Now my anticipated ship date is March 5. I will also be getting some pullets in April to breed to the legbar cockerel when the time comes that should be laying around the same time as the legbar pullets. I was talking to another BYC member about it today. Since the legbars don't lay until they are 6-7 months old, I plan to breed them to pure leghorns to fix some things I don't really like about them. I'll be getting some single and rose combed light brown leghorn pullets from a hatchery to help improve the egg laying and vigor. I will be getting some rose combed light brown and single combed dark brown leghorn eggs from a show breeder to improve the type. No offense to anyone but I don't really care for the type of the legbars, seems like they are too cobby and just don't 'flow' like I always pictured them.
I will end up with 3 breeding pens but coming from 5 different 'types'. The main pen will be pure legbars that I hope to expand by next year. The second pen will be the hatchery stock leghorns. And the third pen will be the show type leghorns. I have a set of cages that is 3 levels that can each be divided into 3 pens. This way I could put one divider in for the pure legbar hens to keep track of those lines, the hatchery and show leghorns can be divided into varieties. This will require the cock being moved around lots but it will help in the long run.
I don't know about everyone else but my goal with the legbars is to have more of a production type bird that lays nice and looks nice. The legbars ideally fit my goal, the crele is nice and they are auto sexing. I just need to increase egg laying. Just like with all the non-standard style breeds, everyone has their own ideal looking bird when selecting breeder birds for next season.
