Oddities

[John W Blehm]

This subject is covered in my Ameraucana Chickens book.

John W Blehm

[Cesar Villegas]

Wow, John you sure do get some unusual chicks hatching at your place lol..

Whatever happened to the 4 legged chick?

[Suki]

That was in 2012  Whatever happened to the 4 legged chick?

That's the weirdest thing I've ever seen.

[Holly Frosch]

Goodness, John!  Is this a Michigan (PBB) thing? Kind of interesting, though ...

[Mike Gilbert]

Ever since that nuclear reactor next to John's place exploded . . . . 

[Mike Gilbert]

John, can you think of anything in the development of these birds that had feathered legs?    I have seen it on other chicks of several breeds, so always assumed it was a minor mutation. 

[Mike Gilbert]

  I've noticed most of these aberrations occur here when eggs are saved for hatching during cold weather.    This year I have had a number of chicks from my bantam Dark Brahma pair where the outer two toes are fused together.   The adult pair have perfectly normal toes, but they are related.   I guess these chicks wanted to be ducks!  Click on the photos to enlarge them. 

[Russ Blair]

I am truly rolling on the floor over here  between mo Hawks and fusion I am cracking up. I also liked reminiscing over the past oddities as well

[Beth Curran]

  I've noticed most of these aberrations occur...

... at John's house. I believe I'll bring bottled water to Fowl Fest! 

[Max Strawn]

I have never seen or heard of this before. This chick hatched with no eyes! 

[Beth Curran]

I had one a long time ago. It also had a crossed beak.

[Russ Blair]

He or she will be easy to catch 

[Jensen Pierson]

That is the coolest and yet weirdest thing ever. Are you going to let it live? Be interesting to see how long it lasts.

[Cesar Villegas]

I have never seen or heard of this before. This chick hatched with no eyes! 

I knew I'd seen that condition before and searched thru my photos.  The one I found was in 2011, a Chantecler without eyes and a shortened upper beak.  Strange how some of the same oddities pop up.
While searching I also found a photo of a chick with bulgy eyes from 2013.

i had a chick hatch with bulging eyes a couple of months ago. Unfortunatelty it was a male do to my auto sex mating, I culled it due to space and me not needing males.

[Beth Curran]

Unfortunatelty it was a male do to my auto sex mating, I culled it due to space and me not needing males.

I'm not familiar with the bulging eyes but I've heard that chicks born without eyes usually have brain damage and are unlikely to survive. I don't remember if I culled mine or if it expired on it's own first.