WHILE JUDGING: COMPARE EACH FINDING WITH THE RELEVANT BREED STANDARD

Feet and nails: In addition to walking, feet and claws are used in fighting (for protection) and in finding food.

Leg: Includes the upper and lower thigh and shank.

Thighs: Feathered parts of the legs between the hock and juncture with the body; that portion between the hock and knee-joint above, being the lower thigh or tibia (drumstick); that portion between the knee-joint and body, the upper thigh or femur.

Shank: Portion of the leg below the hock, exclusive of the foot and toes, the metatarsus. Anatomically the shank has the tarsal bones fused into the head of the metatarsus and, therefore, is usually referred to as the tarso-metatarsus.

Spur: Stiff horny projection from the rear inner side of the shanks, rounded or pointed according to age, prominent in the male fowl, increasing greatly in size with age, sometimes multiple in character.

Scales: Thin horny growths completely covering the shanks and top of the toes of a fowl.

Flat shin: Shank decidedly lacking in roundness of bone.

Hock: Joint between lower thigh and shank, sometimes incorrectly referred to as the knee.

Sickle hocks: When the angle of the hock-joint (in the normal standing position) is less than 165 degrees.

Knee (Knee-joint): Joint between the upper and lower thighs. A term often though erroneously applied to the hock-joint.

Toes: Chickens stand and walk on their toes. Most chickens have three toes projecting forward and one projecting back, sometimes referred to as the claw. A few breeds, however, have five toes on each foot. Some breeds also have feathers on their shanks and toes.

Notes: Feather leg breeds are not to be penalized for a rudimentary outer toe.

GENERAL DISQUALIFICATIONS AND DEFECTS: SHANKS, LEGS AND TOES

TOPIC	DESCRIPTION	ACTION
LEGS	Bow leg: –	Disqualify
SHANKS AND HOCKS	Enlarged and misshapen shank or hock:	Disqualify
KNEES	Knock knee:–	Disqualify
TOES	Crooked toe:–	Deduct: ½ to 2 points for each toe
TOES	Missing part of a toe:	Deduct: 1 point for each toe
TOES	Foreign colour of Shanks and Toes than that described for a breed and variety: (Slight reddish tinge of pigment in yellow shanked varieties not to disqualify).	Disqualify
TOES	Feathered middle toe in Langshans and Faverolles:	Deduct: ½ to 1½ points for each toe
TOES	Bare middle toe in Brahmas, Silkies, Booted bantams and d’Uccle’s :	Deduct: 2 points for each toe
TOES	More or less than four toes in four-toe Breeds:	Disqualify
TOES	More or less than five toes in five-toe Breeds:	Disqualify
TOE NAILS	Missing toe nail: –	Deduct: 1 point for each toe nail
TOE NAILS	White toe nail in black legged varieties:	Deduct: 1 point for each toe nail
SPURS	Horny, well defined spur on females (Except OEG females):–	Deduct: ½ points for each spur
SPURS	Extra spur in All Breeds of Chickens, except Sumatras:–	Deduct: ½ points for each extra spur
SPURS	Absence of spurs in Old English, (large and bantam), Dutch Bantams and Sumatra Cocks:	Disqualify
DARK SPOTS	Dark spots on shanks feet or toes in all yellow legged breeds, except Anconas:(No cut for slight tinge of reddish pigment)	Deduct: ½ to 2 points
DARK SPOTS	Dark spots on shanks, feet or toes in all white or pinkish white legged breeds, except Houdans:	Deduct: ½ to 2 points
FOOT	Deformed foot and foot joints:	Disqualify
FOOT	Duck foot in land fowl: –	Disqualify
FOOT	Web foot in land fowl:–	Disqualify
FEATHERING ON LEGS	Presence of, or unmistakable evidence of the removal of any down, stub, feather or part of feather from shank below the hock joint, or foot, or toe on clean Legged Chickens, Turkeys, Ducks and Geese:	Disqualify
FEATHERING ON LEGS	Shanks not feathered down outer sides on Feather-legged Breeds:	Disqualify

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