It’s been almost two years since my mentor, Dr Vicki Bowes, avian vet/pathologist and I have been meeting up to look at cases that I collect to figure out a diagnosis and treatment plan, if possible. She’s alternately called these sessions ‘Show And Tell’ or ‘Best Guess’. Recently she invited me over for what she termed ‘Gore-fest’ which was fitting as I’ve endeavored to find some more interesting and challenging cases for her. It’s especially satisfying if I can come up with conditions she’s never seen before.
We’ve worked on well over 100 cases and have definitely come across some oddities before, but I thought it would be interesting to dedicate a post or two specifically on the weird stuff that happens to chickens.
Dwarfism
Bitchin’ Chickens: I found this photo with no background information and no idea if the chick survived to adulthood.
Dr Bowes: Chromosomal problems are often linked to issues with the heart. External issues are often indicators of internal issues. An x-ray might indicate what is going on internally.
Fused Toes
This is the second chick in three weeks that has hatched with six fused and constricted toes and clubbed down on its legs. The parents were both from Orpington breeders that I’ve had for over two seasons. I am not line breeding and the breeders purchased from are adamant they did not line breed. Hatched on time and otherwise seems normal. The chick has now been culled, as it seemed to be uncomfortable and struggled getting to food and water.
Dr Bowes: I think this developmental issue is genetic. Some breeds, like Silkies, are more prone to polydactyly and foot issues. Oddities like that can also be the result of inconsistent temperature issues during incubation, but I wouldn’t breed the parent stock again.
Extra Nails
Dr Bowes: This is a congenital issue in which a cluster of adjacent cells with the same function end up replicating features such as nails. Breeds with feathered shanks tend to have weird leg and foot issues like polydactyly.
Polydactyly
What is up with this chick’s toes? – Liz Boman
Bitchin’ Chickens: Polydactyly is a genetic mutation causing extra toes. There are several chicken breeds where five (not four) toes is the standard (and a requirement of the Standard of Perfection) including Dorking, Faverolle, Houdan, Silkie and Sultan.
This is my two-week-old chick. What is in its nostril? – Kristen Marie
Dr Bowes: It appears to be a keratinous growth like a cutaneous horn. The at-home solution is to take a small pair of sharp scissors or scalpel and cut it off.
Kyphosis
What’s going on with this 12-week-old Lavender Orpington I got from a hatchery? She isn’t growing properly and is on chick feed and extra vitamins. Is this failure to thrive? All other chicks have been outside for a few weeks and are huge compared to her. – Justin Bell
Dr Bowes: She has kyphosis, a congenital spinal deformity. Although she is smaller than your other birds she may be able to live a normal life. You need to monitor her for quality of life. Feeling vulnerable is stressful and can affect the immune system.
Bitchin’ Chickens: I would love to see an X-ray of her spine and how it might affect her mobility. My suggestion is to treat her as a special needs chickens, by either making her a house chicken or housing her on her own with a couple of birds from docile breeds (e.g. Silkies).
Skull Deformity
Dr Bowes: Is this a bird from a breed with vaulted skulls? In addition to having exencephaphaly (the brain is outside the body) the shape of the skull should be more domed. Recommendation: euthanasia.
Bitchin’ Chickens: I presented these photos to Dr Bowes because I have birds descended from breeds with vaulted skulls (e.g. Polish, Silkie) and wanted to know if there were other issues associated with the vaulted skull gene.
Dr Bowes: Other than being vulnerable to head injuries and issues related to conformation of the brain and cerebellum I’m not aware of genetic links to other health issues.
Twisted Wing
I have an 8-week-old Serama chick that is the runt. It has huge wings and the rest is a fuzzy yellow chick. Today some of his wing feathers look flipped. Upon closer inspection the wing joint is now wrong; it looks very up and forward. I’m scared to break the wing by trying to put it back if I can even figure what back is. – Connie Kosky
Dr Bowes: The wing needs to be anatomically corrected immediately. Clip, don’t pull, the feathers to take some of the weight off. Put the chick in a body sock to keep the wing in place. You still may end up euthanizing it.
Glossary
Clubbed Down: is characterized by a failure of the down feather follicle to rupture the surrounding sheath, causing the feather to coil and assume the appearance of a French knot or bubble.
Exencephaly: when the brain is located outside the skull
Kyphosis: a spinal disorder in which an excessive curve of the spine results in an abnormal rounding of the upper back. In severe cases, the condition is sometime referred to as hunchback
Polydactyly: a congenital condition resulting in extra toes
That wraps up another episode of the fun and wacky stuff found in nature and maybe even in your coop. I hope these cases didn’t disappoint.
If you’ve got an interesting story you’d like to share drop me a line via the ‘contact’ button on my home page.
Once again, my appreciation goes out to Dr Bowes for indulging my passion in the weird and wonderful, and along the way learning more about chickens with the intention of passing that on to my readers.
Bitchin' Chickens 
A very interesting read. I greatly appreciate all the valuable information.
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