A chicken hatched on the Tablelands has polymelia, a rare genetic condition causing it to be bullied

A four-legged chicken born in Queensland has been turning heads – and not just down at KFC’s head office.

A four-legged chicken born in Queensland’s Tablelands has been turning a few heads – and not just down at KFC’s head office.

Jess Leeming was on the hunt for a carer to look after her four-legged hen, after she became the target of attacks from other birds.

Ms Leeming believed the condition the bird suffers from – polymelia – is rare, as her grandfather owns a poultry farm and has never seen it before.

Polymelia can affect many species, including humans, and usually involves some kind of genetic mutation causing an extra limb or limbs to grow.

The four-legged chicken was hatched with a rare genetic condition known as polymelia. It has now found a new home and its future looks in fine feather. Picture: Jess Leeming / Facebook

In this chicken’s case the limbs are more or less in the right place, but different versions of polymelia can cause limbs to grow out of the spine, chest, or even the head.

Unfortunately, like humans, chickens can pick on someone who is a little different, and Jess’s chicken has an infection on her back where it has been pecked by other birds.

She said the chicken’s spine stuck out more than the others, which might have attracted their attention.

Ms Leeming posted a picture of the chicken on the FNQ Poultry Facebook page, offering to give it to anyone who might care for it.

“I have a 4-legged (yes, 4-legged) young hen that needs some TLC if anyone is interested?” she wrote.

“She has a large sore where the end of her spine has been pecked and I think her days are limited unless someone with experience takes over free to good home.”

But the story does not seem like one where the little hen is on her last legs, because someone has stepped forward to take her.

“She has been collected by a dedicated bird carer,” Ms Leeming said.

“We are hoping for a positive outcome, although we aren’t sure if her internal systems will be able to pass eggs when she comes of age.”

Originally published as A chicken hatched on the Tablelands has polymelia, a rare genetic condition causing it to be bullied