Black Copper Maran chicks deformed toes

[Audrie80]

I have four Black Copper Maran chicks. They are one month old and I just noticed they each have one deformed toe on their right front foot. It's not a full length toe and it doesn't have a toe nail.

I've never seen this before will this become an issue as they grow up? Has anyone else come across this issue and have any advice?

I don't know the genetics of the chickens I bought fertilized eggs and my broody hen hatched them a month ago and she finally relaxed enough for me to catch them and look at them and I am surprised by what I saw.

 

[Earthdale]

I bought a bunch like this a few years ago, I would love to hear the answer.

 

[Audrie80]

I connected a chicken educator who told me to cull them immediately and the breeder should discontinue breeding that line.

 

[Earthdale]

Huh, all of mine got sick and died I wonder if that is connected. I would still like to know what causes it.

 

[Audrie80]

Thank you for sharing your experience. Knowing that yours didn’t make it helps me understand that if we go through with the culling, it’s likely the right choice.

 

[Earthdale]

I'm sorry you have this problem, and I hope that all your future chicken keeping experiences are more pleasant.

 

[Blue Raptor]

I connected a chicken educator who told me to cull them immediately and the breeder should discontinue breeding that line.

But your not going to breed those, are you? If your not- I don’t see why you’d have to kill them.. some of my maran’s toenails curl up a little too (we don’t breed them), and I just trim them when they get too long.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I've never seen this before will this become an issue as they grow up? Has anyone else come across this issue and have any advice?

Common in Marans, I discovered during my breeding adventures. I see it on both sides on some of the chicks. Known as brachydactyly..

https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/19400101352
(trying to fix link for some reason it isn't working here but will open from my following google search, about 4 items down)
https://www.google.com/search?q=bra...30j0i390l4.20741j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

On page 9 of this link..
http://www.aviculture-europe.nl/nummers/10E01A10.pdf

Not desirable for breeding or showing.. but otherwise not really considered an issue. No, THIS is actually one thing that doesn't get worse or cause problems with age!

If breeding.. sometimes you gotta start with the stock ya got. Some things are easier to start with other stock than trying to breed out, I'm not sure if this is one.. also this is just the first fault being see.. they still have to color in their feathers and eyes.. etc. (plus checked for split wing, comb sprigs, and so on) Good breeding stock can be a challenge to accomplish with only about 1% of hatched chicks being TRULY top quality.

Hope the links help some.

Huh, all of mine got sick and died I wonder if that is connected. I would still like to know what causes it.

Nope, I wouldn't think so. Sorry for your experience though!

 

[Audrie80]

But your not going to breed those, are you? If your not- I don’t see why you’d have to kill them.. some of my maran’s toenails curl up a little too (we don’t breed them), and I just trim them when they get too long.

Correct I haven’t bred any and I don’t have plans to since it seems like it takes some expertise to create healthy offspring.

I’m not exactly sure specifically why she said to kill them, other than she said they have bad genetics. She thought they’d have trouble roosting and scratching.

They seem happy and healthy so far other than their toes.

 

[Blue Raptor]

Correct I haven’t bred any and I don’t have plans to since it seems like it takes some expertise to create healthy offspring.

I’m not exactly sure specifically why she said to kill them, other than she said they have bad genetics. She thought they’d have trouble roosting and scratching.

They seem happy and healthy so far other than their toes.

It’s your choice, but I wouldn’t cull them.