CHAPTER L 



COLOR OF CHICKS 



A COMMON question asked, especially by novices, 

 who have purchased baby chicks or settings of eggs, 

 is regarding the correct color and markings of the 

 newly hatched birds. It is often thought that the 

 youngsters should exactly resemble their parents in 

 color, and when it is found that a brood of Black 

 Minorcas are black and white, the vender is taken 

 to task and is condemned for sending out inferior 

 and mixed stock, or eggs, as the case may be. 



The black varieties seem to cause the most com- 

 plaints, as the chicks of those breeds are generally 

 black and white, with the white predominating. 

 Some of those showing the most white mature to 

 be fowls of the best black color. 



Chicks of the white breeds are creamy white, 

 milk white, and yellow white, sometimes with gray 

 spots or marks. Light marked breeds, such as the 

 light Brahmas and Columbian Wyandottes, have no 

 indication of the black hackle and tail markings 

 which will develop when they get their full plumage. 

 When hatched barred Plymouth Rocks are sooty 

 black on their backs and necks, white on the throats 

 and wing tips, and have patches of grayish white 

 on the heads. 



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