Speckled Sussex with leg feathers?! Pictures now added

[Sequin]

One of my speckled sussex chicks has a few feathers growing on her legs; is this normal? Anyone familiar with the breed ever hear of such a thing? The feathering isn't heavy, but it is def. there on both legs. Might she be something else?!

 

[Katy]

None of mine have ever had any feathers on their legs. Maybe she's got some other breed mixed in.

 

[hinkjc]

Sussex are a clean legged breed. Could be a cross or a different breed. Can you post a pic? Is it bantam or large fowl and where did you get it? That may help.

 

[Sugar Sand Farm]

Do you have a picture? Reason I am asking a friend hatched some eggs out for me and one of them has a slight feathering on the legs. My DH has speckled sussex hens so it could be from one of them. I don't have feathered footed chickens in with them so I con't know who this one is. I can't post pics as my computer crashed and I am on a borrowed computer and can't download my pics. Thanks Micki

 

[Sequin]

I will post pictures a little later today, if the little one will stand still long enough for me to get a good shot. Thanks so much everyone!!!

 

[stoneunhenged]

I raise Sussex of several varieties and every now and then they throw a chick with a thin strip of feathers on each leg. The parents are clean-legged (and from championship breeding stock) and most of their young are clean-legged, but somewhere hidden in the gene pool is a recessive feather-legged gene. I don't freak out about it. The effect seems to diminish as the bird ages, and I try to select the clean-legged progeny for breeding.

 

[Sequin]

Alrighty, here are the pictures as promised. I was thinking it might be a recessive gene popping up from somewhere. I think that will happen in any breeding program, no matter what you are breeding. When dealing with genetics, it is bound to happen somewhere. That might also explain the slightly fluffier/longer feathering on this chick. I took wing shots and body shots to show the comparison. I adore this chick. She is the sweetest thing Ever and stood perfectly still for me while I clicked away.

Notice the black dot right where the toe/leg meet. This is on both feet and appears to be coming in as a feather. This would be where I originally thought there was a bit of down stuck on the foot.

This wing belongs to the chick with the feathers on its feet

This belongs to her clean legged sister.

 

[Sequin]

I know there were some who were looking for the pictures to be posted. I hope they were able to see the pictures. Any thoughts as to how this chick will feather out? Will it keep the leg feathers you think?