The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club > Breeding

light markings on blue chicks

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Lavender Sullivan:
Hello. I got some BBS hatching eggs from a breeder here on the Ameraucana Breeder's Club breeder registry list. 100% were fertile and 100% of the eggs that made to lockdown hatched (total 10/12 hatched). The chicks are a week old now.

Most have yellow, green or willow feet and/or legs.
A few have light patches on the backs of their heads,
A few have light markings on their faces
One has a dark comb.

Are these faults? When should I decide that these chicks are not suitable for my breeding program?

Birdcrazy:
I would not be too concerned with the light patches on the head and face of the young chicks. I have seen chicks with yellow on their chests feather out correctly if the yellow is not tremendously excessive. I would however be concerned with the yellow, green or willow legs. Leg color should be slate. I would band these chicks so you could reevaluate them as they grow out. I would also take pictures to compare changes to leg color as they age. Wheaten and Blue Wheaten chicks usually have flesh colored legs at hatching and mature out to a light slate color at maturity. I would not give up on the chicks at this age, but evaluate them as time goes on.

Lavender Sullivan:
Thank you for your answer. I'll definitely keep a close eye on the leg color as they get older. What do you think about the dark color on the one chick's comb? Should I watch that one too or mark it as a cull right away? My only experience with dark color combs is from a half breed that I got last spring. It started out with a yellow comb that turned dark (almost black) after it's first molt. The Ameraucana chick in the picture hatched out with a dark comb. Is it safe to assume that it will only get darker over time? Thanks.

Lavender Sullivan:
Eight of the ten chicks are now tagged for having yellow, willow or greenish feet and/or legs. One of the two that aren't tagged is the chick with a dark comb. I really do hope at least some of the tagged chicks develop proper leg color.

Don:
Lavender,  I agree with Gordon and would keep track of all of them to see how the birds grow and feather.  Each line of chickens can have  its own chick color to adult feathering tells.  That is one advantage in keeping a line pure.  You can learn a lot over time by knowing what you can expect from the chick coloring.  The blue color can range from dark to very light or even splash.  So you might watch how the lighter chicks grow out as well. 

The Wheaten variety does sometimes hatch out with yellow legs but quickly changes to a light slate.  The yellow legs are something to watch carefully in the Black and Blue varieties.  It probably indicates that the line is carrying the recessive yellow leg genes.  This can present as full yellow legs if both sexes carry the genes.

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