Why the difference?

[rancher hicks]

I have some Delaware chickens and I've recently hatched six chicks. Well I noticed that 3 have yellow legs and feet and 3 have bluer looking legs and feet. I've noticed that the roo has yellow and some of the 4 hens have yellow but some have the bluer feet. They arent' dark just bluish looking. Is this a breed thing?
The standard in "Storey's" calls for yellow and doesn't mention bluish. Should I scrap the hens with bluish feet? I'd have to watch to see which eggs the yellow lay so I could avoid hatching the bluish leg birds. They are good layers and I've got one that lays "goose" eggs. The shells are thinner so I don't plan on even trying to hatch these. Others are dark and spotted. A good size though.
Well anyhow about those bluish legs and feet?

 

[TNpoultrybreeder]

Quote:
Hi rancher hicks
I got 26 Delaware chicks from Meyer Hatchery. They are 14 weeks old now and all had yellow legs for the first few weeks. Around 3 weeks old there legs turned to a dull yellow/green color. Then around 9 weeks old there legs turned back to yellow. From 9 weeks old till now at 14 weeks old there legs have got more and more yellow. Today I culled " 6 " 2 males & 4 females for not having rich yellow legs as they should.

TNpoultrybreeder

 

[rancher hicks]

I haven't checked the Ideal hatchery birds the ones I'm talking about are the ones I purchased from a lady downstate from me.
Right now I have 6 chicks three w/ yellow, three darker, I guess you could call them greenish. Anyhow I'm giving these away but in the future I should be selective of the ones with yellow legs? The roo has yellow legs and a little to much barring on his back and a few extra points on his comb but I'm not looking to show. Two of the hens have bigger combs than I think they should but again I'm not looking to show but the preservation of the breed.
If you think you have some you'd like to add to this blood line let me know about an egg purchase. I will of course be more selective in the birds whose eggs I hatch, gradually eliminating the green legs by not hatching their eggs and any chicks who hatch to have green legs. Rancher