Brown leghorns - dark color on beak?

[chaim]

We have 15 2-week old single combed brown leghorns. Their beaks were yellow, but after a couple of days they all have brown/black on them on the part closest to the body. I researched brown leghorns before I ordered them and all pictures of them they looked like their beaks were always yellow. Chickens with black on their beaks are not considered kosher to us orthodox Jews. Any idea if these should turn yellow again at maturity?

 

[chaim]

I have tried researching this quite a bit but have not been successful in finding the right answer. From what I do find it appears that they should usually be yellow. Is there anything I can feed them etc, to help them get rid of the dark pigments in their beaks. Excuse my newbieness please!

 

[danhonour]

Leghorns and many other breeds that are yellow skinned and yellow legged may need some time to show their accurate leg and skin color,usually by 8 -10 weeks.With dark pigmented feathers some darker pigment will show in legs,but usually it is minimal.Dark brown and Red leghorns can show dusky horn.Black Leghorn females tend to show dark pigment in legs ,unless they are pullet bred lines,were the males (for pullet breeding/double mating) have nearly white undercolor and often partial white sickle feathers. Any of these dark females can look white,slate or willow legged after they have layed eggs for a time and depleted the yellow /orange color pigment from their body.The light color varieties; white,buff,pile do not show the dark (melanin) pigment.

 

[chaim]

Thanks for the reply. I'm talking about the beaks not the legs, whereas the beaks aren't The legs are all yellow. Would the 8-10 week timeline you mention be true for beak color as well?

 

[danhonour]

Yes.Some brown streaking (horn color)is not uncommon.The beak is a semi-hard (finger nail like) nature and can have some marks and streaks growing outward from the inside.It can have scratches and marks on the surface from eating and pecking stones,etc.