How many toes do chickens have

The Faverolle was actually introduced because the popular French breed at the time did not take well to being kept in a cage. That breed was the Houdan, and this old French breed is another that has five toes on each foot. It is considered a very heavy bird, usually weighing around 8 pounds or more, and is now considered a rare breed that can be very difficult to get hold of, depending on where in the world you are located.

Like the Faverolle, the Houdan also has a beard and is considered a sweet breed that is easy to handle and makes a friendly addition to the coop. The Sultan breed comes from Turkey and is so-called because it was originally kept by Turkish royalty. They have been bred to be friendly, loving, and even loyal. They are considered entertaining, and not just for the unusual shock of bright white feathers on the head and white feathery legs. The same positive traits of the Sultan, including friendliness and a sweet nature, also mean that the breed is not hardy.

They cannot be thrown into the coop and left to fend for themselves. In fact, they are likely to be picked on if you have any overbearing breeds, and they are susceptible to predation. Like the Sultan, the Silkie Bantam is an ornamental breed.

This means that they are not reared for their meat production, and although they do lay eggs, they are certainly not considered prolific of heavy egg layers. What they are is incredibly unique. They have five toes, rather than the usual four, and they have the silky coat that comes from incredibly soft and fluffy feathers. They have black skin and bones, and as true bantam chickens, they weigh just 2 pounds. While humans are expected to have five toes, it is a very rare trait in a chicken, and it is not necessarily a desirable one because it does not offer any known benefit to the chicken or its owner.

However, it is a noteworthy feature, because there are only five breeds of chicken as well as some crossbreeds that have this unusual characteristic. You should consider all other factors, including friendliness and egg-laying volume , before deciding on a breed for your coop, and consider the inclusion of a fifth toe as an added extra.

She has a strong love for all animals of all shapes and sizes and particularly loves a good interspecies friendship and wants to share her animal knowledge and other experts' knowledge with pet lovers across the globe. Roosters have spurs too, which look a little like an extra digit and sticks out on the back of their legs. Related — Do all roosters have spurs? Like a lot of animals, without hands and the high level of dexterity we have, they use their feet for a lot of things.

Walking — This is an obvious one, but chickens are on their feet most of the day walking around. Scratching — They use their claws to scratch around for insects, grit, and grubs.

This is when you realize how sharp their claws are. Related — Do we eat rooster meat? According to the University of Illinois Incubation and Embryology site, there are five breeds of chicken with 5 toes. The most popular backyard breed from that list is the Silkie. Silkies are probably the most recognizable breed of chicken, they have a unique fluffy plumage that separates them from almost every other breed.

Related — Silkie characteristics explained. Next time the question of how many toes a rooster has comes up, you now know without any doubt that roosters have 4 toes. They use their spurs as weapons. How many toes does a rooster have? Table of Contents.