Ripley, the 4 legged chicken!?

[hispoptart]

Wow I have never seen anything like that. She sure is cute!

 

[007Sean]

She is adorable!!!

Also I think I have heard of this before or at least similar.

I think it is called Polymelia and chickens (and also cows, humans, etc., can happen in lots of animals) are born with extra limbs whether that’s extra legs or extra wings (or arms), or whatever. But apparently it is not too uncommon. Not exactly common either but it does happen. I think there was another thread on here fairly recently, maybe a couple months ago, about someone with a chicken with the condition. I think that one might have had extra legs too. You might be able to find it by typing polymelia or extra limbs or similar in the search box.

And here is some info I found on it. Pretty interesting. And it seems most chickens can live relatively normal lives even with the extra limbs.

http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/polymelia

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymelia

Yeah, your right Kelsey, I saw the same thread, except I believe it was a quail.

 

[memphis]

Following

 

[aart]

I think there was another thread on here fairly recently, maybe a couple months ago, about someone with a chicken with the condition.

There was duckling with a foot growing out of it head...think it got eaten by a pred or somehow died.

 

[ShrekDawg]

@KDOGG331 thank you for posting those links! Both were extremely interesting



She's just a regular, hatchery Golden Comet pullet

No problem! Glad you found it interesting.

Yeah, your right Kelsey, I saw the same thread, except I believe it was a quail.

There was duckling with a foot growing out of it head...think it got eaten by a pred or somehow died.

I am not sure I ever saw either of those threads. I swore the one I saw was a chicken but I may have been mistaken. I’ll see if I can find it and the other threads to share here.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I found the thread! This one passed away very soon after they got it though although I think it was weak to begin with. Plenty of chickens are still able to live full lives

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/baby-chick-has-polymelia.1297863/

And here’s the duckling I think. Not sure where the update would be though.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/crested-duckling-with-more-than-a-crest.1171664/

Couldn’t find the quail thread but I would like to read that.

Apparently this is not that uncommon since we all thought of 3 different threads on it.

 

[007Sean]

I found the thread! This one passed away very soon after they got it though although I think it was weak to begin with. Plenty of chickens are still able to live full lives

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/baby-chick-has-polymelia.1297863/

And here’s the duckling I think. Not sure where the update would be though.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/crested-duckling-with-more-than-a-crest.1171664/

Couldn’t find the quail thread but I would like to read that.

Apparently this is not that uncommon since we all thought of 3 different threads on it.

Though not that uncommon, thank goodness it's not that common.
The thread I was talking about, the quail had 3 legs. It may have been in a scientific journal article, review but I thought I saw it on here? I'm the worse for trying to remember where I have read something much less trying to find it again, if I don't bookmark it!

 

[SueT]

I don't know what the opposite of polymelia would be called, but Cackle hatchery raised a chick hatched without wings, and they have featured him at their yearly chicken festival. Apparently he's a local celebrity.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Though not that uncommon, thank goodness it's not that common.
The thread I was talking about, the quail had 3 legs. It may have been in a scientific journal article, review but I thought I saw it on here? I'm the worse for trying to remember where I have read something much less trying to find it again, if I don't bookmark it!

That is very true!! Glad there aren’t tons of animals running around with extra legs! Lol

That’s okay, I usually don’t remember where I saw stuff either! I was actually very surprised I was able to find that one so fast lol

It may very well be on here, just didn’t know what to search! The chicken one they put polymelia in the title and knew what it was called so it was easy ha

I don't know what the opposite of polymelia would be called, but Cackle hatchery raised a chick hatched without wings, and they have featured him at their yearly chicken festival. Apparently he's a local celebrity.
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Oh wow!! That is strange!! Although I must say I kind of feel bad for him, I mean how does he run or dustbathe without wings to help stabilize him. Or roost? I guess he doesn’t mate? Don’t want him passing it on? He is handsome though.

 

[MelissaRose]

Please keep us updated as Ripley grows! I have never seen this before.