I have a little under the weather lately with flu. Can not go out much so whe I do most activity restricted to front porch. When I go out there, some of my lawn ornaments (hens with chicks and only free ranging rooster) come and sit in shade with me. The hens and rooster just lay down and the chicks of the game hen jump up into my lap and peck at me or sit around and preen themselves. I could not help but notice the variations in color patterns on the feathers. Some had bars, some penciled, some have irregular splotches. These differences will not be evident when they are adults. The barred pattern in particular looks like that on a barred rock. Are these the chick patterns repressenting some of the color patterns that are not turned off in adults of some of our selected breeds?
