My Bielefelder Chicks

[Laurie11111]

I have two 4 week old Bielefelder chicks that have feathers on their legs. Is this normal?

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[Cecisflock]

Bielefelder is a straight legged breed. Where did you get them? That is not normal.

 

[Laurie11111]

Bielefelder is a straight legged breed. Where did you get them? That is not normal.

I got them from Murray McMurray. They told me that they usually do not have feathers but some times genetics don't play by the rules.

 

[The Moonshiner]

I got them from Murray McMurray. They told me that they usually do not have feathers but some times genetics don't play by the rules.

Do you pics?
I wouldn't accept that excuse.
Sounds like you did not get what you paid for.

 

[Laurie11111]

 

[Cecisflock]

Do you pics?
I wouldn't accept that excuse.
Sounds like you did not get what you paid for.

I wouldn’t either. Seems like a scam of some sort

 

[Tervuren]

They look like my Bielefelder girl from McMurray, though I can’t see the legs super well in your pics. The breed has Malines, which has feathered legs, in their background. There are three genes for feathered legs- 2 incomplete dominant and 1 recessive, so possibly it is a trait that can pop up rarely??? I’m attaching pics of my pullet born in April, who looks the same as yours, just no feathered legs.

 

[Laurie11111]

They look like my Bielefelder girl from McMurray, though I can’t see the legs super well in your pics. The breed has Malines, which has feathered legs, in their background. There are three genes for feathered legs- 2 incomplete dominant and 1 recessive, so possibly it is a trait that can pop up rarely??? I’m attaching pics of my pullet born in April, who looks the same as yours, just no feathered legs.

Here's a look at their legs so you can see what I mean. Not a ton of feathers but they are still there.

 

[Tervuren]

Here's a look at their legs so you can see what I mean. Not a ton of feathers but they are still there.View attachment 2780861View attachment 2780862View attachment 2780865

So weird! My guess would be that genes for leg feathering are weird, and it's just been hiding in the gene pool for several generations. I don't think it is any shadiness on Murray McMurray's part. Hoping someone who knows more about chicken genetics reads this thread and can give you a for sure answer. I am very much a novice!

 

[mrskenmore]

So weird! My guess would be that genes for leg feathering are weird, and it's just been hiding in the gene pool for several generations. I don't think it is any shadiness on Murray McMurray's part. Hoping someone who knows more about chicken genetics reads this thread and can give you a for sure answer. I am very much a novice!

I just noticed my bielefelder chick that is one week old has feathered legs too. Oh well as long as it's not a ton, as I tend to prefer the clean legs due to our cold winters, ice and snow