Genetic issues in pekin bantams?

[morganalefae]

Ok here is the story: I bought some buff mottled pekin bantam eggs on eBay from a seller with a 99% rating. Eggs arrived in just a taped up egg poly box list one do to cracks 3 failed to develop in the first week so removed them. Final 2 were ok and developing or so I thought. 1 stopped moving so cracked it dead chick with one side of its head normal size the other side was smaller (just checked it's legs were deformed as well).

Ok down to one very active egg looked like it was in the air cell how wrong I was when I cracked it open (last batch had shrink wrapped issues thought what the heck) it was it's feet I saw not a beak. The head was under the yolk which was turning brown. Once I found the head (it was still alive as it was moving) to my horror the lower half of the head and beak were normal but no top part of the head and no upper beak and no eyes I think it's brain was were the eyes were supposed to be. Needless to say I killed it so it would not suffer further.

My question is this are the deformities due to incubation issues or genetics. I think it's genetics but I could be wrong. So annoyed and crushed that not 1 out of the 6 eggs was a healthy chick.

 

[Pyxis]

Sorry you had such a bad hatch

It might have just been shipping stress. Imagine what those embryos have to go through to get to us through the mail. They are put through machines, tossed around, hit, thrown, etc. All that can easily do damage to the cells. It's actually quite amazing that we are able to get so many good healthy chicks out of eggs after all that.

That's not to say it couldn't have been genetic, but before assuming that it is we do have to taken into account the incredible stress the little things went through to even get to us. As an example, a friend sent me Call eggs. Most of them did okay, but a good chunk were also mapositioned, and one that died during hatch I found on doing the eggtopsy to be completely lacking an upper beak and its brain was exposed on the side of its head. My friend's birds are perfectly healthy so I can only chalk it up to shipping stress.

 

[morganalefae]

True but it came next day (plus I live in the uk so not much travel time) not to mention that a note on it from the post office of it being fragile they normally have kid gloves over here with hatching eggs via mail. are their any know genetics in pekin bantams like a killer gene?

 

[Pyxis]

Here in the states, not that I know of. There aren't any genes in cochins like the creeper gene that would be lethal. I'm not sure if it's different in the UK.

 

[morganalefae]

Can poor parent stock cause deformities? I.e to much inbreeding.I asked the seller for some advice as they said contact them for advice and to let them know hatch rates etc and they were rude and said it was down to me being rubbish ( they said something far more harsh ) at incubation that I must have not turned them,turned them to much,did not checked humidity and heat (which I did and kept records of it), did not use clean eggs (uh the eggs were theirs so ya dumb of them to say I think) and they said I had a poor knowledge of chickens in general that I was rude by making nasty claims about their wonderful stock great hatch rates etc I just told them what happened and asked if there was anything I could/can do to make sure it don't happen again. And they come back with that makes me wonder if their stock is poor what do you guys think?

 

[Pyxis]

Well that's not a good response. And yes, poor parent stock that doesn't receive the correct nutrition or that's too old could indeed be causing deformities. So that is a possibility. Maybe the person isn't feeding their birds right or is using hens that are too old. Just like with humans the chances of problems with babies goes up as the hens get older.

 

[morganalefae]

That is what I thought. Ppl should be ashamed of themselves for doing that seriously what if it was for a school thing for a bunch of lil kids. Feel sorry for the chicks that were set to fail basically. Hope the seller get their comeuppance.

 

[morganalefae]

Side question tho I had some brahma's in the same incubator only one made it but it seems to have a small area of its eye lid unformed but it seems to be fine and it's running about in the bator after short rests. What are the long term issues it may face if it lives?

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Well that's not a good response. And yes, poor parent stock that doesn't receive the correct nutrition or that's too old could indeed be causing deformities. So that is a possibility. Maybe the person isn't feeding their birds right or is using hens that are too old. Just like with humans the chances of problems with babies goes up as the hens get older.

There are many variables in hatching. Sometimes it's hard to determine what exactly what variable it was that may have affected the hatch. I think there's an article on BYC on this.

I have done a few hatches with my own eggs where the only time they got turned was at candling time...so the eggs were only turned 3-4 times throughout the entire hatch. The majority of the eggs hatched and of the eggs I checked that didn't hatch...I didn't see any deformities. The eggs either lived or died in my case. No other noticeable issues.

Since the breeders mentioned not turning as a possible cause...I thought I'd mention my experience with unturned eggs.

 

[morganalefae]

There are many variables in hatching. Sometimes it's hard to determine what exactly what variable it was that may have affected the hatch. I think there's an article on BYC on this.

I have done a few hatches with my own eggs where the only time they got turned was at candling time...so the eggs were only turned 3-4 times throughout the entire hatch. The majority of the eggs hatched and of the eggs I checked that didn't hatch...I didn't see any deformities. The eggs either lived or died in my case. No other noticeable issues.

Since the breeders mentioned not turning as a possible cause...I thought I'd mention my experience with unturned eggs.

I have read of ppl turning eggs only a few handful of times and had no real issues so it makes me feel a bit better. Just sad they are trying to blame everything on me when it's just as likely poor parent stock and or bad nutrition of their birds or old eggs and bad packaging.. can poorly stored old eggs have deformed chicks?