I don't recall ever seeing anything like that, but I hatch a lot of chicks each week, so they don't get much close examination. I'm not sure there there are specific traits that are inbreeding markers. The reason we make that association is that many undesirable traits are genetically recessive, that is the only way those traits survive in a population. For example, Cystic Fibrosis is a single gene recessive, both parents must carry it for a child to show symptoms. If it were dominant it would have been eliminated from the gene pool in a single generation, as many no doubt are (some random, unexplained pre-natal/pre-hatch deaths). Because true random mutations are rare, and inbreeding increases the chance of recessives showing up, we think the appearance of recessive trait means inbreeding is involved, and statistically speaking, that is not a bad assumption, but statistics don't apply well to very small sample sets like your chicks.@dheltzel . Dennis, I'm mentioning you because you hatch out so many chicks. I think my (suspected) little Roo has a hatch defect! I just noticed it tonight. It looks like he has a toenail growing out of the side of his feet! He does have feathered legs, but this is much lower and starting to curl. Have you ever seen anything like this before? Could it be because of inbreeding I wonder? I've heard cats grow extra toes when they are inbred... So weird!
Anyone?
So, I really have no idea about anything you asked. Sorry.
