Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-11
DESCRIBES VARIATIONS
OF CHICKS PLUMACE
Celebrations and Markings Seldom
Resemble the Mature Fcath-
crs OF Fowl.
NEED OF SHADE AND SHELTER
Trim Long Flight Feathers That Inn
pcde and Burden the Birds Move
ments-When liens Arc Cncom-
Portable Egg Yield Drops.
sY II. ARMSTRONG ROBERTS

III IA.
There is great difference between
the color and markings OF the chick ems
first body covering, usually spoken OF
as down and its mature, adult plum
age or feathers. The difference is SO
great in fact. and sometimes so odd
that il often causes considerable APP
prehension. Beginners especially are
puzzled as many sellers of Matching
eggs and baby chicks can testify by
the complaints they receive from GUS
toners who insist that the stock is not
as specified. simply because the chicks
seem TO be strangely coIored Tor the
particular variety they have in mind.
Among colorcd breeds it is rare that
brood is uniform, also it is the OK
ccption II the brood appears without
specimens which seem TO be off-color.
For instance. one would expect to find
the chicks from black fowls solid
black. but such is not the case. Black
chickens are mostly black and white
or black and buff when Matched. Bar
red Plymouth Rock chicks do not re-
scmble the parent stock in any way.
The dark portions of the down, which
predominant as rule, are solid black,
while the light portions are solid white
or bun color, f1ecked or streaked with
black; or there may be patches Of
silvcry gray. But there is no evidence
of the barring (which is characteristic
of tho mature birds.
Silver CampineS are very similar 20
Barred Rocks as mature stock, in re-
spect to color; yet as chicks they are
totally different Campine chicks bear
a closer resemblance 10 young par
tridges than TO their progenitors. and
one is al a loss to understand how
they come TO have much colored
down for a black and white variety.
From the skull down the back to the
end of the body they have red. brown
nd cfri- la
markings on red squirrel, and the ef-
feet is very attractive. The under
body may be white or buff, solid
color or fiecked with black.
Colored Varieties Run IrreEnlnrly.
Apparently all colored varieties Of
chickens run TO irregular markings in
the downy state, therefore 1t is mpos-
sible to establish any hard-and- fast
rules. Even the brood Matched from
eggs laid by one hen, mated to but one
male, is almost certain TO be different
ly marked.
1t has been found that II n chicken
is to develop into black fowl such as
ihe OrpinSton or langshan. with a
rich metallic color. sometimes referred
10 as beetle green sheen" it should
not be entirely black at birth Free
quently there is less black than white
about the chick Matched from perfect
ly colorcd black parents. If there is
and about the head the chick should
mature into a good specimen. More
over. one should look for white in
the flight feathers of chicks Of black
fowls.
Columbian Wyandottes Columbian
plymouth Rocks and Light Brahmas
which are white with few black mark
ings. usually have chicks that are pale
yellow throughout. except for n small
biack spot on top OF the head and n
little gray on the back. But don't te
alarmed If they are born solid yellow
or quite dark
Again, never discard n White Rock
chick that is of a blue-gray tinre or a
Buff Orphington chick that has a litt,c
plack in the flight feathers. Nine times
out OF ten these seemingly off-colored
sections are replaced with feathers NJ
the correct color as the chicks mature
IN white varieties which have vel
40" shanks the offspring is likely to
De OF various degrees Of yellow. from
a cream tint to deem canary cn,nr
These shades of yellow or buff ara
sometimes spoken of as white. mas
much as they turn into white.
IN most cases If white chicken
from white plumaged and white-ler-
geo parents has; BLUSH shanks. that
fowls are hatthed with virtually tho
same color as white fowls. EXCEPT thar
the shanks OF the former should he
OF redd!sh-yel instead of mini,
CHICKS shanks are similar TO thr
variations in the color Of the
nahEes IN It's plumaEc. II the color
uhoer the foot is yellow i, is be,ter
Tor the offspring of yellow-lors.d
.aEeties not 10 lie born with real vel
10" shankS. inasmuch as they arc 1il,e-
y TO turn pale. Shanks which ar.
s,ts my Green--yellow color-are de-
s'reo al birth. since this shade vii,
mature into the corrcc, color ,a,nr
on. ia'ei
The shanks OF black fowls. es,ec,,,-
~ Black OrDinEtons. are not aIwaxs
chl!e!y black at birth AS a cnnnr,,
ming they are notified with ninlish.
SeHow patches. which turn black a.
the chicks develop. "S
LOT few pin feathers. the
shaits OF which are scarccI,, ,,;t,,
chicks are Matched with uofh;,, 49,.
oo"hy covering. These min fc,,nn-n
are more noticeable in the ucIi,o
rahean varieties. such as the Lcrhorns
"Hlch commence 10 feather ar az, .ri,,
age IMAM in the heavier breeds pnoi,
"Eahdottes and fowls OF this ,ync
,rI.t SOW! y. They often attain two
months growth before their hodios
are covered, and during this noriod -,
He'n!hhhedneSS they generally nrcs.n,
r0F!oFh or conical appcarancc
me hFst body feathers to appear q 20
.hose on the shoulders and from tho
th a0at o0"t"ard along each side OF
the crop Then a tuft START. 49,
thigh and in a line down tho xn;no
aIso another line in the abdominal
Iesioh AS these areas spread ont
!hey appear TO grow together untn
, Inc ehlck is well covered. In realty,
no"eVer' u Is some time later before
the entire body IS oyerprov, n.i,n
ieatheis' as an examination VIII show
As me shafts Of these new feathers
ouFst open, allowing the wchs -
spread out the original down often
Tlnss 10 the tips OF the feathers
ihese TIPS give the chick r,rce,
TOOK at hrst, but they soon wear &c.
Leghorn chicks look fairly trim at an
early age AT four or I'VE weeks tb.v
ar pretty well covered, with a mi
set Of wing feathers.
~ Is not uncommon for the utr,
IeathcFS, particularly ,hc