All chicks hatched with fused toes.

[Windy136]

I purchased hatching eggs from someone that has a very "sought after" line due to egg color. I ordered a half dozen because that was the max amount you could purchase. All 6 hatched and all of them have fused toes. A couple only had it on one foot but the others have it on both. I cut them early so they could walk properly but their toes developed sideways so there isn't much I can do about that. My question is...I feel like this has to be a genetic issue. Could this be caused by line breeding? It seems like the gene pool isn't very deep. Im disappointed because I am not going to be able to add any of these chicks to my breeding flock due to their deformity. (I wouldn't want to pass that on) If you were the breeder would you want to know? As many of these eggs as she sells I cant imagine that others haven't had the same issue.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I purchased hatching eggs from someone that has a very "sought after" line due to egg color. I ordered a half dozen because that was the max amount you could purchase. All 6 hatched and all of them have fused toes. A couple only had it on one foot but the others have it on both. I cut them early so they could walk properly but their toes developed sideways so there isn't much I can do about that. My question is...I feel like this has to be a genetic issue. Could this be caused by line breeding? It seems like the gene pool isn't very deep. Im disappointed because I am not going to be able to add any of these chicks to my breeding flock due to their deformity. (I wouldn't want to pass that on) If you were the breeder would you want to know? As many of these eggs as she sells I cant imagine that others haven't had the same issue.

I'd want to know, but I also know that when I've let people know about issues with things they sold, typically their response is less than kind.

 

[Rose the Legbar]

I purchased hatching eggs from someone that has a very "sought after" line due to egg color. I ordered a half dozen because that was the max amount you could purchase. All 6 hatched and all of them have fused toes. A couple only had it on one foot but the others have it on both. I cut them early so they could walk properly but their toes developed sideways so there isn't much I can do about that. My question is...I feel like this has to be a genetic issue. Could this be caused by line breeding? It seems like the gene pool isn't very deep. Im disappointed because I am not going to be able to add any of these chicks to my breeding flock due to their deformity. (I wouldn't want to pass that on) If you were the breeder would you want to know? As many of these eggs as she sells I cant imagine that others haven't had the same issue.

That’s quite odd. I would think the toes would be genetic at that point. I know spitzhaubens have a genetic weird toe nail sometimes. Is it the same foot on each bird or different ones? What breed did you get?