Why do some hens have spurs?

[Abriana]

i have a few hens with pretty long sharp spurs. I know they are hens. Why do some hens have spurs?

 

[Lamaremybabies]

You know, I don't actually know the answer to this. I think it has something to do with breed and hormones.

I'm interested to see if anyone actually knows.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

i have a few hens with pretty long sharp spurs. I know they are hens. Why do some hens have spurs?

The short answer to your question is,"For the same reason that some women have mustaches."

 

[Abriana]

Okay yes, I guess that makes sense.

 

[centrarchid]

It appears to be recessive genetically in two flocks I keep of separate breeds. Roughly 1 in 3 of my game hens have spurs. Spurs may give a hen advantage during aggressive encounters but i still have concern it can impact hatch rate of eggs. I can see where social advantage can be more important than hatch rate when you start thinking in terms of the number of chicks weaned. High ranking hens under more intensive conditions do seem to raise more chicks.

 

[centrarchid]

The short answer to your question is,"For the same reason that some women have mustaches."

The reasoning differs markedly from mine once you get away from genetic assumptions.

 

[Folly's place]

The answer is; Why not? Anyone have experience with certain breeds that have more hens like this? I haven't seen it here that I remember. I don't have game breeds, so maybe centrarchid's experience points to that as a factor. Mary

 

[centrarchid]

American Dominiques are known to have spurs with same implications as with game breeds. My American Dominique strain has hens with spurs and a couple others do as well.

 

[song of joy]

The short answer is - it's genetic, although I don't know how dominant or recessive it is, or how many genes may influence it's expression.

I have a Swedish Flower Hen with spurs. She's only a year old and the spurs are about an inch long and very sharp. She's one of the best layers in my flock.