Day old Chick just hatched with a Comb Sticker??(PIC's) Inside

[k2chickens]

Just hatched these little ones and i found one of the chicks has an extra growth or "sticker" coming out from around the comb/beak area. The hatching egg's this little one came from were VERY expensive, so i'm trying to figure out what to do.

don't want to cull, wonder if i could just clip it off? "They dock day old puppy tails and dew claws so why not this" i guess is how im thinking. These chick's were planed to be used for further improving their breed.

 

[chicklips]

Some people will dock day old chicks combs to pass a certain standard later for showing. I can't remember what breed of chicken they do this on maybe OE? If you are planning on using the new chicks to improve a breed then I would not use this chick. You don't know if it is a gene which could carry over when it is ready to breed or if it is a one time event.

 

[k2chickens]

Quote:
thanks for your input. Anyone else??

 

[lemurchaser]

If you are planning on showing or selling the chicken then it would seem unethical to remove a genetic defect. If you are making your own breeding program, then its up to you if you want to add that genetic stock to it.

I don't think there is any benefit to removing it now vs later. I would wait and see what it grows into, it may fade on its own. You can always tie a piece of thread around it later and it will fall off. It's just a skin tag most likely, and won't hurt anything to leave it there. I'd just leave it be.

 

[Mahonri]

Is it hard or soft?

 

[k2chickens]

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it moves up and down when i put my finger on it so i would guess it's soft

 

[SillyChicken]

If you plant to use to for breeding stock, just cause you remove the flaw doesn't mean it won't still be in the genes. It is unethical to modify an amimal, to hide flaws etc... and then make any claims of using quality stock... If you leave it, and still decide to use it for breeding, you're at least not hiding anything.

If you've paid a high price for the chick, I'd ask for a refund... you obviously didn't get what you should have gotten.

 

[k2chickens]

Quote:
yea but she sent me 4 extra egg's, very nice girl too, would hate to ask for a re-fund. I suppose i will just let her be, let her grow up, and hatch a few of her first pullet egg's. If i see the gene still there....freezer camp awaits. I looked tho and could not find anything on skin tags relating to genes in chickens .