SHORT COMMUNICATION: CONGENITAL DEFECTS IN A 4 DAY OLD LOCAL CHICK

摘要

A four day old Nigerian local chick was presented to the avian ambulatory clinic of the veterinary Teaching Hospital, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, because it was hatched with 4 limbs upon which it could not support its weight. It also could not feed on its own. History further revealed that it was the only one affected among six chicks hatched from the same clutch of eggs. There were two rudimentary hind limbs and two normal hind limbs. The two rudimentary limbs were attached to the left normal hind limb (Fig. 1). Aventro dorsal radiograph was taken and it showed an abnormally placed but fully formed limb on the left side of the chick and was attached to the left hemipelvis. The second abnormal rudimentary limb consisting of only the digits and metatarsus was attached to the aforementioned limb at the proximal half of it's tibia (Fig. 2). The normal hind limbs had 4toes each while the 2 rudimentary limbs had 3 toes each making a total of 14 toes.