Strange Chick Born

[AthamGI]

I have a large fowl hen, of silkie, game, and sex-link linage, who has been setting for a long time, well over 21 days. She is new to setting, and a few times I had to take her off the nest so that she could eat, drink, and let the eggs cool. Well, today she hatched a chick, and I gotta say... it's the weirdest looking chick I've EVER seen. First off, its skin is squishy and sticky, and its down seems scarce,. Second, one side of its face is very small, and the other side of its face is large and puffy. Apart from its physical defects, it looks and sounds healthy.

Does anyone know what might be wrong with it? :-/

 

[TyrannosaurusChix]

can we see a picture???

 

[AthamGI]

Haha, when (if) it dries out. It's skin is like silly puddy... I'm afraid I'll hurt it if I touch it too much. I named it Merrick, after Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man.

 

[mrslb333]

Oooh I need to see this

Great name by the way

 

[MuranoFarms]

Does it seem like the rubbery skin is a soft fluid filled blister? I had one like this a few months back. Give it a few days, it will probably go down on its own. At the time I thought it was a mushy chick....I just gave it extra TLC and he did fine.
Good luck!

 

[AthamGI]

^ Thanks! I hope it's not mushy chick... I was worried that might be the problem, and I know it's nearly always a fatal disease.
Well, the deformities on its face shrank down as it dried out. It looks more "normal" now, but one eye is still smaller than the other. I'll take a picture when I get a chance. Compared to its nestmate that hatched this morning, Merrick looks ratty and disheveled.