Hello, From Sunny Rock Farm

[SunnyRockFarm]

Hello! We are new (as of Friday) Chicken owners! We also have an amazing dog named Emmett and two bee hives as well as two very large vegetable gardens. To start off we ordered 4 Leghorns, 4 Orpingtons, 4 Rhode Island Reds, and 4 Ameraucana easter eggers. They all arrived happy and healthy... but then we realized that one of the Rhode Island Red chicks has three legs. Has this happened to anyone else? How long did the chick live? Were there complications? Was it able to lay? It seems like this dis



formity is effecting its bowel movements...

 

[drumstick diva]

I hope you complained to the seller/hatchery, whatever. They had the chicks and knew it had a third leg, and yet felt that it was okay to ship to a buyer. I would love to know who sent you this bird. There have been others over the years - usually someone had one hatch out. I wonder if the third leg could be amputated, so it wouldn't interfere with pooing.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC. I've never seen that before. Personally, I'd cull the chick, but I most certainly would contact the seller.

Good luck whatever your decision.

CT

 

[SunnyRockFarm]

We ordered from Crackle Hatchey and when I called asking what to do they told me to just keep it separated if the other chicks are picking on it (which from the pic you can see they are) and I said for the rest of her life?! And then they told me to put Vaseline on it so they others won't pick at it. I made an appointment with the vet - but I wanted to know others stories if they had any. I am worried about internal deformities as well.

 

[Chicken Girl1]

I personally think the best thing to do is cull it, but never had an experience with a three legged chick before. Here are some threads that are on the subject:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/39015/three-legged-chicken
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/456131/i-have-hatched-a-three-legged-chick
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1152529/3-legged-chick
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/306671/three-legged-chick