crooked toe - genetic flaw or incubator caused

So I was sitting down having a good look at my three mille fleur d'uccles that are about 10 weeks old now. I noticed one of the has an extremely crooked toe. It almost looks like it was broken and then set completley sideways. I do remember one of them having a curled toe at hatch but I never noticed anything until now. Is this possbibly a genetic flaw or from the incubator? I am trying to decide between these three boys who to keep. And do want to show so I guess he's out in this respect but maybe could be a back up breeder?

Any thoughts anyone?



Anne

I would discard him as a breeder myself unless there are pretty big faults with the other two. I have used a rooster with crooked toes, but only because it was late in the season and I had trouble finding a rooster when I got the crooked toed rooster. I then examined the off spring closely for this fault.

I am going to wait a few months to decide still so hopefully the other two will be better candidates!

Usually incubator temperature. Can also be caused by riboflavin deficiency or too-smooth brooder floors, or overcrowding in brooder. More rarely, but apparently indistinuishable from other causes, an autosomal recessive gene (so has to be inherited from both parents).