I can see her heart!?

[FluffyButtBabies]

So I have a four week old chick who is missing a breast bone...? When she was younger she was very fluffy, so I couldn't tell that something was wrong. She had a difficult time breathing and walking from the get-go, so I assumed it was an illness. But as she got older, I decided that there was nothing wrong with her/she got over it, because her issues stopped, but she grows very slowly. All that was visible was a strange large bump in her chest that palpitated constantly. I assumed that was her chest rising and falling. But now she's feathering out, and I got very confused because the palpitations weren't all through her chest, but rather in an isolated section. So I looked at my other chicks and felt around, and they had nothing of the sort in their chests. Only a hard breast bone. So then I decided to feel my other chick's chest. THERE IS NO BONE THERE. There is only a very soft cavity!!! And you can clearly see and feel that the beating in that section is either her heart or some other organ. Her breathing rate doesn't match the palpitations, and they are very steady. I swear it's her heart. She was always a very delicate chick that I had to keep separated, and maybe this is why (I'm surprised she's even alive). Is that even possible? I know there is a similar condition in people, but could that really be her heart that I'm feeling? And what do I do!?

 

[chickenlittle21]

Can I see a picture?

 

[Flockincrazy]

It probably is and there's nothing you can do sorry she seems strong if she has survived she will be good just keep an eye on her

 

[FluffyButtBabies]

Here's a video of her. Sorry for the poor quality, but if you look at her chest you can clearly see it.:

 

[SnapdragonQ]

How interesting!

 

[FluffyButtBabies]

But you see what I mean right? What could it be?

 

[birdlover2]

This is fascinating! I guess it must be some sort of birth (or hatch) defect....but even with it its still possible for her to live a long and good chicken life. You should continue to keep her seperate and keep a close eye on her, maybe have her be a pet chicken? Maybe you could find some sort of chicken clothing with a hard breast-plate to try and protect her heart?? Or perhaps that would cause it to have too little place to move and too much stress and that would make the problem worse...as long as she's functioning just keep an eye on her. I don't think there's such a thing as chicken surgery, and if there is you can't very well put in a bone that isn't there as far as I'm aware, especially if her body has developed this way and the bone would now be problematic. I'll pray for your chick.

 

[Flockincrazy]

Here's a video of her. Sorry for the poor quality, but if you look at her chest you can clearly see it.:

Yup that is her heart that is so cool she is a surviver

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Malformations happen all the time with chickens.
However, chickens don't have a breastbone or a mammalian type ribcage.
They have a keel bone.
They don't expand their chest to breathe. Their tiny lungs are along the backbone and utilize a series of air sacs connected to several hollow bones for air exchange.

 

[FluffyButtBabies]

Okay, so you're saying that because their lungs are located further back, that's not what it is? So does that mean it IS her heart? I'm just trying to figure out what it is at this rate, because obviously I can't fix it. She has trouble growing, too. Could this be part of the reason?