Pale legs on Leghorns

[Layira]

Quote:
They may look like Anconas now, but they looked nothing like that as chicks. All pictures I've seen of Ancona chicks had a significant amount of black all over the body and head; my chickens had only small patches of black on their back and a few dots on their heads, and the rest of their bodies were yellow.

Also, isn't having spots on the legs a common fault for leghorns anyway?

I'm not saying they aren't Ancona crosses, because that's probable, but I doubt they are full Ancona.

 

[()relics]

yes spotted legs are a problem with exchequer leghorns for just that reason...too much ancona

 

[Layira]

Ah, I see. That makes sense.

Did the Leghorn breed originate from Anconas or where they just used to refine them?

 

[blackdotte]

Hate to throw a spanner in the works but, Anconas should also have bright yellow legs same as Leghorns ,but with some black mottling.
The birds shown both have white legs which indicates something else has been crossed in.
Luckily white shanks are dominant so easier to get rid of. Cross these birds to a good Black Leghorn, all the chicks will be black with white legs. Mate these together and you should get some Exchequer coloured birds with yellow legs. Cull all the black birds,& all the white shanked birds. Go from there & select for clear yellow shanked birds.
You may have to back cross again to the Black Leghorn.

Did the Leghorn breed originate from Anconas or where they just used to refine them?

They are both closely related Italian breeds ,one from the Legorno region ,the other from Ancona.
Interestingly the Germans call Anconas by the name Mottled Leghorns.
David​

 

[Layira]

Quote:
They are both closely related Italian breeds ,one from the Legorno region ,the other from Ancona.
Interestingly the Germans call Anconas by the name Mottled Leghorns.
David

Yeah, that was something that was throwing me off. I was pretty sure both of them have yellow legs, so I was curious as to where that was coming in.

Will crossing to a black Leghorn also get rid of the speckled legs? or is that an unrelated gene?

Thanks for the info, someone else had told me that breeding to a black Leghorn was a good solution too.

 

[blackdotte]

Will crossing to a black Leghorn also get rid of the speckled legs? or is that an unrelated gene?

Yes but as I said you may need additional back crosses to a Black Leghorn.
The gene that removes pigment from the shank is the Dermal Inhibitor I^d, this is the gene found on clean yellow( or white) shanked birds. The Ancona has a variant, I^ac which causes the mottled patterning on the shank. Your aim is to replace I^ac with I^d. This is sex linked ,males have two copies,hens only one; so it is better to use Black Leghorn males. The resulting pullets will have clear shanks, the cockerels may look clear but will carry the I^ac gene.
David​

 

[Layira]

Ah, ok, that really helps. Thanks!