Buff Orpingtons with yellow legs?

[Chickenpoop101]

I recently ordered some buff Orpington chicks from tractor supply and they have yellow legs? I’ve had many buff Orpingtons in the past and all have had white legs. Did they send me buff rocks or are they just an oddball strain of buff Orpingtons?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I recently ordered some buff Orpington chicks from tractor supply and they have yellow legs? I’ve had many buff Orpingtons in the past and all have had white legs. Did they send me buff rocks or are they just an oddball strain of buff Orpingtons?

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

TSC is quite notorious for getting chick ID mixed up on their bins... But
chicks don't hatch with their mature colors in tact in my experience.. It's part of their camouflage to survive in nature. Shank color changes with maturity just like feather color, feather pattern (can) and eye color ALWAYS does.

Beyond waiting it out or looking at the bottom of the feet to see SKIN color.. I would look at pics of the 2 chick types and see if there are noticeable difference.. would be my suggestion IF Hoover carried buff Rocks... That is where TSC gets their chicks.. since they don't.. yours are likely still juvenile buff Orps as suggested in my first paragraph. I know it can be super confusing though and have thought the same type of thing on occasion noting incorrect shank color.

Happy adventures!

 

[Chickenpoop101]

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

TSC is quite notorious for getting chick ID mixed up on their bins... But
chicks don't hatch with their mature colors in tact in my experience.. It's part of their camouflage to survive in nature. Shank color changes with maturity just like feather color, feather pattern (can) and eye color ALWAYS does.

Beyond waiting it out or looking at the bottom of the feet to see SKIN color.. I would look at pics of the 2 chick types and see if there are noticeable difference.. would be my suggestion IF Hoover carried buff Rocks... That is where TSC gets their chicks.. since they don't.. yours are likely still juvenile buff Orps as suggested in my first paragraph. I know it can be super confusing though and have thought the same type of thing on occasion noting incorrect shank color.

Happy adventures!

I should have mentioned that they are a month old and they just came out of the inside brooder and went in there new outside pen (with a heat lamp on of the night) that’s when I noticed there bright yellow legs. I’m really hoping that they out grow the yellow legs but being a month old do you still think they might?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

but being a month old do you still think they might?

Yes, I do, they are likely still sporting their juvenile eye color as well. Greyish??

Yellow pigment in shanks when older can be effected by feed.

Buff Orp chicks from Hoovers site... yellowish legs..
https://hoovershatchery.com/BuffOrpington.html

White legs on BO from Hoover's site also.

Eye color example from google images..

I'm pretty solid in most my stuff, but I'm not 100% sure when these changes start taking effect. I know gender indicating saddle feathers are around 12 weeks + in many breeds And I do expect to see standard basic full shank coloring in females by 16 weeks.

I'm not sure what impact it has if you're not showing or breeding to the standard of perfection other than personal visual preference of course. Hope this puts your mind at ease some and they turn out perfect for you!

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I recently ordered some buff Orpington chicks from tractor supply and they have yellow legs? I’ve had many buff Orpingtons in the past and all have had white legs. Did they send me buff rocks or are they just an oddball strain of buff Orpingtons?

Pics?

 

[Chickenpoop101]

 

[Chickenpoop101]

Yes, I do, they are likely still sporting their juvenile eye color as well. Greyish??

Yellow pigment in shanks when older can be effected by feed.

Buff Orp chicks from Hoovers site... yellowish legs..
https://hoovershatchery.com/BuffOrpington.html
View attachment 2193844
White legs on BO from Hoover's site also.
View attachment 2193845

Eye color example from google images..
View attachment 2193860

I'm pretty solid in most my stuff, but I'm not 100% sure when these changes start taking effect. I know gender indicating saddle feathers are around 12 weeks + in many breeds And I do expect to see standard basic full shank coloring in females by 16 weeks.

I'm not sure what impact it has if you're not showing or breeding to the standard of perfection other than personal visual preference of course. Hope this puts your mind at ease some and they turn out perfect for you!

It doesn’t really matter to me I just wanted to get back in to chickens (I’ve been out for a few years) but I was planning on selling some hatching eggs but if they differ from the breed standards to bad I would not want to do that. I’ll still enjoy them regardless of how they turn out.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I just wanted to get back in to chickens (I’ve been out for a few years)

Well, welcome back!

That's a cute little cockerel up front in the first pic, I think! A curious little bunch.

Sharing chicks and hatching eggs has been tons of fun. I hope they do turn out as you nicely conforming to the SOP for you!