Hen Growing Spur?

[tlcmurphy]

I just noticed one of my 3 year old BO hens is growing a spur on one leg. I have no idea when she grew it, but I’m certain she didn’t have it at the beginning of summer.
Is this common? Will it become a problem? She’s generally quite friendly, although molting at the moment so I can’t catch her to take a better look at it.

 

[Shadrach]

I just noticed one of my 3 year old BO hens is growing a spur on one leg. I have no idea when she grew it, but I’m certain she didn’t have it at the beginning of summer.
Is this common? Will it become a problem? She’s generally quite friendly, although molting at the moment so I can’t catch her to take a better look at it.

Lots of hens grow spurs.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Agreed many hens grow spurs.

 

[tlcmurphy]

Thanks! Am I completely unobservant, or do they grow pretty quickly?

 

[Shadrach]

Thanks! Am I completely unobservant, or do they grow pretty quickly?

Not usually any quicker than the males. Sometimes only one side reaches a serious size. Like the males, they learn to adust their gait according to spur length.

 

[tlcmurphy]

Not usually any quicker than the males. Sometimes only one side reaches a serious size. Like the males, they learn to adust their gait according to spur length.

Only have hens so this is exciting for me
I’ll try to pay closer attention!

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

All chickens have spurs, no matter their age or gender. It is just less noticeable on hens usually, since theirs typically are smaller, but grow larger with age. it is not uncommon to see hens having spurs that are very long. I have a Welsummer hen who has spurs longer than most of my rooster's.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

Will it become a problem?

No, like I mentioned above, every chicken has spurs. Their spurs are not going to prohibit them from walking or anything like that as long as you do not let them grow too long. Hens typically do not have spurs as long as a rooster's, but if it starts getting that long, and then longer than that, they need trimmed just like a rooster's spurs would (although, if your hen would most likely already have spurs that long when she grew to adulthood if hat was going to happen and you would have noticed that). Think of it like your fingernails: everyone has them, at all ages, and they are not going to prohibit you from doing anything as long as you keep them a normal length.

 

[Shadrach]

All chickens have spurs, no matter their age or gender. It is just less noticeable on hens usually, since theirs typically are smaller, but grow larger with age. it is not uncommon to see hens having spurs that are very long. I have a Welsummer hen who has spurs longer than most of my rooster's.

A bit msisleading. All chickens have the nubs and potential to grow spurs but not all do.

 

[tlcmurphy]

A bit msisleading. All chickens have the nubs and potential to grow spurs but not all do.

Correct, my other hen does not have spurs, and this one definitely only has one. A third hen I lost in April also had no spurs.