Deformed chick GRAPHIC PHOTO

[JessicaHen]

This chick is a from an EE hen and Buff Orp Rooster. I love my EE's personality and wanted some chicks from her. Had a feeling something was wrong with this egg so I helped it along and it ended up dying before I got it out. I slowly opened the egg and was taken aback by the lack of upper beak! Then after I got the whole thing out I saw the large mass, absence of eyes and upturned toes. I have 3 more eggs goin now from her, 2 looking good but another making no progress. I won't have anymore babies from her after this. Just had to share though. I'm new to raising chickens and it has take me by storm, I'm obsessed!! Anything we can add on here can help someone in the future.

 

[JessicaHen]

Ok so this morning another one died and it had that same head but also it's whole abdomen was open as well. No more babies out of my Pop Tart (that's her name . I think I'm gonna stop hatching for a bit. This whole thing is soooo stressful!

 

[Chickenchick11]

The mass you see is the egg yolk which has not been completely absorbed yet with meant the chick was not ready to hatch yet. It can take 12+ hours for a chick to hatch after pipping and during that time sometimes the chicks go into rest periods where there is no sound or movement. I know it's hard but you must be patient as the eggs are hatching. As for the deformities that chick may have just been deformed and not have not have survived anyways. Sorry for your losses but good luck with the rest of your hatch.

 

[JessicaHen]

Hello! Thank you for your reply! By large mass I meant the odd mass on top of its head. This guy and the other one that died were at 21 days and more than that I just had a weird feeling about them. Maybe mothers intuition? Lol! I have one more egg from the bunch that is trying to hatch tonight, looks normal so far. Definitely is more quiet than my other chicks that are already in the brooder since yesterday. We'll see what happens! Thank you for the info!

 

[coffeychicks]

How old is the ee and rooster?

 

[Twink]

Hello. I had a similar experience with Black Javas. I was given a rooster and 4 hens and hatched out several chicks that were healthy. Although other eggs pipped. most of the chicks seemed not to be able to break through the membrane and died while still in the egg. One that did survive had what appeared to be it's brain/a large growth on the top of it's head and no eyes. It was could chirp and experienced continuous seizures. We had to euthanize it. I have a suspicion that the adults were inbred or genetically unsound. The chicks that came from the Java rooster and another breed of hen are doing very well and lay well.
However, the deformed chick was quite upsetting.

 

[coffeychicks]

I had a goose lay some eggs it was her first time laying. We had 3 eggs do this. Chicks were deformed I figured it was related to how young the goose was. Wonder is it the same in chickens