dwartism in serama breed?

[soap&eggs]

is it possible to have a dwarf chick? two yrs ago i had a overly small home flock hatch -hatched by hen-serama chick..its head was triangle shaped. it lived for several weeks & died..i had purchased around that time several serama newly hatched chciks..they also had the strange shaped heads. they both died within a few days of each other.. well few weeks ago once again i had a home flock serama chick hatch under hen this time..it has the triangle ( reminds me of a guinnea egg shape ) shaped head it is so very tiny . compared to rest of hatch mates. wings & back are feathered , head is naket. its head does look too big for body, almost same size as the reg. size serama chciks that are same age. i do not have photo. so what i am asking is it possible to have dwarfism genes in either a hen or rooster? i have raised chickens for many years many different types of breeds. i have read many many web site info regarding dieases & some what on genes. i do not belong to anyother groups. so felying on someone here to point me in right direction of finding info i am needing ..thank you..for any help.

 

[Bunnylady]

Interesting question! I'm completely new to Seramas, and am at the absorbing-information-like-a-sponge stage.

I'm trying to remember where I saw it - just a couple of days ago - some information about a lethal gene in Seramas. There is one in the Japanese Bantam, which is one of the foundation breeds for the Serama. The gene in question causes short legs, something that they are trying to breed away from in the Serama. It doesn't really sound like what you are dealing with, because chicks that get this gene die just before or just after hatching (not several weeks later, like what you are seeing.) I'll keep my eyes open; if I find anything else, I'll post it here.

 

[soap&eggs]

thanks for reply....no i do not think it has anything to do with the lethel gene...legs are appr. size for body size. today i put several cages of baby seramas all into one big pen...the abnormalness is very noticeable. the chick is several weeks older then some others..the younger ones are same size...or even taller. i do hope this odd looking chick lives a long healthy life. would be a good study seeing if it passes on gene that caused this..but..not sure if it is even gene related. i do not have a reg. computer- just phone w/ tiny keyboard...am having trouble in searching site..is there a seperate genics page or just right here?

 

[welasharon]

I too read something about a lethal gene and was thinking it was in the seramas but I am not too sure. There is a thread on seramas that you may read through...also the guy named Jerry who imported them over here may have had something on his site? maybe?

 

[BluegrassSeramas]

I have never had any chicks with an unusual shaped head.
If it was hen hatched, then I dont guess it would have to do with incubating temp or humidity problems..
The only think I can think of that sometimes causes problems in other animals---- is some kind of chemical or pesticide in the environment maybe causing a mutation?

I do have some things I call dwarfs, but not the same as you are having, since they seem and look normal.
I get some chicks that just stay tiny and don't feather out like their siblings.
They grow VERY SLOWLY, so that they still look like they are 2 weeks old when they are 4 months or so.
I have kept some to see what happens, but they usually dont thrive and some I ended up culling or they eventually passed. I had to hold all these types of chicks back in a brooder while their brothers and sisters and later hatches were raised up and outgrew them.

I never saw it before in my other breeds until a recent Ameraucana Bantam chick that was raised my one of my Cochins.
The little pullet is going on three months or so and still has her chick down with a few feathers coming in. She now seems to be getting a few more in, but she should be fully feathered out by now. Also her tail feathers are still not in.
I wish I could tell you more, but all the birds I have are from my line with no new blood added--so it might just be something that
I dont have the genes for.
This is the first time I have read about the head shape though, and I've been a "serama-sponge" for years now.
Its pretty interesting though.
If you get any pictures, I would like to see!
Thanks,
Jessi

 

[soap&eggs]

thanks jessi for replying.. i think what you are referring to regarding down feathering- or late bloomers...i do not know actual name i call that late feathering gene...i see it often in my blacks and blue cochins...they dont need extra heat or anything..do just fine with rest of hatch mates..what i have seen with those is all are roosters. nothing scientfic just what i see in my own flocks. i noticed on your info you also have silkiseramas.. i lost my black one but one year later was so excited had a gold one hatch...must have a hen carring silkie gene...sooo tiny & cute. he is now 6 mts old...cant wait to see if he will propuce traits in offspring. in 100's of hatchings only one...dont think the odds are in my favor..but will keep records & fingers crossed that next yr will have a small starter flock of silkiedseramas....