"Double Breast" appearance on chicks - desirable or problem?

[Ironclay]

I heard delawares can lay XL eggs, so I picked up some straight from TSC just for a trial run before I went and dropped "breeder money". I normally raise and breed Marans for SOP, but I'm looking for a good fit for me for a dedicated "egg layer only" flock.

Well, besides from discovering that these delawares are evil from birth (these are first baby chicks that I've ever seen cannibalize another healthy chick at 3 days old and pretty much attacks me on sight with quite a bit of force), I've noticed that they had a creased chest I've not seen in any of my other breeds. The crease appeared around 7 days of age and then became more pronounced as they aged. It no longer goes away after feeding.

My question is: Is this what double-breasted looks like? Or is this a sign of a problem with the health of these chicks or my feeding?

The creases appear on both cockerels and pullets, but is WAY more pronounced on the cockerels. I have these chicks with australorps that are the same age and none of them are having the same issue.

I AM seeing a pattern of chicks missing feathers off necks. Is this a nutritional issue or are they outgrowing their feathering?

 

[Mrs. K]

Did you put them in the cage to take pictures, or is that what they are living in? Because if so, they do not have near enough room and I don't think are getting enough exercise. Are you sure they are Delaware? They rather look like broiler chickens to me.

 

[Geena]

They look like the new "broiler enhanced" Delawares. If they are "attacking" you it's probably because they are hungry, they eat a lot of feed because they grow fast. The cannibalizing and feather picking is most likely because they are crowded and possibly not getting enough protein.

 

[Ironclay]

Did you put them in the cage to take pictures, or is that what they are living in? Because if so, they do not have near enough room and I don't think are getting enough exercise. Are you sure they are Delaware? They rather look like broiler chickens to me.

I thought they were broilers, too! But now they're getting their delaware colors so I don't know what to think.

There's 9 chicks in here, and this is an 8 ft x 2.5 ft brooder, when an enclosed box on one side containing a heating plate. I do agree that they are nearing the point of needing to be moved to a tractor, but I want to give them another 1-2 weeks in here because they're still favoring that heat plate.

The camera makes the cage look really narrow and they're crowding because they're trying to get at me. I assure you, it's not nearly as tight as it looks here.

 

[Ironclay]

They look like the new "broiler enhanced" Delawares. If they are "attacking" you it's probably because they are hungry, they eat a lot of feed because they grow fast. The cannibalizing and feather picking is most likely because they are crowded and possibly not getting enough protein.

Thank you. I've never worked with a broiler chicken before, so I'll need to look into what a "broiler enhanced" Delaware is how it differs from a typical Delaware.

I will up their feed intake and start mixing it with game starter to bump the protein up. Clearly the DuMor Chick Starter isn't cutting it with this breed. They get Rooster Booster twice a week as well.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Are you feeding them only at certain times or do they have access to feed 24/7? If only at certain times how much are you feeding them?

 

[Ironclay]

Are you feeding them only at certain times or do they have access to feed 24/7? If only at certain times how much are you feeding them?

They get fed around 10am once a day.

They usually get 1 to 2 scoops. I went to the shop to figure out how much a scoop of crumble was and it comes out to 2.4 pounds per scoop.

They go through just a little more than 2 gallons of water a day.

 

[3KillerBs]

They usually get 1 to 2 scoops. I went to the shop to figure out how much a scoop of crumble was and it comes out to 2.4 pounds per scoop.

All chicks except for Cornish X broilers should have access to feed 100% of the time during daylight.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

They get fed around 10am once a day.

They usually get 1 to 2 scoops. I went to the shop to figure out how much a scoop of crumble was and it comes out to 2.4 pounds per scoop.

They go through just a little more than 2 gallons of water a day.

That is not enough for growing chickens. Their double breast appearance is most likely because they are trying to stuff themselves as full as possible and quickly as they can. Growing chickens need access to feed all hours during daylight. Only feeding once a day will make them feel starved and also most likely why they are cannibalizing each other.

 

[NatJ]

They get fed around 10am once a day.

They usually get 1 to 2 scoops. I went to the shop to figure out how much a scoop of crumble was and it comes out to 2.4 pounds per scoop.

Does that last them until the next feeding?
Or do they eat it all up and spend time hungry?

I AM seeing a pattern of chicks missing feathers off necks. Is this a nutritional issue or are they outgrowing their feathering?

If they are hungry and have no food, they are probably picking feathers to eat.

Chicken foods are usually formulated to provide the right nutrients when the chickens eat as much as they want. So if you do not provide enough food, they can have a deficiency of everything (protein, energy, vitamins, minerals, etc.) The solution is to let them have all the food they need, not to go looking for supplements or special foods.