Hen with spurs

[lilshadow]

Hello everyone, I hope that everyone is doing great today. I thought that only roosters could have spurs, I thought I had 17 hens and 1 rooster, but then I looked and saw 2 others with spurs so I have been calling them roosters. Then I was told last night by a friend that hens can have spurs. I am so confused here. So can they or can't they have spurs? Thanks

 

[Matt A NC]

It is not very common, but hens can have spurs. I have a game/EE cross with 1.5 inch spurs. She is a very good layer.

There is a breed that it is common for the hens to have spurs. I can't remember it right now, but that breed also has multispurred Roosters.

Matt
Morganton, NC

 

[rooster-red]

I have a RIR hen that has spurs.

One is about a 1/2" long and the other is about 1/4" long.

She is my best laying hen.

 

[lilshadow]

Thanks that is good to know...because they sure weren't acting like roosters, they are acting more like hens.

 

[roosters97]

mine does

 

[Frogtown]

I have a good book on chicken breeds. In this book it show several pictures of hens with spurs: Iwoa Blue, Dorking, Blue hen of Delaware, and Lakenvelder, just to name a few.

 

[verthandi]

Both of my three year old Polish hens have spurs...pretty long ones to boot. I will actually remove them when I do the rooster this spring.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Obelisk has grown one...she's an older Leghorn hen...she'll be 5 at the end of May.
Slifer, my hermaphrodite Brahma/Leghorn hen had spurs that were almost 2 inches long.
I think it's a game breed where the hens have spurs too.

 

[Blisschick]

A couple of my older EE's have them. They're not very big...just sort of little spike things poking out.

 

[hencackle]

My 4 year-old EE/SLW cross hen has 1 spur and she still lays from time to time. Neither her mama nor her sister has spurs.