Green legged chicken

[mandomama]

Are the Aurcana the only green legged chicken? I have a mix breed and her legs are really green. What other breeds would have green legs? Do I have a shot at blue eggs?

 

[KLH2010]

I think the Ameraucana/Easter Eggers do as well but don't quote me on that...I'm still new to all this!

 

[mandomama]

Here she is. Her legs are getting greener and greener. They are a lot greener than they show in this picture. Not the slate, dark color, kinda like a grass green or a blue green.

 

[fancyfowl4ever]

Neither Araucana nor Ameraucana should have green legs. EEs usually do. Another breed is the Green legged partridge fowl(I don't think one can get them in the US tho).

 

[tiki244]

Modern Games and Old English Game in some color varietys have willow green legs,,,,very pretty

 

[Kev]

Green legs is simply the visual effect of yellow skin being mixed with another set of leg pigment to create the "green". The same leg pigment on a white skinned chicken creates blue legged chicken.

So.. mixing certain breeds almost inevitably results in green legged birds. An Araucana or Ameraucana (slate/ blue legs so they have the "leg pigment" plus white skin) mixed with RIR or BR or anything with yellow skin will inevitably result in green legged chicks either in the cross or somewhere down the line.

Never thought about this until now, it does seem to be very hard to come up with a breed allowing for green legs in the standard.. Interesting. Wonder why that is? (tiki is correct as for some Modern colors allowing for green legs). I quite like the look of green legs too..

Green legs are also common in Old English or pit game stock, again due to the leg pigmentation and yellow skin genes being widely present in these birds. Many backyard mixes out of miscellanous breeds can have several green leggers.

Leg color is completely independent of egg color.

 

[mandomama]

Thanks! She is suppose to be a RIR cross with a Black Sex Link, so that would make sense. I like the green legs. She is a very pretty bird.

 

[Donna McCormick]

There is a green legged chicken. She is correct.
Zielononozka Polska. I do not know if there is any in the US or not. It is a Polish breed. I spoke to a gentlemen on the phone from Poland who is looking for some. If anyone knows of any here in the US please contact me.

Thanks
Donna McCormick
[email protected]

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

All recognised varieties of bantam araucanas, with the exception of blue and white, should have willow coloured legs (black araucanas have willow to black as acceptable shank & toe colour).

Buttercups have willow green shanks and toes.

BBR, blue-red, ginger red, silver duckwing & wheaten modern game bantams have willow shoanks & toes.

Pyncheon bantams should have willow yellow shanks & toes.

Blue & white sumatras have willow shanks and toes.

 

[Rootball]

Al recognized colors of large fowl Araucanas also have willow legs with the exception of White and black birds.