hens and spurs, was: I Need Help!

From: nuele mersch (fowls_at_nuele-online.de)
Date: 12/26/04 

Date: Sun, 26 Dec 2004 15:04:48 +0100

Ray Drouillard <cosmicpam2@comcast.net> wrote:

> Some of our hens are sprouting small spurs.

Some of mine have *huge* spurs. This summer, I had to cut back the
spurs of a four year old broody as they were bent upwards and almost
curled - they almost touched the skin of her leg again! In show birds,
hens' spurs are considered a bad fault, although the hen doesn't mind
having them ;-)
This is a hereditary thing. You can already see the spurs at the age of
eight to twelve months. These hens are good layers and excellent
broodies nevertheless, it's just considered more elegant if hens don't
have spurs. I have never had them crack a single egg, or hurt a chick
with them, so I don't think there is any other reason than just, well,
fashion...

However, there is another possible cause for hens to develop spurs,
mostly when they're older, and that is if their ovary stops working
(because of tumours or other disease). In that case their hormonal
balance will be disturbed, they will stop laying, develop saddle
feathers and grow spurs, sometimes they also start to crow.

Nuele (D)

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