injured spur-like growth on the leg of my barred rock hen

[staceyffalls]

I currently have four hens. Two Rhode Island Reds and two Barred Rocks. They have been with us for a few years, and they are older. I know they are all hens.

Today we were out back dusting them for mites. My husband was hold one of my Barred Rocks, and we noticed she had spur-like growths on the back of her leg. As my husband and I were wondering why the heck our hen has a spur (the other Barred Rock does not), she started flapping and flew away from him.

When we picked her up, the spur was broken. It had a cone-like piece that was sort of hollow, growing almost like a cap over another pointed spur. The cap was broken off and dangling by a little piece. I gave it a slight pull and it came off.

She is bleeding a decent amount, and she seems to be sort of limping. I put Bacitracin (anti-biotic cream) on it. Will she heal? Is this okay? Why does she have spurs? And is it okay for spurs to break off like that?

 

[donrae]

It's not unheard of for older hens to grow spurs. sounds like it just pulled off, like folks pull roosters' spurs. Some blue-kote or similar should help keep it cleanish. she may favor the leg for a few days, but folks pull spurs off roosters all the time and they recover well.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Hens can get spurs. And more people will know the anwser to your questions on the emergencies/disease/injury and cures thread, as it is the appropiate place to post. good luck

 

[staceyffalls]

oh thanks, where am i currently posting? breed or gender? i see, i started here because i was trying figure out if it made sense for my hen to have a spur. though donrae helped. so maybe there is no need to repost.

 

[ramirezframing]

As said above, hens can grow spurs, and not just old hens. And yes chickens can "pop" off the outer shell of the spur (I have had 2 roosters do this). You can wash it in some plain water and dry it and then blu kote it or flour it or leave it alone. One of my roosters that popped the spur shell off, is a free range bird that can't be caught. So I couldn't do anything for him, he was fine with nothing being done for him, and now has a new spur. Both of my roosters were a little sore on the leg that the spur shell had popped off of, but have healed and regrew the spurs. Good luck with her.