engleski

Finding Of Spurs at « Hrvatica» Hens

In the present paper, the ten hens of original Croatian combine breed named “ Hrvatica” were examined. All of them were about one year old and between 2, 5 – 3 kg weight. Five of examined hens were of red type and five of black. At the few hen legs the spurs were found. The spurs at the red hens were fully developed at one individual and half developed at the other individual. The apexes of both of those pair of spurs were rounded and blunt. On the caudomedial side of tarsometarsus at the remaining three red hens, only small rounded protuberances were present. At the black type, the big, fully developed and sharp spurs were found on both legs at two hens. The spur on left leg of third hen is fully developed, but with some more blunt apex than the previous. At the right leg of that hen, the spur is half developed and blunt, similar to those of red type hens. The spurs of remaining two black hens are in form of small, rounded and blunt processus. On the spured tarsometatarsi RTG, at the caudomedial side, a big, completely developed processus calcaris attached to the shaft is visible. The x- rays of black hen legs with small processus show only a shadow of keratin, without any bone processus. At the tarsometarsi x - rays of hens with small protuberances nothing is visible. Although the spurs are characteristic for roosters, it is renowned that at some breeds of domestic fowl the hens can have the spurs that are smaller and more blunt then those of cockerels. It is especially noted at old hens of small breeds. Those spurs are usually consisting only of keratin, while processus calcaris is developed rarely. The growth of spurs is independent of testicular and ovarian secretion, but in the egg-laying individuals the functioning of the ovaries inhibits spur growth. Well developed, sharp spurs with processus calcaris fused to the shaft of the tarsometatarsus on two black type “ Hrvatica” hens have morphological and radiographic characteristics of real cockerels. A finding of such spurs on the hen legs is rather unusual and it can be result of some hormonal disorder at this female individuals.

Hrvatica hens; spurs; RTG

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