212 COLOR OF CHICKS 



The buff varieties of chicks have buff or yellow 

 plumage when hatched, but a light buff chick sel- 

 dom improves in color with age. The partridge 

 colored varieties as well as black, red games, and 

 brown Leghorns, are clearly marked along the back 

 with a brown stripe, and on each side of this is a 

 much lighter stripe running from the head to the 

 tail. These varieties in many cases show white 

 wing feathers before they molt their chick feathers 

 in the fall. 



Houdan babies are white with black markings 

 on heads and shoulders, and have tuft on their heads, 

 the size denoting the future crest. Houdans always 

 have five toes. Andalusians vary from French gray 

 to blue-black, but there are often some in a flock 

 that are black and white. Colored Dorkings are 

 light brown with dark stripes along the back, and 

 the Silver Dorkings have a much lighter marking 

 on the back. 



Do not discard the chicks too soon because they 

 happen to show some off colored feathers. These 

 may disappear after molting time. 



