What is this?(non-emergency?)

[Rose Quartz]

I've been hatching for several years i've never seen this.

The chick just hatched in incubator, from my own eggs. It has what looks like black bugs all over it's skin.

It should be 100% barred rock but there's no head spot that i can see. It could be the black bumps are obsucring it though.

My flock might have scaley leg mites, i'm not sure though since they don't have ruffled scales. That shouldnt pass through to a chick in egg though.

Any ideas?

 

[Amer]

That would be clubbed down. I get it sometimes. It’s caused by a fluctuation in humidity in incubation. I can’t remember if it was caused by too much or too little.
Other times it may be genetic but it’s no big deal.
Anyways, while they aren’t cute and fluffy as chicks, they will feather in like normal.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

That would be clubbed down. I get it sometimes. It’s caused by a fluctuation in humidity in incubation. I can’t remember if it was caused by too much or too little.
Other times it may be genetic but it’s no big deal.
Anyways, while they aren’t cute and fluffy as chicks, they will feather in like normal.

*Edit* read later comments as it has been determined this is more likely genetic, not vitamin deficiency*
Interesting.. I had never heard of this so I googled it. Looks like riboflavin deficiency in the embryo.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119536744

 

[Eggcessive]

Interesting. If riboflavin deficiency is the cause, it would be good to supplement riboflavin (vitamin B2) by providing some Poultry Cell daily or give water or food that has crushed human vitamin B complex, available at most grocery and drugs stores.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Interesting. If riboflavin deficiency is the cause, it would be good to supplement riboflavin (vitamin B2) by providing some Poultry Cell daily or give water or food that has crushed human vitamin B complex, available at most grocery and drugs stores.

View attachment 2128657

Okay so I read the full version of that article and apparently the riboflavin thing was disproved and it is a genetic issue. "Shortened down in chicks is associated with the gene for extended black, E (Kabystina and Petrov, 1935; Bernier and Cooney, 1955; Hawes and Fox, 1962). Both shortened and clubbed down have been observed in the females from a R. I.R. X B.P.R. cross (Hutt, 1951) and it was concluded that the incidence of the abnormality was influenced by the residual genotype since it did not appear when combined with other traits such as barring." However, all of the research is old. BUT if I am understanding this correctly, congrats, because I think that's a hen.

 

[Kusanar]

Okay so I read the full version of that article and apparently the riboflavin thing was disproved and it is a genetic issue. "Shortened down in chicks is associated with the gene for extended black, E (Kabystina and Petrov, 1935; Bernier and Cooney, 1955; Hawes and Fox, 1962). Both shortened and clubbed down have been observed in the females from a R. I.R. X B.P.R. cross (Hutt, 1951) and it was concluded that the incidence of the abnormality was influenced by the residual genotype since it did not appear when combined with other traits such as barring." However, all of the research is old. BUT if I am understanding this correctly, congrats, because I think that's a hen.

Huh, if I'm reading this correctly, it's a genetic abnormality that could be used to sexlink. If it doesn't cause harm, that might be something interesting to breed for if so. Sell the cute fluffy ones (males) and keep the weird looking ones (females) lol

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Huh, if I'm reading this correctly, it's a genetic abnormality that could be used to sexlink. If it doesn't cause harm, that might be something interesting to breed for if so. Sell the cute fluffy ones (males) and keep the weird looking ones (females) lol

Bahaha yes that was the impression I got from it too

 

[Granny Hatchet]

I've been hatching for several years i've never seen this.
View attachment 2128587

The chick just hatched in incubator, from my own eggs. It has what looks like black bugs all over it's skin.

It should be 100% barred rock but there's no head spot that i can see. It could be the black bumps are obsucring it though.

My flock might have scaley leg mites, i'm not sure though since they don't have ruffled scales. That shouldnt pass through to a chick in egg though.

Any ideas?

Looks like bugs to me too OP. Is it a sticky chick? Hows its feet ?

 

[Rose Quartz]

There is a possibility of it being a RIRxBPR this partcular hatch had some RIR eggs mixed in. I dont have the hens anymore though.

It seemed extra goopy when it first hatched but none of my other chicks are having problems with excessive moisture.

Feet look fine and it's skuttling around. It,s dry but still looks unfuzzy.

That's a really interesting genetic thing. I've never heard of it. I haven't had a chance to read links yet i'll go do that now.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

My friend was having trouble with an incubator and she had a few chicks like this that she dubbed "crispy chicks" lol (because the fluff was actually hard and dry!). She was able to gently wash the crud off of them and they fluffed up perfectly fine. I have also had one that wasn't as severe and I just left it alone and it eventually fluffed up normally with handling and gently wiping it off a bit. The chick in your picture looks like it could use a little bath though. Just be careful not to rinse it's face.

It was very interesting to read about the clubbed down! You learn something new every day!