Spurs can be pretty scary to deal with for any rooster owner as they can be dangerous to the flock as well as the chicken owner and their family. Our rooster has attacked every member of our family, including the dog! Which brought me to the question, do all roosters have spurs?
All roosters have spur buds and will develop spurs that grow out of the shank. Certain chicken breeds develop larger spurs than others. These larger breeds often have more pronounced spurs. Hens can develop spurs as well in some cases.
At what age do roosters begin to develop their spurs? How do you maintain your roosters’ spurs? And can your roosters’ spurs be removed? We will look at all these questions and more in this article.
Do All Roosters Develop Spurs?
A spur of a chicken is a part of the chicken’s shank bone that is covered in a hard layer of keratin, which is the same thing that human fingernails are made from. These sharp spurs will stick out from the back of the chicken’s leg just above its ankle.
All chickens, no matter their gender, will have a spur bud which is a bump where the spur develops when they are chicks. With hens, this spur bud will generally stay dormant and will not grow as they age, although, in some chicken breeds, the hens’ spurs will develop just like the roosters.
With roosters, the spur buds will begin to develop as they age and will eventually get harder and then form a sharp tip at the end. However, just as some hens will develop spurs, there are some roosters that do not develop very pronounced spurs.
Whether or not your rooster will develop sharp spurs will depend on the breed of chicken your rooster belongs to. Some chicken breeds have had the spurs that do not grow much.
If you are getting your roosters from a breeder, then the breeder will most likely be able to tell you whether your rooster will or will not develop large spurs later in their lives as they mature.
It is, however, impossible to tell just how large and long the roosters’ spurs will grow, so you should pay attention to them because if they get too long, they can begin to cause problems for the rooster.
Why Do Roosters Have Spurs?
The main reason why roosters have spurs is for protection, they use their sharp spurs as a weapon, and if you have ever encountered an aggressive rooster, then you know just how dangerous their spurs can actually be.
When a rooster is fighting with another rooster, or a predator, or even with you, the rooster will flap their wings which will help them to get its feet off the ground. Then they will lean back and bring up their legs and lead their attack with their sharp spurs with a stabbing motion.
If their spur has a clear path, the person, or rooster or predator that is on the receiving end will get a clean stab into their flesh.
They will also use their spurs to scratch their intended victim, which can draw blood, and they can also be used as a warning so the rooster can try to avoid a fight, although they are perfectly fine with fighting.
Roosters will also use their spurs during mating, this is not pleasant for the hens, but the roosters will use their spurs to get a good grip on the hen while they are mounting the hen and mate with them.
This can often leave the hens with some scratches and even some deep gashes after the mating is complete, and the hens can get hurt to the point of needing medical attention if the roosters’ spurs are not appropriately maintained.
At What Age Do Roosters Get Spurs?
The age at which a rooster’s spurs will start to grow, and the age at which the roosters’ spurs will be fully developed will depend, in part, on the breed of the rooster but also on the individual bird too. In general, as a rule, you will most likely start to see the growth of the spur bud in your rooster at the age of 2 to 3 months.
A roosters spurs will start to develop quite rapidly. The roosters spurs should be fully developed when the rooster is between 7 and 9 months of age. Although, as mentioned earlier, this can take longer, or it can take less time depending on the breed of the rooster as well as the rooster itself.
There are some breeds of chickens that mature at a faster rate than others; the roosters from these breeds could begin to develop spurs from a few weeks old and have fully grown spurs from 3 months old.
If you know that with the breed of chicken you are hatching that only the roosters develop spurs, then this can be a good method to distinguish between the males and the females that you hatch, but this is not 100% reliable.
How To Maintain Rooster Spurs
For some roosters, you do not need to worry about maintaining their spurs, but for others, their spurs can grow at a fast rate which can start to affect the roosters’ gait as he is trying to walk as he is trying to stop his spurs from cutting his own legs.
If the spur grows too long, then it can also begin to curl back into the roosters’ leg, which could then cause a lot of damage to the rooster.
There are a few different techniques that you can choose from to help maintain your roosters’ spurs; the method you choose is up to you and will depend on what you find the easiest to execute.
You can clip your roosters’ spurs just as you would clip any other pet’s toenails. You do need to take care to not hit the bone in the spur when you cut it. When you are clipping the spur, ensure you have good lighting that lets you see the inner bone, which will have a darker white appearance when the light shines throw the spur.
You will also require a sharp enough tool that can clip cleanly through the spur, as the spur is thick and can be tough to cut.
You can also file down the roosters’ spurs; this is the method that most people prefer to use as there is a lower chance of hitting the bone, and you can file the spur into a nice blunt tip. This method can be challenging to do if your rooster is not tame.
Another way is to remove the outer growth of the spur altogether; this can be quite easy as the spur is just a keratin shell around a softer core that encases the bone. You can remove the outer keratin shell by gently twisting the spur until it comes off, but you need to be incredibly careful so you do not hurt the rooster.
You can soften the spur by rubbing some oil on it or you can heat up a potato and then apply the hot potato to the spur but be careful not to let the hot potato come into contact with the roosters’ leg as it can cause severe burns.
Can You Remove A Roosters Spurs?
Yes, you can remove a rooster’s spurs, some people think that this is cruel, but it can be necessary in some cases where you have an overly aggressive rooster. The rooster’s spurs have a bone in them, so you cannot just go clipping away to remove the spurs. You will need to get in touch with a vet if you want to remove the spurs, and it could require an operation.
Just remember that if you remove your roosters’ spurs, then you are leaving them defenseless against predators, so if your roosters are coming into contact with predators, then you might want to reconsider.
Conclusion
All chickens have the ability to grow spurs, including some hens, but not all of them will. Whether or not your rooster will grow spurs will depend on the breed of chicken your rooster is as well as the rooster itself.
Spurs can be easily maintained, so they do not cause you, your hens, or the rooster any harm when they grow too long. But, if your rooster is not growing spurs, there is nothing to worry about; your rooster is still normal.