I can't find anything about this so here goes with what is likely a dumb question:
I have RIRs which I've raised since hatched. They have been free range since they were about 4 weeks. They eat everything (bugs, fruit, veggies, mice, etc.) and have bright yellow waxy legs/feet.
I received 7 RIRs from a friend which were a little over a year old. They had been confined to a coop with a run (bare dirt) their whole lives. Their legs and feet are such a pale yellow they look almost white and the scales aren't waxy...they are almost flaky looking.
That friend and another with confined RIRs said their girls had bright yellow legs until they started laying, but my girls have been laying for a few weeks and still have bright yellow legs/feet.
Also, my girls feathers are super soft; the newer girls have sort of scratchy feathers.
In addition, a Spotted Sussex roo I got from a neighbor (confined all his life and is about 7 months old) had white legs/feet when he came. He's been here 4 weeks and now his legs have some mottled red spotting down the sides. That sounds like something is wrong but that's my poor writing skills. It looks natural, not yucky.
SO, does free ranging make the difference?? And if it does, shouldn't I have seen a difference in the RIRs coloring yet? Their feathers are softer. I've had them about 2 months longer than the roo.
Thanks for the wisdom!
Here's the roo, Samson when I first got him and below that is a pic of the girls. Note the difference in the girl on the far left (and even the white one) vs the others :
I have RIRs which I've raised since hatched. They have been free range since they were about 4 weeks. They eat everything (bugs, fruit, veggies, mice, etc.) and have bright yellow waxy legs/feet.
I received 7 RIRs from a friend which were a little over a year old. They had been confined to a coop with a run (bare dirt) their whole lives. Their legs and feet are such a pale yellow they look almost white and the scales aren't waxy...they are almost flaky looking.
That friend and another with confined RIRs said their girls had bright yellow legs until they started laying, but my girls have been laying for a few weeks and still have bright yellow legs/feet.
Also, my girls feathers are super soft; the newer girls have sort of scratchy feathers.
In addition, a Spotted Sussex roo I got from a neighbor (confined all his life and is about 7 months old) had white legs/feet when he came. He's been here 4 weeks and now his legs have some mottled red spotting down the sides. That sounds like something is wrong but that's my poor writing skills. It looks natural, not yucky.
SO, does free ranging make the difference?? And if it does, shouldn't I have seen a difference in the RIRs coloring yet? Their feathers are softer. I've had them about 2 months longer than the roo.
Thanks for the wisdom!
Here's the roo, Samson when I first got him and below that is a pic of the girls. Note the difference in the girl on the far left (and even the white one) vs the others :
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