3 month old rooster - is he weird?

He kinda looks like my HH Rainbow (breed/mix) that may have Valgus deformity. She limps, I haven't really seen the 'flick' like yours have. She plops and isn't super active. She steps on her own feet and always lays on her side so she can't roost on a typical bar. I could be totally useless and making stuff up.

The Rainbow Chickens are some kind of dual purpose mix, not listed. I think my girl has more traits from her meat bird ancestry. She isn't too much bigger than others of her breed/mix, they are all big birds and they are all much bigger than their litter mates.

I'm really annoyed on your behalf about the Hatchery dismissal. I can't imagine this is the traits that want advertised. Crap happens, bad genetics makes there way through for whatever reason. Own it, say it's not their standard/typical/ideal bird. Thank you for bringing it to their attention so maybe they can catch the parents and prevent more issues.

I agree with others, don't breed these birds. I'm not super thrilled with the Rainbows and am watching closely if I have to cull my pretty girl. I'm really debating selling all the other rainbows so I don't accidentally breed them. (I'd keep the one I'm worried about to ensure she doesn't suffer.)

My pretty Pin-Pin.
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I'm really annoyed on your behalf about the Hatchery dismissal. I can't imagine this is the traits that want advertised. Crap happens, bad genetics makes there way through for whatever reason. Own it, say it's not their standard/typical/ideal bird. Thank you for bringing it to their attention so maybe they can catch the parents and prevent more issues.
Right?!
 
I took your advice and emailed the hatchery with the weights, photo of the small vs lg chicks, and video of walking. They said they do not see any issue, they are just "big" and it's all feathers and they are just laying around because it is hot and I shouldn't worry about it. 🤷‍♀️
Well, that in my opinion is not the right way to respond to a customer that takes the time to document and make them aware of something going on with their breeding stock.
 
I'm really annoyed on your behalf about the Hatchery dismissal. I can't imagine this is the traits that want advertised. Crap happens, bad genetics makes there way through for whatever reason. Own it, say it's not their standard/typical/ideal bird. Thank you for bringing it to their attention so maybe they can catch the parents and prevent more issues.
This exactly.
 
Well, that in my opinion is not the right way to respond to a customer that takes the time to document and make them aware of something going on with their breeding stock.
Right? It was the same kind of response when I emailed to tell them 2 chicks died during shipping and 2 were looking pretty bad. Their response was basically a pretty cold "Turn the heat up. Which ones died?" Which would have annoyed me even if I didn't have 2 young kids sobbing over dead chicks. And now they just tell me "don't worry about it, they're fine."

This poor chick is clearly not fine. I saw him run today - imagine a clumsy 10 year old, wearing scuba flippers and a bathrobe that's way too big, trying to run over uneven ground. He only ran about 10 feet, and I have no idea how he managed to not wipe out.

I'm bummed out because my intention was this would be my last time buying chicks, and going forward, I could just let nature do the work. Now even if this rooster turns out to be nice (the one from last summer was definitely not), I can't keep him because I wouldn't want his offspring in the flock and I don't have enough space or hens or patience for 2 roosters. 😠
 
Annnnnnd just noticed this morning he's also sprouted some feathers on both feet/legs within the last week. Not full-on fluffy feathers (yet?), but not just wayward stubs either. 😑
When I first saw the pics of those rounded feathers (& no tail to speak of as of yet) and had read you state they were bigger than your other orpington chicks, I immediately thought "cochin". & that's only because I've done a lot of research in the past 5 mos as 4 of the 5 "orpington" chicks I bought from a local breeder sprouted little feathers (to one degree or another) within days of my giving them to one of my Orpingtons that was broody. Turns out the one who did NOT sprout the leg feathers wasn't an Orpington either! Cuckoo Marans. But I digress.

These idk-exactly-what-they-are chicks are now almost 20 weeks old and are already bigger than my 16 mos old buff Orpingtons & according to my research, they are not done growing. Feathers differ also. Like the pic of yours, wide, rounded feathers vs the more slender, "feathery" ones on my BOs. From pics I've seen online, that & the feathered feet are indicative of some Cochin in them.

Yours being some kind of Cochin cross might also make sense. My cockerel sometimes waddled quite a bit & appeared rather clumsy at times. I'd say from about 11wks-18ish wks. & He looked like he was gonna fall over sideways when running. I'm assuming he was just in a clumsy pre-teen phase where the body grows faster than the coordination since he no longer does that & runs much more in control of his body now.

We woke up Easter morning & I assumed he'd gotten hurt. Struggled to move about & instead just stood in one spot & then eventually would just sit to rest. We put him in a wire dog crate with a divider in it so he couldn't move too much & kept him in the chicken run with the others. See but no touch. His "sisters" would lay next to him and keep him company.
After about 2-3 days, we were able to let him out & he was right as rain. BUT I've never had him tremble like yours is doing. Sorry, but I have no idea what that could be. Am also sorry, & so disappointed, that the hatchery was dismissive & of absolutely no help whatsoever. 😠

Attaching some pics of them at that age in case it helps you.

Also praying your babies turn out to be ok. 🫶
 

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Wow thanks for the insight! They certainly look a lot more like your cochin-of-sorts chicks than my other orps! The male is still VERY clumsy and worn out a lot. He still gets hoarse every afternoon and loses his voice. He spends much of his time laying down (and he still goes down face-first), I'm assuming because it's so tiring to keep his legs coordinated. He just looks so worn out - I hope he grows out of it, but I'm worried that his body won't be able to keep up and he'll just conk-out one day in the not-too-distant future. 🥺
 

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