Yellow feet

[John]

Opened up a can of worms did I?

I don\'t think so.  We have different experiences that give us different thoughts and opinions.  
Here are a couple other topics that relate to this one.  Remember we are talking only about the foot pad color here and not leg/shank color.

http://ameraucana.org/abcforum/index.php?a=topic&t=583

http://ameraucana.org/abcforum/index.php?a=topic&t=341&min=0&num=15

[Mike Gilbert]

DAK, what it boils down to is you better be very familiar with a line of birds before attempting to cull them for footpad color at hatch.  Poultry genetics is an extremely complicated subject and not everyone is going to agree on some things based on their own observations and experiences.   Personally, I would not dream of culling for shank color or foot pad color at hatch.  At six weeks, yes, maybe,  but not before.
Others may feel differently, but if you are only hatching from a few birds why take a chance?   It doesn\'t cost that much to raise them up to the age of six or so weeks.  And eight weeks would be even better.  If you run into problems with yellow skin epidermis the solution is to test mate all your breeders with yellow skinned birds.   White is dominant, so if you get any chicks from the cross with yellow skin, you know the bird you tested is a carrier and is safe to cull.

[dak]

If I understand the breeder of the cockerel correctly, the lav split cockerel comes from at least 3 separate bloodlines, so I\'ll watch and wait.  I have about 8 chicks hatched and about the same number in the incubator.  I was also watching this cross for single combs, but haven\'t notes any obvious ones yet.  Thanks for the lively discussioin.

[dak]

John, I just read those two threads you suggest.  Interesting info on diet.  All of my birds get free choice grass hay that is 14% protien (dry matter) along with their regular diet.  Maybe that is lending these chicks some early pigment.  All of the chicks seem to have thse yellowish feet, not just a proportion of them like I would expect of the parents had hidden recessives.

[John]

All of the chicks seem to have thse yellowish feet, not just a proportion of them like I would expect of the parents had hidden recessives.

Then I would suggest you go with the suggestions of the others and grow them for awhile.