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When I purchased my current flock of whites, I was unaware that they carried the barred gene. So, some of the offspring from last year will have light legs because the barring gene inhibits dermal melanin (skin pigment). This year I have a cock in my breeding pen that is of totally different bloodlines so two copies of the barring gene cannot be passed to the males and some of the females will not carry it. I am only keeping pullets and cockerels with darks legs; the lighter legged babies are on the cull list.
The chicks can hatch out looking a blue or black kind of color with a dot on their head, this is the barring gene showing up in their down. My chicks all feathered in white by the time they were 14-16 weeks of age. I would suggest using a black bird to improve your line. The first batch of chicks will be black, but they will carry the recessive white gene and the next cross will result in white chicks. Make sure you mark all the chicks from the cross so you don't end up with some white chicks from your black birds down the road.
You might end up with some barred birds also....