Backyard Poultry Forum

Several breeds of chickens are required to have yellow legs.

How yellow are yours (the more yellow the better, right)?

Photos would be good.

ML

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"Somewhere over the mountain..." (or was that "rainbow"?)

Don't forget that the yellow pigmentation fades as the bird lays her eggs, so if your hen has extremely yellow legs, then she still owes you some eggs.

Here's an extract from an article ( wott I wrote ) on trap nesting and culling".


Some breeds carry a strong yellow pigment as a breed characteristic. It manifests itself in their skin, beak and in their legs. These breeds include Leghorns, Wyandottes and Rhode Island Reds. At the beginning of the laying season, this pigment is clear to see. It will also be seen around the vent area.
When laying begins, the pigment which is obtained from maize and green plants , will now be required for the yolks of the eggs. As more and more eggs are layed by the bird, the pigment is drawn on to a greater extent and the yellow colour will begin to fade or bleach out. The first colour to go, is that around the vent. The colour in the legs is always the last to go. When laying ceases, the colour will return as the bird replenishes the pigment. Pale skin colour in a yellow skinned breed denotes previous or current egg production. The area around the vent for instance tends to be completely bleached out at around two weeks into full lay. The pigmentation on a bird in full lay will obviously stay longer and stronger on a bird that is being fed yellow maize and is being given access to a grass run. These factors must be taken into account before culling commences using this pointer.

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http://www.overthegate.myfreeforum.org

Our birds have strong yellow leg colour, but since they have been cooped up with little free range, their legs fade quickly, so there are a lot of factors that go into maintaining leg colour.
At the moment it makes no difference for us as we aren't in show season, but we will have to yellow them up in a couple of months or so.

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Lacy
A passionate breeder of the beautiful Wyandotte
Huntervalley Wyandotte Club

It takes six to eight weeks to yellow the legs up so don't leave it too long to start. We have to start on ours as well.

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Backyard Poultry Forum

Our first show is May, so we have a little time, but thanks for the that, I didn't know how long it would take.

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Lacy
A passionate breeder of the beautiful Wyandotte
Huntervalley Wyandotte Club

most of my young stuff have nice yellow legs. they are usually on the cull list if they don't. hens and cocks a bit light at the moment as it is not raining. as soon as it gets wet and they start to moult they all yellow up. some of the older birds look the best after they shed their old leg scales.

here are some young large indians:

I am interested to know how people "re yellow" their fowls legs. I have always found that it is much easier to keep the green feed in their diet from very young. If allowed to fade the yellow never seems to be as strong as the chicks that have kept yellow legs thru their growing time.

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denisL

I guess time will tell with ours, we started with the colour Ruff has shown, but are a long way from that now, I have noticed though, with a bit of free ranging each day, they start to get colour back, so for us it will be heaps of corn and greens ( once the heat has passed ) and see how we go.

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Lacy
A passionate breeder of the beautiful Wyandotte
Huntervalley Wyandotte Club

two of my anconas, one red and one black had brilliant yellow legs, then they started to lay, and it faded. green grass seems to have an effect

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Anconas, Silkies and Pekins Caladenia Cottage
Silkies
Wonderful Silkies

one well known elderly chook identity i talk to says that there were people he knew that said our area is regarded as one of the 2 best areas for yellow legs on indian game. i think the other area was northern NSW in the higher rainfall red dirt country. i have seen loss of leg colour in my birds which i regard some as genetics, some health and some wear and tear. i have never kept poultry anywhere else so i cannot make comparison. my birds get plenty of green grass, high corn diet, lots of volcanic red soil and high rainfall. on birds that free range when they are killed and dressed out they have a very yellow skin and this yellow can peel off when plucking. the fat is also very yellow. the faces of the bird have a yellow tinge. i find it very hard to adjust to white skinned birds like marans....which remain white in the same conditions as my indian game excel in yellow. to me white faces and legs indicate sickness.

when dressing up my older indian game for shows i remove the old leg scales and i find the colour underneath these old scales vastly improves in the yellow. i feel that the scales on the legs can reduce the bright leg yellow. removing scales is a task that should be taken with care. lots of soapy water and a thourgh soft toothbrush a week before shows. the scales should start to lift within a couple of days with a little help...scales should never be forced. oiling up the legs just before the show helps too. with my indian game i like them to run in the rain, the wet grass helps soften and remove scales.

i hate to add this but many people may think i am even more crazy but probiotics in the diet like yoghurt help imrove the gut flora for the absorbtion of the yellow of corn and green nutritous grass.........just a thought....you can only give it a go, can't hurt.

The yellow contained in edible yellow flowers seems to be assimilated easily and is an old trick in getting egg yolks to be a deep and rich yellow. I've heard that this also works in yellowing up the legs.

I've not tried this myself but I am assured that it works.

Linz

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[i]A lot of Andalusians. Anconas in Standard and Bantam PB Black Leghorns in Standard
and Bantam, Derbyshire Redcaps, Light Sussex Bantams.[/i]
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"Stabilo boss" ( in yellow of course ) works a treat

uhmmm

Marigolds are really good if you can get the birds to eat the flowers .
AND OF COURSE maize BUT ALL this is futile if the genetics is not there to start with . You can ONLY inhance the colour with feed.

Talking of yellow.
Buff Orpington beautiful golden colour ,since the summer she has faded to a bleached blonde, I guess this is normal??? She always has white pearly legs.

The Rhody has beautiful yellow legs but her feathers never fade in the sun.

Anyone else have the same faded colours in their hens?? Sorry to get onto feathers but thought it would be OK to add it to this thread as we are talking about yellow
Jacx