she or if she is a he or maybe an it?

 

[newchickengirl]

Well Im still fairly new to the owning chickens thing but I will say that I read somewhere that some hens do crow. It is unusual but has happened. About the spurs on hens I have found this to happen to Me with only game hens meaning Kelsos, grays, etc. Ive heard that this trait means that these hens are VERY good mothers and usually throw the best chicks. Ive got a mixed flock that free ranges and none of those hens have spurs but My other hens/roosters(game) are seperated for the time being and all of those ladies have spurs or they are growing spurs. I would say that if a non-game hen has spurs that somewhere in her history there was a little game mixed in her breeding. I suppose its not a bad trait in non game hens but Im sure that it means that there not as pure as one would think. If you check the history on some of these breeds NONE of the hens had spurs.

 

[95yj]

one of my OEGB hens hens or pullets is begining to develop spurs i believe, i noticed it yesterday when i was packing up and heading home from a show so i didn't look all that closely, i'm not even sure if she was mine. here, you might find this interesting
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/BRKChange.html i know i'v seen better documented articles and cases relating to specific golden pheasants but i can't recall where...

 

[maine chicks]

I just noticed on of my year and a half old grey barred rocks has grown spurs. The only males I have are guinea cocks. Suppose she developed these as a defense method?? She still lays eggs almost everyday.

 

[Mahonri]

I've seen game hens with long sharp spurs.