Detached Air Cell Chick Deformity?

[Redcatcher]

I received eight Madagascar gamefowl eggs three weeks ago in the mail and all of them arrived pretty scrambled. I decided to go ahead and set them anyway. All but one died fairly early on. The surviving egg had a detached air cell that was all over the place so I was thrilled when I heard it peeping yesterday, with hatch day being today. The chick seems lively and healthy except the entire side of his right head never developed where his wing was crowded up against it. He has no eye there at all, a scissor beak and lower beak overshooting the upper from a deformed skull (huge indent from the wing). They were expensive eggs so I do not have the heart to dispose of him. I would not think it is a genetic problem. so if he can eat and drink, he lives (God willing). Has anyone hatched a chick with deformities because of a misshapen air cell? He should not have hatched at all but I have one h*ll of an incubator. He swung is head around and looked right at me with this good eye so he does not appear to have brain damage (although it is too early for him to walk). I will take some photos if anyone is interested in seeing what he looks like.,

 

[SarahFair]

I would like to see a picture...



If he can eat, drink, and get around ok I dont seem a reason to cull

 

[joe17]

I sure hope he can walk! PLEASE post a pic! I luv pictures!

 

[Redcatcher]

There is not even a rudimentary eye or lid there, just a dent in the side of the head. I have his beak taped up for now hoping that it will straighten out some while the skull and beak are still soft. He can go 24-48 hours like that and it might make a big difference. He is otherwise normal in every way and is now crawling around on his hocks.

 

[SunChick]

I would lean to a genetic problem and here is why, I don't think an air cell scrambled or not would have the ability to change the DNA

. IMO I wouldn't be using this bird as breeding stock if he survives.

 

[Redcatcher]

I had to assist him out of the egg and his wing was embedded deep into his skull where the eye should have been. It makes a perfect impression. If I had not assisted him, I would not have seen this. As to where his eye went, I have no idea but it looks as if he had been crowded out by a huge air cell. Do you still think this is genetic? (not trying to sound like a smart a**, just asking).

 

[SunChick]

Quote:
Nah you aren't being a smarty pants. If he doesn't have an eye, then it didn't form. I think you would have seen eye pushed out of the head or brain showing if the air cell had crowded him. He also has a deformity regarding his beak. I'm still leaning towards something genetic because by the picture I don't think he had an eye develop at all and on top of that he has a scissor beak both are deformities which leads back to the expression of the genetic code. There are also other factors that affect DNA but I'm not convinced that its air cell. I was really curious about this since I know there are more variables that affect egg development and being the science person that I am I had to go looking.

Here is a link to an article on malpositions and deformities. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vm095 . I found it pretty informative, while it doesn't exactly answer our question, it does shed light on a bunch of other possibilities why the DNA would be affected. Air itself cannot change the DNA, but if in transist it went through a change in temperature, or the birds didn't have a good diet, then mutations in the DNA could occur and the expression of that code is what we see when they hatch. Breeders that don't have enough protein in their diet would affect DNA, since DNA itself is made of protein.

I hope this helps

 

[JMarch]

We had an Ameracauna chick that hatched with that deformity last year- one eye, crossed beak, but ours had a huge bump on the top of it's head (we think that's where the other eye actually was but it was covered with skin and feathers). We were worried about how it would eat- but it did OK. Just give it a deep dish to scoop the food easier.

Ours did fine although we think she was deaf also. She was a local celebrity for being a survivor- very sweet chicken who loved being carried and petted. Unfortunately a hawk took her away from us.

 

[SeaHen]

I've been wondering about potential birth defects related to displaced air cells. I'm incubating some duck eggs that I rescued and believe they are due to hatch within the next few days. The air cell in one has persistently been on the side of the egg rather than the end, and it really looks like the duckling is being squished into a weird position because of it. I was prepared for the embryo to self-abort when I first candled the eggs and saw it, but it's still very active in there. My biggest concern is around it getting out of the shell alive; if it makes it that far we'll be grateful and deal with whatever we have to.

Your chick is really cute.

 

[Redcatcher]

Quote:
Nah you aren't being a smarty pants. If he doesn't have an eye, then it didn't form. I think you would have seen eye pushed out of the head or brain showing if the air cell had crowded him. He also has a deformity regarding his beak. I'm still leaning towards something genetic because by the picture I don't think he had an eye develop at all and on top of that he has a scissor beak both are deformities which leads back to the expression of the genetic code. There are also other factors that affect DNA but I'm not convinced that its air cell. I was really curious about this since I know there are more variables that affect egg development and being the science person that I am I had to go looking.

Here is a link to an article on malpositions and deformities. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vm095 . I found it pretty informative, while it doesn't exactly answer our question, it does shed light on a bunch of other possibilities why the DNA would be affected. Air itself cannot change the DNA, but if in transist it went through a change in temperature, or the birds didn't have a good diet, then mutations in the DNA could occur and the expression of that code is what we see when they hatch. Breeders that don't have enough protein in their diet would affect DNA, since DNA itself is made of protein.

I hope this helps

Yes, thank you for the link and explaining this. I learned a lot from it. His whole head looks like it was squished though. I will get a better photo of it tomorrow. The eye should have been there so it so maybe it is a combination of problems. Seahen, I hope your duckling makes it. You will probably have to assist it. Mine had no room to at all to move but found the air cell. But there is hope. My chick can hear and see well in the one eye and is starting to walk. I will remove the bandaid when I see him trying to eat or drink.