Page 1 of 3

Split Wing

Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 9:35 am
by Ontario Chick
This is a first time I have come across this, parent stock used before.
At 2 days old, it was obvious the primaries didn't tuck in the way they should, but just chalked it up to fast feather growth.
At 10 days it's obvious it's a split wing, and not a bid deal, he feels hefty so BBQ it is, but has me wondering how common is this? I have been raising poultry for ....umm, donkeys years and incubating for dozen years, never saw one before, is this a start of a slippery slope, because frankly I am already sliding backwards here.......... ;)
Am split wing.jpg
the chicks is on the right
Am 3 black.jpg

Split Wing

Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 9:41 am
by WLLady
are you sure it's split and not loose? if it's split it's a recessive gene....from what i've read it's a don't use in your breeding program, it is recessive so very easily covered by breeding to "not split" winged birds, but that doesn't remove it from the pool, just covers it. suggests that it's in the parent stock because 2 copies (1 from each parent) would be needed to give the double recessive.....
so if you know who the parents are you can not use them in breedings and hopefully remove it from the pool.....sigh. sorry it popped up, i've seen it once in turkeys, but not ever in chickens-it's really rare apparently.

Split Wing

Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 11:09 am
by Ontario Chick
They are only 10 days old, and it's definitely BBQ I have no risk tolerance whatsoever :)
The male is second gen. my bird, used last year, one of the hens might be his mother, the other 2 hens unrelated.
Hopefully I will hear from anybody who got hatching eggs from me, if they had that crop up in their chicks.
I suppose if you stick around long enough, you are bound to see something odd crop up eventually? :)

Split Wing

Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 1:53 pm
by Robbie
No worries, if they are like my chicks were they won't look like split wings once the feathers grow in completely. I found this happened to the pullet chicks from time to time, fast feather growth that looks like split or even angel wings, but they all finished normally.

Split Wing

Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 3:05 pm
by WLLady
Thats kinda what i was thinking too....i have turkeys that look like this too but then feather in normally...just because they are feathering fast and loose. Lol

Split Wing

Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 7:56 pm
by Doug The Chickenman
As it grows you can tape the feathers in the Right position for a week or two. I have it with a Call duck and couldn't keep the tape on her. You can also pull the feathers and see how they grow back in.

Split Wing

Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 10:49 pm
by Ontario Chick
Thanks for the input, I will give him some time to see how it develops, and will take pics when fully feathered.
Just checked my notes and the hens aren't closely related.
Doug I think taping Ameraucana wings would be just as successful as taping Call duck wings. ;)

Split Wing

Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 10:57 pm
by goodfellow
Angel wing in ducks is not the same as split wing in chickens, I do not think taping will help split wing. Pretty hard to tell split wing at that age, but I guess it is possible.

Split Wing

Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2016 11:01 pm
by Ontario Chick
Thanks for your input Frank, I wouldn't even mention it, if it didn't look so obviously not right from the moment the first feathers came in , I guess time will tell.

Split Wing

Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2016 8:05 am
by Killerbunny
Some of my turkey poults look like that early on until they feather in properly. Nearly had a fit the first time!