What You Need to Know About the Keel Bone in Chickens

Where is the keel bone on a chicken? The keel bone in a chicken is the large bone often called a breast bone that extends outward from the breast which the wing flight muscles are attached to (1). Keel bone injuries most often happen in commercial poultry production but recently there have been many reports of keel bone injuries in backyard chickens and free range chickens, as well. Never throw a chicken, most cannot fly because their bodies are too heavy. Throwing a chicken could cause the bird to injure the keel bone or even kill the bird within minutes as this can cause severe injuries. Keel bone injuries can be prevented and can be treated in most cases. See link  below.
The following video will teach you why and how to use your hands to evaluate the keels and backs of the birds in your flock and how to hold your chicken properly.​​

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See how to prevent, symptoms and treatments for keel bone damage

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1. ​​LLC, A. (2019). Keel bone injury in Chickens. [online] PoultryDVM. Available at: http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/keel-bone-injuries [Accessed 6 Nov. 2019].
2. Video: Gold Standard Solutions. Evaluating keels and backs using your hands. Retrieved on August  20, 2024 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPd2ZGZEFgI.