my 3 day old chicks have 5 toes

[kimehag]

hi all a question for you experienced chicken people ,i have a 5 toed cockerel and i guess he's fathered 2 chicks which now have 5 toes does this mean they are cockerels or could a hen have 5 toes.......

 

[bigbuddha09]

thats usually dependent on the chicken breed some have 4 toes some have 5's if he is supposed to have 4 toes then he may not be a purebred has the genetics from somewhere in his past.

 

[bigbuddha09]

so in other words it could be a male or a female

 

[kimehag]

Hi well I'm not sure if he he pure bred ,if he is can u get hens with 5 toes then

 

[bigbuddha09]

he more then likely at one point was mixed with a silkie or sultan or something along those lines so there is a chance that any babies that come from him will either have 4 or 5 toes hen or rooster.

 

[bigbuddha09]

im not sure of the exact genetics probably something along the lines of 50%-25% rooster or hen will have 5 toes

 

[kimehag]

great thanks ill live in hope then that they could be hens fanksssss

 

[bigbuddha09]

not a problem we are always hoping that roosters are always the sweetest for me so im always sad to let them go lol.

 

[keesmom]

Silkies, Sultans, Faverolles, Dorkings and Houdans are the 5 toed breeds. The number of toes is not a sex linked trait, so some of your chicks could be pullets.

 

[BantamLover21]

Silkies, Sultans, Faverolles, Dorkings and Houdans are the 5 toed breeds. The number of toes is not a sex linked trait, so some of your chicks could be pullets.

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