Hen with spurs

[mainechicklet]

I have seven rescued hens and two of them had spurs. (I say 'had' because my lowest in the pecking order Hamburg was tragically killed by a fox at my front door in front of us all. But she had spurs.) My second one has spurs and 5 toes and no one can figure out what breed she is.

 

[flickerloo]

I'm really glad to have found this thread. I have one hen who has recently developed spurs. I just noticed them today, and I was surprised because she is about 2 years old (I got her when she was 18 months) and didn't have them when I got her. Possibly it coincides with her starting to lay again. I just have to decide whether to leave them or remove them.

 

[chicksurreal]

A couple of our SS Hamburg pullets have pointy little nubs where spurs would eventually be, they are 23-24 weeks old right now. The cockerel has definite beginnings of spurs, much larger than the pullets, but the two pullets have these dainty little points. It's cute.

 

[mainechicklet]

Flickerloo, why would you feel the need to remove her spurs?

 

[flickerloo]

I was thinking about removing them if they were sharp, mostly for the sake of my other hens. But I picked her up the other day, and didn't seem like any problems. So I will just leave them

 

[grammaC]

My rooster's spurs are blunt, not sharp. He's about 8 months old and I'm hoping I won't have to trim the spurs. Any chance they will stay this way?

 

[Mama Kay W]

I thought it was a strange inbreed thing..........but I see it is normal (little rare but normal) my New Hampshire Red is almost 3 and her spurs are 2 1/2 inches long!

 

[chicksurreal]

I'm noticing that the older our chickens get, the more I see spurs on the pullets. Some of them have tiny little nubs and some have larger ones. I'll try to get some pictures to show what I mean. Ours are 31 weeks old now.

 

[chicksurreal]

My rooster's spurs are blunt, not sharp. He's about 8 months old and I'm hoping I won't have to trim the spurs. Any chance they will stay this way?

Our cockerel is almost 8 months old now and his spurs are still blunt. I think they keep growing until they are sharper. It does depend on breed, of course.

 

[shinn007]

I have a chicken, we thought was a rooster. It struts and grew spurs. One day I saw it lay an egg, i thought this can't be happening. Well the other day it was brooding, I scared it off the eggs it was sitting on. It went outside and proceeded to mount another hen and have sex. Later it was back sitting on eggs. Still not sure if it is male or female, but we named it - hesheit - just to be sure. It's very bizarre, don't think you are the only one. I was just goggling male/female chickens and only came up with a weird sight that has chickens that are literally half male and half female. That is not what is in my hen house
good luck