Chick with No toes... cull or keep ?

[Quailbuddy]

Hello along with my own flock of 6 i am raising, i and raising 15 chicks for a friend of mine until they are pullets around 16 weeks and then he is going to buy them back form me. He owns a feed/ farm supply store so he is then going to sell them to customers who want older chickens and not the hassle of the heat lamps etc with chicks....
But my problem is that i was giving the 15 chicks ( 3 at a time ) some TLC when i noticed that one of my Light Brahms has no toenails and her toes are like little nubs less than a half an inch long.. so my first though was to return her from the store where we got her ( the same store my friend works at and hes the head of the " poultry area" but he would probably cull her. He isnt like the the mothering lovie dovie type about chickens.... she acts fine and seems fine. she is smaller than all the others though. I checked all the chicks and she is the only one like this. My secong thought was " Welcome to the Family "

but if her toes are going to be an issue for the rest of her life i dont know what to do....
Does anyone have any idea what i should do? should i leave her and sell her bacl to him or should i keep her as part of my pet chicken laying flock ?

Thank you
~ A

 

[jjparke]

My rule is can they eat and drink on their own? And is this a trait that I would want to carry over into future generations? If they can't eat and drink on their own it's definitely time to cull. The second one isn't as important if you don't plan to breed.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

I vote keep... and "welcome" little one to the family!

 

[Quailbuddy]

Quote:
Yes she can eat drink and walk fine...

 

[Quailbuddy]

mmaddie's mom :

I vote keep... and "welcome" little one to the family!

I would like to do that

but one of my concerns is will it effect her roosting and scratching ( dirt ) abilities?​

 

[AinaWGSD]

Personally, I would keep her. But then again I'm a sucker for critters who are missing body parts

My advice would be to keep an eye on her, and as long as she is gaining weight/growing appropriately and is able to eat and drink normally and is not in any pain, then there is no need to cull her. You may have to separate her into a separate brooder with just a few buddies if the missing toes make it harder enough for her to get around that she isn't able to fend for herself at the feeder.

ETA Yes, it might affect her roosting and scratching abilities. However, it may not affect them so severely that she can't lead a relatively normal life. It's one of those things you'll just have to keep an eye on and cross that bridge when you get there. She may need a wider roost to perch on, but that's usually not a big deal. And while she may never be effective at scratching, it shouldn't really cause any problems with her ability to eat unless you free range your flock and expect them to find most of their own food during peak season (ie, late spring/summer, early fall).

 

[WYOwhy]

I also vote: keep her as your pet chicken.

I just welcomed home my own little club footed chick, and she is planning to be very happy as a pet and keep me very happy as an "urban farm girl" for the rest of her days. Enjoy the uniqueness of mini-toes. And post some pics so we can enjoy it too.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Quote:

I would like to do that

but one of my concerns is will it effect her roosting and scratching ( dirt ) abilities?

Yes, it will probably effect those things but not so much that it will be a problem. She'll find her own way.

 

[Quailbuddy]

Quote:
okay thank you for your suggestions

She is able to walk around fine... I dont free range although they do ( or will when there older ) will get to sratch around outside of the run for fun so she should have no problems getting food...

** I have 3 barred weekolds who are in the brooder with my three 4 weekolds and she is about the same size... should I introduce her into my flock now and then when the time comes to then take her out of the flock? because personally i think its easier to introduce her NOW when i have chicks her size.... instead of intruduce her later when my flock is already established and has a pecking order... What do you guys think?

 

[Quailbuddy]

Quote:
I will post some pictures later

She is quite a cute lil thing