malformed wattle on one side - Niederrheiner rooster

[mahanarama]

I’m wondering if anyone can identify what seems to be a birth defect on my rooster - doesn’t seem to have any negative effects other than aesthetic. One side of his wattle doesnt hang down and seems scrunched up, attached to his face. It has always been this way, so I assume is a birth defect but I’ve never seen it before. Just curious what it is and if it is genetic and would pass on. He is a Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner- 5 months old.

 

[ThinMintTheChicken]

I’m wondering if anyone can identify what seems to be a birth defect on my rooster - doesn’t seem to have any negative effects other than aesthetic. One side of his wattle doesnt hang down and seems scrunched up, attached to his face. It has always been this way, so I assume is a birth defect but I’ve never seen it before. Just curious what it is and if it is genetic and would pass on. He is a Lemon Cuckoo Niederrheiner- 5 months old.View attachment 2963170

Did he have his wattle picked on as a chick? I have a rooster with a malformed wattle just like your boy because as a chick his developing wattle was pecked at.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

@RoostersAreAwesome @Amer
@NatJ

These members are knowledgeable with poultry genetics, amongst many other things. Hopefully they'll be able to help

 

[CoopintheWoods]

I had some chickens missing bits of their combs and roosters with chips missing from their wattles their whole lives because parts got picked off as a chick, so I'd agree with @ThinMintTheChicken .

 

[mahanarama]

Did he have his wattle picked on as a chick? I have a rooster with a malformed wattle just like your boy because as a chick his developing wattle was pecked at.

Not that I remember, but it is a possibility. If it had happened when there wasn’t much there I may not have noticed, if there wasn’t much bleeding. Hmm, maybe that could be what happened.

 

[mahanarama]

I had some chickens missing bits of their combs and roosters with chips missing from their wattles their whole lives because parts got picked off as a chick, so I'd agree with @ThinMintTheChicken .

It could be a few areas of scar tissue stopped the rest from hanging down and it grows kinda squashed up like that. Thank you for the observation.

 

[LaFleche]

Apart from being caused by previous injuries, this can also hint to a malformation of the gonad situated on the same side.

 

[mahanarama]

Apart from being caused by previous injuries, this can also hint to a malformation of the gonad situated on the same sinde.

Is there a name for this that I could look up to find out more?

 

[LaFleche]

Is there a name for this that I could look up to find out more?

Not that I know of.

The wattles (and comb) grow due to raising hormonal influence. If the hormones lack because of malfuncioning gonad on one side, the wattle on the same side will not grow or just a little.

 

[aart]

Did he have his wattle picked on as a chick? I have a rooster with a malformed wattle just like your boy because as a chick his developing wattle was pecked at.

Had the same thing here....I called him Willie One Wattle.
It did grow a bit more over the years, and the other wattle got 'frostbite trimmed'.
It didn't affect his virility whatsoever.