Not an injury; 'Tag' on chick's jaw.

[Zinjifrah]

Last night, aka early this morning, my eighth and last chick hatched out of the set I incubated.

It hatched from a very long, skinny egg - I've heard that eggs that shape can have difficulties. However, it seemed to do just fine, despite being the last one out. Then it cut its belly on a piece of shell, and got blood everywhere... but that was cleaned up, disinfected (chick and incubator both) and seems to be giving it no problem at all.

However, during the process of cleaning the chick up, I noticed a peculiarity on its jaw;

It seems to be a rubbery 'tag' extending down from right about where the wattles will be. It doesn't seem to hurt the chick, though when I examined it, there was indication that it has feeling. The texture is similar to its beak. Is this a deformed feather follicle of some kind? Perhaps an extrusion of beak material, genetic defect?

Any ideas and information are appreciated. The photos were taking this morning, about nine hours after the chick hatched - it spent the night in the incubator. It's now in the brooder, and seems to be doing fine, though I'm about to go look up information on foot problems. If it offers any insight into the nature of the 'Tag', both this chick and another, similarly marked and from eggs that looked similar in color and size, but were different shapes, appear to have trouble walking properly. The rooster was Cochin; I do not know what the hen was, but the options I was told were: Cochin, RIR, EE, unknown black and unknown buff. Due to what is usually available around here, I suspect Australorp for the black, and Orpington for the buff, but cannot confirm those suspicions.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Does it feel like another beak?
Can the chick eat/drink o.k.?

@granny hatchet have you seen this?

 

[Zinjifrah]

Does it feel like another beak?

The material feels like the beak material, but it's not shaped like a beak, and doesn't seem to be attached to anything in the chick's jaw - just the skin. It's the same color as the egg tooth. To me, it seems visually a lot like the start of a feather follicle, but it doesn't have a 'root', if you will - it extends directly from the skin, and is easily manipulated in any direction. My first thought on seeing it was actually to wonder if it had an absorbed twin, but I don't think that's the case.

I do think that the hen who laid the eggs these two chicks came from may have had some serious vitamin deficiencies. I always give vitamin-enhanced water to my chicks, and after encouraging them to get some into them - it does contain Riboflavin - they are already starting to move around better.

And... I did take the chick out just now to play with its tag, just to be sure I was describing it correctly. Little bugger fell asleep in my hand, and is now passed out in my shirt pocket.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Interesting!
I just don't know what that could be. I had thought about it being part of a twin, but you would likely have noticed that when candling (?Ithink)

Parent stock nutrition is very important for the proper development of the embryo. I don't understand it all and I'm still learning, the embryo develops in stages so yes, a vitamin/mineral deficiency can cause deformities.

I hope someone has seen this before, I would like to know. It may be one of those "let's wait to see what happens " or it may drop off as the chick develops.

 

[Zinjifrah]

Interesting!
I just don't know what that could be. I had thought about it being part of a twin, but you would likely have noticed that when candling (?Ithink)

Parent stock nutrition is very important for the proper development of the embryo. I don't understand it all and I'm still learning, the embryo develops in stages so yes, a vitamin/mineral deficiency can cause deformities.

I hope someone has seen this before, I would like to know. It may be one of those "let's wait to see what happens " or it may drop off as the chick develops.

Exactly! It's an interesting peculiarity. I didn't notice anything unusual about either egg during candling. Part of my examination earlier was to make sure that it doesn't hurt or bother the chick - and it doesn't seem to be conscious of it at all, though it responds to pressure put on it. I didn't put enough pressure to cause any damage. If it were damaging to the chick, I'd consider removing it - I think a pair of surgical scissors and a dab of baking powder would be sufficient. However, since it doesn't appear to bother it at all, I want to leave it there and see what happens.

The problem with the feet isn't spraddle-leg, and the toes aren't curled up. They both turn their toes inward, though, a reversed duck-foot stance, and the outside toe remains folded under slightly - like walking on the outside edge of your foot. They are starting to open their feet up properly now and walk properly, weight evenly distributed, visibly perking up since I moved them to the brooder and got them drinking enhanced water. None of the other chicks display any problems with their feet or ability to walk, just these two from visually similar eggs, with visually similar markings.

 

[WVduckchick]

I gotta stick around to see if anyone else has ever seen this. I have not.

@Pyxis @casportpony

 

[BrindleFinch]

My vert first thought was it looks like a tooth - a vestigial tooth from their t-rex ancestry?

Jokes aside, I hope someone has an answer for you! I've never seen anything like it, even lurking BYC.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

Are you sure it cut itself on the shell and the blood didnt come from its umbilical ? First thing is put some antibiotic ointment on that.
Does the tag get skinny at the base ? It feels like soft toenail ? I wonder if there is a blood supply to it ? If you pinch it does it change color ? Turn whiter ?

 

[Granny Hatchet]

Does it feel like another beak?
Can the chick eat/drink o.k.?

@granny hatchet have you seen this?

Thanks for the "tag" @Wyorp Rock LOL I believe it to be similar to soft beak material that will harden with age . Would be interesting to see inside the mouth . If it dont extend and gets smaller at the base I would be temped to snip it off but blood flow would be a concern. A "hang nail" if you will.

 

[casportpony]

Strange, never seen anything like that.