Spurs??

[Chieftain]

I am seeing what I think are the beginnings of spurs on 2 of my RIR chicks, and I'd like to know it that is in fact what I am seeing. Here are 2 pictures, the second is cropped from the first and has an arrow pointing to what I am talking about...sorry about the quality bit the lighting is odd with the brooder in the background and the camera had a hard time focusing.

Out of five chicks, two are developing these small bumps on their shanks where I would expect a roo's spur to eventually be, but I don't know if that's right or not. These chicks are almost 2 weeks old. Thanks for the advice in advance...

??

 

[Gypsy07]

I've just hatched my first four chicks and they're three weeks old. And all four of them have those bumps on their legs. I first noticed them a few days ago. So far I obviously don't know who's a boy and who's a girl, but out of the four of them, only one is acting in any way 'rooster-ish'. If I put my hand in the brooder he runs over and pecks at me and when anything new is put in there, he's the first to go and check it out. He struggles the most out of all of them when I pick him up, and he's the only one whose comb is growing bigger. I'm going on the assumption that he's a boy and the other three aren't. But like I say they've all got those leg bumps. So... Maybe they don't indicate growing spurs.

Maybe it's like nipples on humans? We've all got them but only girls end up with boobs. If that doesn't sound silly...

 

[Happy Chooks]

All my chicks have had those little bumps. And yes, that's where the spurs grow. On *most* females, they don't grow much. I do have a buttercup female with spurs though, so it doesn't always mean it's a male. I have a cockeral that's 15 weeks old and still just has the bumps. It's my understanding that roosters get the spurs when they are older.

 

[Chieftain]

OK, thanks! Only two have those spots/bumps and I will keep an eye on them for other signs of impending roo-ishness

The largest one has none yet, and she's the tamest of them all. I put my hand in there she comes and roosts on my thumb. If I put a little pinch of cormeal in my hand, she's the forst one to come over, check it out and start pecking.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Combs and wattles will be your first indicator of roosters. If you see pink in the combs and wattles emerging at a young age (like 4 weeks) then you know you have a rooster. They will also have thick legs.

What breed are they? Some breeds, like BR and welsummers, can be sexed at hatch by their markings.

 

[Chieftain]

These are RIRs. The oldest one is getting her comb in and she has no sign of spurs either. At this point it is more curiosity more than anything else.

My wife advises me that if these two are in fact roos, one will be named Fryer Cluck and the other Tetrazini...she already foresees their doom and is making room in the freezer...

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
I have Dinner roaming my orchard right now.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
I have Dinner roaming my orchard right now.

Ditto. The clock's ticking for him too. Mostly I just need to find the TIME to do it

RIR roosters don't get very big spurs till they are older. All my babies had those little baby spurs, but they didn't grow much on the pullets. The RIR roo always had slightly bigger spurs, but they didn't really grow into anything impressive until he was over 8 months old.