Campine Pullet that has spurs growing (?)

[krzy4chick-chicks]

Hi, I am new to the backyardchickens forum and I have a question that some of you much more experienced chicken owners may be able to help me with. I just bought two Campine pullets, about 7 months old. One is silver and is for sure a female, the other one is a golden and has a bit larger comb and wattle and has some spur growth. I was told by the lady I got them from that it is definitely a female because it doesn't have the hackle feathers. Could someone out there please explain to me about hackle feathers and also, do females sometimes have spur growth? Any help with this would be much appreciated. I could provide photos here if that would help. Thank you very much.

 

[arlee453]

Photos will definately help.

Here's a website where you can find pictures of males and females of all breeds that you can compare your chickens to:

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Camp/BRKCampine.html

Also, female chickens DO grow spurs, though not as large over time as the roosters, generally.

Hackle and saddle feathers in roosters are very point feathers that grow on the neck and down by the tail. In hens these feathers are rounded. Long pointy saddle feathers hanging down just in front of where the tail starts are a sign of rooster-ism.

Hope this helps - post pics and I'm sure you can get some definative answers.

 

[jossanne]

Campine roosters can be hen-feathered, which means his hackle and saddle feathers would look the same as a hen's - no pointy feathers at the base of his tail or around the base of his neck.

 

[Chez Poulet]

My golden campines all have small spurs growing and my more dominant female's are larger than what the others have. They are just large pointy bumps, no horny growth coming out of them.

I love my GC's. They are so sweet and love to cuddle in my lap. No one picks on them and you can see that I have birds larger than them. My dominant GC is queen of the whole flock of 16. The BSL's don't even mess with them.

 

[NYREDS]

It's not that Campine males CAN be hen feathered it's that they MUST be hen feathered. It's a defining breed characteristic.
While it's not uncommon for hens to develop spurs in their later life it's unlikely that a 7 month old pullet would. I suspect you have a Golden Campine cockerel.

 

[Chez Poulet]

Unless they're laying eggs and squawking like a hen!

 

[fancyfowl4ever]

Quote:
That depends upon the source tho and only few lines in the US are hen-feathered, in the US it acctually is a disqualification according to feathersite.

 

[Chez Poulet]

Since we're on the subject of campines, one of them laid a 2.2 ounce egg today! Normally they're only about 1.5 to 1.7 ounces. These girls are only 6 1/2 months old.

Anyone else get an occasional huge egg like that?

 

[krzy4chick-chicks]

Thank you all for your input!! Turns out I was worried for nothing, she is a hen, Rita, and is a wonderful layer of nice small whiteish eggs. I do have a silver Campine and she has no spur growth at all. -Kim