ANOTHER deformed chick

[User635240]

Hi all, I have been incubating a hatching a lot of eggs, and selling hatching eggs. Maybe 100/mo. For the most part, customers are getting 50-70% hatch rate, and healthy chicks. I just hatched one at home whose leg looks improperly fused to its spine. He is ambulatory and eating properly. Actually, this last batch of 22 eggs produced only 15 live chicks (and they are still pretty lethargic at three days old), 6 unfertilized eggs, and 1 embryo dead at 18/19 days. This is the third deformed chick hatched on my farm in the last year (out of maybe 250-300 chicks). A first chick was a hunchback roo (Golden Wyandotte-Swedish Flower mix), now a caged pet; a second one had a deformed skull (not sure of breed) and only lived a few days, and this third new chick is likely French Copper Marans mix. All three were primarily black in color. I know last summer the conditions in the coop fluctuated, leaning towards too hot and not humid enough. However this new one was hatched in a Harris Farms 360 incubator in an temperature controlled RV. The humidity reading on the incubator fluctuated between 60-80% throughout gestation. I do live close to, but not downwind from, the recent Ohio train derailment, and use rainwater. Any ideas why this is happening?

 

[Roostergirl76]

Mineral deficiency in the parents before fertilizing the egg is the most common reason I can’t remember if it’s the roo or the hen and also genetics I noticed one of my Roos had a toe that was bent looked like it was broken but it was born with it and when he bred with his lady’s in the flock that problem started showing up and that roo fathered 8 chicks and 2 of them had bent toes and 1 poor chick had a leg similar to this maybe a bit worse he adapted pretty well to his disability it just took him a bit longer to get to the food and drink but he was happy and healthy. I made him a splint and covered it with vet wrap so he could walk better and he was thriving but sadly my dog broke into his cage and ran off with him in her mouth and he died of fright right there my dog freaked out put him down and ran away there wasn’t a scratch on him but they can live with this problem but you might want to not use any more eggs from those chickens if it shows up again but it could be just an anomaly from a vitamin deficiency low calcium and b1 I think but anyways that’s what I think see how you go in the future

 

[User635240]

Mineral deficiency in the parents before fertilizing the egg is the most common reason I can’t remember if it’s the roo or the hen and also genetics I noticed one of my Roos had a toe that was bent looked like it was broken but it was born with it and when he bred with his lady’s in the flock that problem started showing up and that roo fathered 8 chicks and 2 of them had bent toes and 1 poor chick had a leg similar to this maybe a bit worse he adapted pretty well to his disability it just took him a bit longer to get to the food and drink but he was happy and healthy. I made him a splint and covered it with vet wrap so he could walk better and he was thriving but sadly my dog broke into his cage and ran off with him in her mouth and he died of fright right there my dog freaked out put him down and ran away there wasn’t a scratch on him but they can live with this problem but you might want to not use any more eggs from those chickens if it shows up again but it could be just an anomaly from a vitamin deficiency low calcium and b1 I think but anyways that’s what I think see how you go in the future

OK, thanks. Which vitamins and minerals would be deficient, and/or any products you can recommend to remedy this?

 

[janiedoe]

What are you feeding your flock?
How old are the breeders?
How many generations in are you breeding?

 

[User635240]

What are you feeding your flock?
How old are the breeders?
How many generations in are you breeding?

Feed: locally milled layer mash, based on non-GMO corn. They also forage outside on a non-treated yard.
Breeders - the males are around 8 months old, and the females around 1.5-2 years old.
These would be mostly first generation offspring from commercial hatchery stock; there are a few 1st gen mixed roos born last summer who might have added to the mix.

 

[janiedoe]

Feed: locally milled layer mash, based on non-GMO corn. They also forage outside on a non-treated yard.
Breeders - the males are around 8 months old, and the females around 1.5-2 years old.
These would be mostly first generation offspring from commercial hatchery stock; there are a few 1st gen mixed roos born last summer who might have added to the mix.

What % protein? I think I'd add some additional protein and a reputable vitamin supplement to the flock's diet. Rooster Booster or Poultry Cell.

 

[User635240]

What % protein? I think I'd add some additional protein and a reputable vitamin supplement to the flock's diet. Rooster Booster or Poultry Cell.

I think only 16%. I added some cat food, but I will also ask my local mill about 20%.
What is the most humane way to cull chicks like this? He's very active and eating independently, but not sure if it's a good idea to integrate him with a breeding flock.

 

[Huntmaster]

What % protein? I think I'd add some additional protein and a reputable vitamin supplement to the flock's diet. Rooster Booster or Poultry Cell.

Agree with this. I always up the protein and boost up my breeding stock weeks before collecting eggs. Most of my breeding stock is always fed a higher protein feed full time to keep them in prime condition no matter what type of bird it is Chicken/Turkey/Duck/Quail, I hatch them all. And if everything isn't in the egg the hatchling cannot get what it needs to thrive. Only other thing is genetics or incubation are your eggs hatching on time late/early?

What is the most humane way to cull chicks

Sorry to hear you are having trouble. A good pair of sharp scissors to quickly decapitate and it's over.