Is this a breeding or gene issue? and should I get a new Roo

[MsTinaMarie]

I recently was given/rescued 8 Silkie chickens. I ended up with 4 roosters and 4 hens. They came with eggs as well. Because of the change in environment, I put the eggs in my incubator. Once these chicks began to hatch. each one had deformed feet that needed to be splinted because they weren't even able to stand. Their feet were rolled up in a ball Yes I do know Silkies have 4 to 5 toes etc that wasn't what I was seeing as an issue. They had trouble staying upright at all and were unable to eat or drink I lost 2. I began splinting the feet which has corrected the issue. I was not told if they are all related or father, daughter son. mother, or just silkies obtained from different flocks breeding etc. My question is.... Should I remove the current roosters and get one new one to add in? Could this possibly correct any genetic issues? Or when do you know it may be a good idea to rotate out a rooster............Or do you? PS I am raising the Silkies for fertile eggs. I love this little breed...........Sweetest little chickens with the neatest sounds. I used to raise chukars and silkies sound very similar in many ways I love it.

Ok, I am putting up pix. Initially, both feet were balled closed. I would constantly chek and this baby would fall over on its back and be unable to get back up. Once I splinted them baby was able to stand and get around although was pretty pissy about it. LOL As you can see from the pix one foot responded very well to splinting. The other one appears to be not just the toes but the ankle area also which may be giving baby trouble.

The photos below show one foot is now totally fine after splinting the other I haven't been able to help with improvements. If you look at the one photo you can see one foot almost balled up and this gives baby trouble standing. the center photo I have splinted his foot he can stand and get around but you can see how baby stands. And the next photo you can see again one is straight and the other balled up.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Pictures would help

 

[MsTinaMarie]

Pictures would help

Ok I added pix

 

[MsTinaMarie]

Pictures would help

updated with pix

 

[Mrs. K]

If you are raising fertilized eggs to sell for hatching, I would start over with the roosters for sure, but really I think I would with the hens too. Reason - you said all of the chicks were this way. I went back and read carefully - I don't think it says how many chicks you hatched out.

So if it was close to a dozen, that is not good news, if it was two...well maybe not quite as bad of news.

Before I sold any fertilized eggs - I would hatch some again. There might be a slight chance, that in the switch over from them to you, something went wrong with the development...but I don't think so.

I think you better hatch some, and if this shows up again, I would not sell eggs from these parents. Ugh, feel for you.

MRs K

 

[Ridgerunner]

If the eggs came from these chickens I'd start over with all of them, boys and girls. I'd consider this genetic and quite possibly a recessive genetic gene. Once you introduce a recessive gene into your flock it is extremely difficult to get it back out. I would not take the chance to start with.

If you decide to breed them to determine if it is genetic I'd keep one of the boys. If you bring in a new rooster you push that trait back at least one generation since the new one probably does not have that recessive trait. And even with using one of those roosters I'd want to hatch two generations to feel better about that recessive gene being in the flock.

I think it is a lot cleaner to just start over. I don't know that it is a recessive gene, but it very well could be.

 

[LaFleche]

What about your incubator, did it work perfectly with past incubations or did you hatch chicks with deformities prior to the given Silkie eggs?

 

[MsTinaMarie]

In the transfer, the change was about 2 hours from under hen to incubator set at 99.5. But I have no idea what the situation was before I got them as in hen setting regularly or not. I candled them to see if they were developing or not. When I saw they were I put them in the incubator. NON of the chicks from that transfer has been successful. This is the only chick that has survived this long. I had 2 hatches both lived about a day or two and then both went downhill fast. They all had foot issues and needed to be splinted. This one is the only one from that transfer hatch that is alive and other than the leg issue is doing very well. But the leg issue is enough that it is affecting0 it eating and drinking because all energy go to the one leg.

 

[chickengr]

you have to hatch more eggs and see if it happens again. my silkies are siblings and I lost more than 50% chicks, some had feet issues. I have got more chicks from another line for the next year breeding.

 

[MsTinaMarie]

you have to hatch more eggs and see if it happens again. my silkies are siblings and I lost more than 50% chicks, some had feet issues. I have got more chicks from another line for the next year breeding.

That is what I think I am going to do too.