I have a barred rock rooster (with yellow legs) and a mutt hen (with grayish legs). The chicks that hatched out of this cross had yellow legs to start. Now, of the four pullets I kept, just one has yellow legs and the other three have turned the grayish color. The pullets are now 12 weeks old. Will the leg color continue to change until maturity or will they keep what they currently have? Just wondering. They are just a backyard flock and I'm just a curious old lady. Since I'm a newbie, I first thought that leg color in the flock was because of diet. Like, the grayish-legged ones had some kind of deficiency. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that. Thanks to BYC forum, I'm learning a lot.
The legs of the greys will stay grey in color. Yellow legs can get darker in color, if the bird eats a diet high in corn or green vegetation. Once the pullet starts to lay eggs, the legs will decrease in color and become almost white. If the hen does eat corn or green vegetation, then the legs will be a very light yellow color. The eggs she lays will use up yellow pigments in her skin and legs; the pigments are used to make the yolk of the egg yellow. Once a hen slow down laying, the yellow legs will return. Tim
