Wyandotte Leg color

[encorepistol]

I've got some blue and splash wyandottes of which the splash have nice yellow legs but the blues have dark legs or at least dark stripes or shading in them. How would you go about getting them to have the proper yellow legs. here are a couple pics of some 8 week old chicks that came from a splash rooster with nice yellow legs and blue hens with dark legs.

 

[encorepistol]

nobody? I guess a black wyandotte over the splashes would be my best bet if I could find one with nice yellow legs..

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

I would just use the yellow leg blues to breed.......if you can find a black wyandotte (not easy to do) that would be your best bet. That is what we are doing with ours.

 

[encorepistol]

Thats my biggest problem, all my blues wind up with dark legs. I've hatched out a bunch this year with the splashes having nice yellow legs but all the blues have dark legs. I'm afraid if I breed my blues together I'll have a chance at a black bird but probably have dark legs as well. I've got a buddy that has blues also but his legs are the same way.

 

[tadkerson]

Wyandottes should have a gene called brown in them but it sounds like your blues have extended black in them and not the brown gene.

The only way to get rid of the black is to bred in the brown gene. I would find a gold laced wyandotte, they carry the brown gene, with good type and decent lacing and cross the blue with them. Then cross the offspring from the cross. Always cross the best blue with the best black. Keep crossing the best offspring for type, yellow leg color and the birds that leak the least amount of red/buff. You should be able to get what you want in 3 or 4 years. both blue and black birds.

You could also use a white. Whites sometimes carry barring and silver so it would be a gamble on the crossing. You would have to determine what to do next after the first cross.

Tim

 

[encorepistol]

WOW... Thanks a lot!!!

 

[encorepistol]

What about crossing with blue laced red?

 

[tadkerson]

Blue laced red would work. Gold laced wyandottes are easier to find.

I would breed GLW to blue and BLR to black.



Tim

 

[ceadar post]

Thanks this should help me to.

e Thanks

 

[encorepistol]

OK. I've already got blue laced reds but only about 4 weeks old. all seem to have nice yellow legs thus far. I've actually got more in the bator also. A guy I know crossed some blrw to his blues and got blues back but not sure how his leg color is either. I might have to check with him to and see how his are. Thanks 4 the lesson!! How does one learn so much about what makes what with chickens. It seems there are too many factors involved in colors. I'd love to try and breed a blue laced red bantam cochin but I figure it would be a great chore with a great deal of time and many breeds.