The Legbar Thread! - Page 83

I just got 6 eggs today and will put them on tomorrow, I can hardly wait to see what I get. I do hope something will hatch.

Good luck with your hatch!

The Single Barred (impure) males are a darker color than the double barred males (pure).  In the UK the breeders circle has been selecting for nearly cuckoo males (no color at all).  this tradition may have stemmed from wanting to elimnate any possibility of a single barred males (which would make the line not breed true).  

Single Barred male                                               Double Barred

Photos were taken from http://forum.backyardpoultry.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7967614&start=15

I did some searching and the yellow chicks do occur across the pond quite a bit.  It could be due to inbreeding as this breed has many issues over there with a lot of poor stock available due to the popularity of the blue eggs and the bird's autosexing capability or it could be an issue of alleles as mentioned in a prior post and that may lead to issues with color in the long run or just a recessive characteristic (natural or introduced by some past mixed breeding) but most comments were against anything recessive versus inbreeding. I found one site that had most of the yellow birds turning out to be hens but it'll be interesting to see how they color out over time - take pics and post please!   I find it absolutely fascinating and though I am interested in seeing how these birds turn out over time I hope it does not hamper the autosexing nature of the birds in the long run.  

I have some eggs in the bator and am gonna do 5-6 eggs each week for I'm not sure how long.  I have a second incubator for hatching them out. The Legbars have been separated out for a few weeks but my husband decided to be 'nice' to them and let all the birds free range together so I'm checking for purity in these first few batches. I'll be on the lookout for any yellow chicks on my end.  I have a really nice friend who'll take any off my hands if purity is at first an issue, but I am hoping to be able to sell purebred pairs on craigslist as I have not seen any advertised in NH yet. I'd just like to make back the $ I've invested and perhaps start some interest in this breed where I am.

Greenfire sent 1 pullet (for a fee) and 2 replacement roos (free of charge) for my floppy comb boy  but I'm breeding him all the same as he has great color and they all did come from the same original gene pool so its in there with all of their early birds. These 3 are from a different line so I'm gonna have some fun ahead of me breeding them. Even with only 1 hen who lays really well  5-6 eggs a week is working wonderfully so far.

I just got 6 eggs today and will put them on tomorrow, I can hardly wait to see what I get. I do hope something will hatch.

On Sunday night I hatched out the first chick from my own legbar girls! It couldn't get out of the tiny egg and after being pipped for 24 hours I helped it. One leg had been positioned badly and it stuck out to the side. The little chick was so tiny, barely bigger than a walnut. But she  was spunky and adorable and I gave her a chance. I fashioned a booty for her foot which was curled and a hobble to force the leg down, rather than out. I used the Hovabator as a brooder for the first few days with the lid propped open. She was still very active despite being hobbled and would climb up the little stuffed animal I put in the Hovabator with her. Once she climbed out the opening and fell in the fllor. I decided it was time to move her to the regular brooder. Her she is with her hobble.

Here she is today without the booty or hobble.