Pictured: 'Ugly' chick born with four wings

A bizarre and "ugly" looking bird was born out of a chicken egg with four wings.

By Andrew Hough
Published: 7:30AM BST 15 May 2010

The extremely rare chicken-guinea fowl hybrid, which is called a guin, was born on Lyn Newman's smallholding.

The 59 year-old raises a number of fowl in Defford, Worcs, but she was astonished when one of her eggs hatched into a weird looking bird even she couldn't identify.

The tiny bird was covered in clumps of feathers and - most strangely of all - had four wings.

The retired social care worker had to trawl the internet before she realised that this bizarre bird was a hybrid.

A rogue guinea had mated with one of her hens, which left the ugly chick.

The four wings are a result of a genetic mutation because of the cross-species breeding.

"I was just shocked when I saw that this thing that hatched had four wings," she said.

"I couldn't believe my eyes. I had no idea what it was until I did some digging around on the internet.

"As well as having extra wings, the bird is also much smaller and is a totally different shape."

She added: "I was shocked when I found out it was a cross between a guinea and a chicken - you just don't expect it. Apparently the cross is very rare.

"But she's settling in really well, and doesn't seem to realise that it's different from all the other chicks. She's just one of the gang.

"We haven't given her a name yet, but the chick very easily identifiable among all its friends."

She continued: "She's an odd looking bird, and apparently extremely rare. I had no idea that guineas could actually breed with chickens.

"I've seen a guinea flying around, so probably soon we'll be overrun with these weird looking birds.

"She's a real character and is one of the gang. I'm thinking of selling her at auction, as apparently guinea-chicken crosses are very rare and also infertile. I'm sure that she will find a very loving home, and that people won't be put off by her four wings."

Sharon Boundy, who operates UK Guinea Fowl, said the hybrid bird sounded like a freak of nature with its four wings.

"It is very rare for chickens and guinea fowl to breed. I've only known of one other guinea-chick in my many years in the business," she said.

"It's especially unusual for them to have four wings though - I've never heard of anything like it.

"It's not dangerous for the two species to breed but they don't tend to go near each other."

She added: "But obviously a guinea fowl just fancied a chicken for a change. Crosses between species can be very odd looking, and this seems to be no exception."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7722786/Pictured-Ugly-chick-born-with-four-wings.html