Breeding Delawares to the Standard of Perfection

[finnfur]

I have 2 cockerels 2 pullets. . Seperatly in 2 pens.. just now hatching some chicks from them..
All hatch with yellow legs but some of them have legs turn greenish..at month old or so....
I read somewhere that the feed is the culprit of this.. can't seem to find this info again..
Anyone experience this? Should I try different brand of feed?

Hmm ! I usually have opposite - hatch with greenish tint sometimes but then lighten with age but never really getting yellow. Even yellow lighten with age.
I thought it was genetic but if you find different info let us know.

 

[Rod-T]

Hmm ! I usually have opposite - hatch with greenish tint sometimes but then lighten with age but never really getting yellow. Even yellow lighten with age.
I thought it was genetic but if you find different info let us know.

Seems like this was asked before but couldn't find it... i remember reading one answer was make sure the feed you feed has the Marigold extract... the starter grower feed usally has it but some brands are cheaper... just curious if others had this issue too.. maybe I won't worry just yet...

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

We do have that happen here ... orange legs turn greenish before yellow again. It's not feed ... it's the recessive black pigment in the legs bleeding through a bit. Cull for it at some point. Corn and marigold and stuff are said to help legs be more yellow if they've faded.

 

[Rod-T]

We do have that happen here ... orange legs turn greenish before yellow again. It's not feed ... it's the recessive black pigment in the legs bleeding through a bit. Cull for it at some point. Corn and marigold and stuff are said to help legs be more yellow if they've faded.

Ok. I know to get my flock going I gotta breed what I got .just to get me some birds to work with... so maybe wait till next year's hatching.. I'll start culling harder for that..

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Ok. I know to get my flock going I gotta breed what I got .just to get me some birds to work with... so maybe wait till next year's hatching.. I'll start culling harder for that..

I think the way it works is you want to use males with the yellow legs, or you'll end up in the weeds. https://scratchcradle.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/gms10-skin-and-shank-color/

There are various leg color charts available with a quick google that help explain the genetics ... but not from sites we can share here. :/

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Also, choose your priorities wisely ... focus on your flock's strengths to not lose those, and cull for structural issues before all else.

 

[Rod-T]

I think the way it works is you want to use males with the yellow legs, or you'll end up in the weeds. https://scratchcradle.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/gms10-skin-and-shank-color/

There are various leg color charts available with a quick google that help explain the genetics ... but not from sites we can share here. :/

Great info thank you Leslie

 

[Maeschak]

I have hatched around 40 Delawares and am just realizing that the legs on the pullets are a much more 'washed out' yellow or yellow/orange than the males. Has anyone else ever noticed that? I could see it from a very young age. There are a few males with lighter colored legs (light like the pullets) but not too many. Most of the males have a good yellow/orange color. Any info is appreciated! (And no, I don't think these would be categorized as green legs- just more washed out looking).

Thanks!

 

[Mr King]

I have hatched around 40 Delawares and am just realizing that the legs on the pullets are a much more 'washed out' yellow or yellow/orange than the males. Has anyone else ever noticed that? I could see it from a very young age. There are a few males with lighter colored legs (light like the pullets) but not too many. Most of the males have a good yellow/orange color. Any info is appreciated! (And no, I don't think these would be categorized as green legs- just more washed out looking).

Thanks!

It depends on the strain of delawares you have. What about the parents?,how old are the chicks?

 

[Maeschak]

It depends on the strain of delawares you have. What about the parents?,how old are the chicks?

They are from Whitmore farm and I am not familiar with the parents of the hatching eggs I got. The chicks are 9.5 weeks now but I seem to remember noticing the difference in leg color at just a few weeks (maybe 2?). At the time, however, I did not know who was male and who was female so I figured it was just a variation in leg color. Now it is clear who is male and who is female and I believe all of the pullets have a much lighter, washed out, looking leg color and 80% of the cockerels have a much darker yellow/orange leg color. Oddly, if I remember correctly, the few males with the washed out leg coloring are also the smallest and least developed of all the cockerels.