Toes and toenails...chick abnormalities

[teddiliza]

I have a question, 2 of my chicks have a split rear toe (like a 5th toe) on one leg, and a normal rear toe on the other. Some of my chicks are missing toenails as well.

Is this an incubation issue, or something that would be passed onto other offspring?

I don't know what the parents look like, but the chicks are RIR/favorelle/cochin mixes

Thanks

 

[Blisschick]

The extra toes/missing toenails are a genetic thing. Extra toes come from something like Silkie parentage, breeds that have an extra hind toe. I'm not sure what other breeds have it, but my Buff laced polish have the thing with the missing toenails. It's hereditary, because some chicks will have normal feet, some missing toenails, or the whole end of the toe missing. My roo has the first toe of each foot missing up to the second joint.

 

[tellynpeep]

Faverolles have 5 toes, so the abnormal/extra toe is probably genetic. When you mix breeds you can get all sorts of interesting things. I hatched a silkie cross that had funny-looking feet; I posted pics on a thread here a while ago.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Agreed, genetic. Toes are relatively small on the scale of points they are worth during judging, but they are also easy to correct through selective breeding.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

There are five breeds with 5 toes: silkie, faverolle (both already mentioned), sultan, houdan & dorking.

The polydactyl gene is dominant, but there are a couple of alleles that can cause rather extreme expression.

 

[eestep8]

What about a 6th toe on a silkie is that a disqualification?

This thread is very helpful since I have several with missing toenails and was wonding if they were still showable.

Thanks

 

[teddiliza]

Wow! So if you have a rooster or a hen with missing toenails, some of the chicks or ALL of the chicks will have missing toenails?

Could you breed for 'declawed chickens'?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

The wrong number of toes is always a DQ (assuming the judge notices--which they should)

Missing toenails are a small point deduction.

I would assume that missing toenails is genetic, and I certainly would not breed for it. It is most likely recessive.

 

[teddiliza]

I was just thinking they'd do a whole lot less damage in the garden without the toenails....and you wouldn' t have to worry about clipping them, or getting scratched when they decide to perch on you.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

And missing toenails would also provide less protection when a dog, cat, hawk or ... decides they would make a nice snack.