What’s going on with this bird?

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Happy
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What’s going on with this bird?

Post by Happy » Sun Dec 09, 2018 12:18 pm

@WLLady
@windwalkingwolf

I’m sharing this pic with permission of the owner. 3 months old. Has always had the odd feathers on right side-they grow backwards. Notice leg colour. Chick eats fine and doesn’t have mobility issues. Hatched from purchased eggs from barnyard mix chickens. No idea of parents skin colour. Any thoughts on what’s exactly going on with her?
942DA62E-AA54-4243-B72B-B1D95738EB40.jpeg
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kenya
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Re: What’s going on with this bird?

Post by kenya » Sun Dec 09, 2018 3:46 pm

Wow Nice looking in a weird way , looks like a bit of frizzle in it ,only showing up on one side.
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Killerbunny
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Re: What’s going on with this bird?

Post by Killerbunny » Sun Dec 09, 2018 4:18 pm

Those different legs are odd too. No clue why!
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windwalkingwolf
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Re: What’s going on with this bird?

Post by windwalkingwolf » Sun Dec 09, 2018 7:37 pm

It's a germ line Chimera, which is one bird with two different sets of DNA. If one side is female and the other is male, it's called a gynandromorph.
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Happy
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Re: What’s going on with this bird?

Post by Happy » Sun Dec 09, 2018 9:30 pm

I wondered if it might be a chimera. The owner says it’s smaller than the rest of its hatch mates. She also says it acts like a cockerel but looks like a hen. So maybe a gynandromorph? So interesting. Thanks!
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ross
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Re: What’s going on with this bird?

Post by ross » Sun Dec 09, 2018 11:18 pm

Boy named Sue
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WLLady
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Re: What’s going on with this bird?

Post by WLLady » Mon Dec 10, 2018 8:25 am

yep www has nailed it. it's a chimera, chances are one of the parents is dominant white, and that would be the parent that had whatever "hiccup"-either two ova ovulated, or 2 sperm got into the ovum....
and yes, i would bet from those legs that the one half is male and the other female.
and for those that dare to wonder, no that does not mean it can fertilize it's own eggs!! LOL.
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Happy
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Re: What’s going on with this bird?

Post by Happy » Mon Dec 10, 2018 12:03 pm

Thanks ladies! And the chicks owner says thanks too! There’s no poultry forum anywhere with this much experience and brain power
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Re: What’s going on with this bird?

Post by Farrier1987 » Mon Dec 10, 2018 3:27 pm

Feathers growing like that are a pretty sure sign of leprosy.
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Re: What’s going on with this bird?

Post by Ontario Chick » Mon Dec 10, 2018 4:07 pm

Farrier1987 wrote:
Mon Dec 10, 2018 3:27 pm
Feathers growing like that are a pretty sure sign of leprosy.
I think we should give @Farrier1987 a title of top diagnostician, they are just as hard to come by as hen's teeth. ;)
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