A.M. Eggs
Songster
“Short neck” barred pullet
(Both pictures are of my barred pullets stretching their necks out. Notice how one is way smaller than the other. I can get better pictures if needed.)
Normal barred rock pullet
On May 1st I got what looked to be a normal batch of chicks from Murray McMurray Hatchery. It took me a few weeks to notice that something was off.
I purchased three barred rock pullets to go with my order in order to replace all the ones I lost in January. They all appeared normal for at first but at around two weeks old, one was noticeably different.
You know how chickens have necks that bob back and forth? Well... this barred rock chick didn’t. I first thought “oh! It’s just young,” but I quickly realized that that was not the case. The chick had to kneel down to eat and drink. I began to think that she may have an illness like wry neck.
I looked up anything and everything that had something to do with chicken neck problems but none of the symptoms matched hers. So I began to think about genetics. What if she was born with this “short neck”? Could it impeade her growth in the future?
I kept a close eye on her to make sure that she was getting all the food and water that she needed. She quickly showed me that she knows what she is doing.
Now at eleven weeks old, she is fully integrated within my flock. She may have to reach down to eat and reach high up to drink, but she is definitely a fighter who will come over all challenges.
What are your thoughts? Is there a reason why she was born with this “short neck”? What are the genes for neck length? Do you think that it will show up in her offspring? Thank you!
