Cream Legbar Working Group: Standard of Perfection

[WHmarans]

Those are good weights... I'm of the school where you still want good feed conversion.  It is interesting that in these modern times - even recipes are calibrated to use large eggs....So we are now having Large be the norm.  I don't mind medium if they are daily...    I will be happy with healthy hens at the light end of the continuum.  Let's all have a major weigh-in in Januray of 2015 and see what the norms are. 

For people who want to track their chick growth... there is a form to fill out on the Club's website.  Once you enter the first weights you probably will need access to the spreadsheet.. it's a tool for those who want it.  The chicks here - two from one totally different parents than the other one all weighed 1/2 pound at week 3.  Can't believe how big they got that fast.  And since they are not from the same parents it has to be the feed-- or maybe 1/2 pound at 3-weeks is normal.--- my others didn't seem that big that fast...but memory fades...fast.  

Are you feeding them something different than you have in the past? Do you soak your chuck starter with water to make a cake like texture for a "meal" or two per day?

 

[ChicKat]

The chick feed I got is Mana Pro chick starter "mediicated", before I think I got Nutrena.

One BIG influencing factor is what is available at the time -- it isn't "shoppers paradise" around here - and for a winter hatch---good luck.

I kind of am attributing it to the feed. Little 5# bag in plastic must be fresher than the larger - was it 25-pound bag I got before - and who knows how long it had been in the store at the time I bought it.... I don't add any water just put it out free choice. One "problem" is the dust that is left in the sack or in the feeder - and I bet I have pounds of dust -- I tried making a mash by adding water - and they really had no interest in it.

This time too, I have a plastic tub -versus previous cardboard box..but now at three weeks, they are in hardware-cloth "rabbit hutch". My other cardboard box hatches, they were getting only light from above the box - now light from 3 sides. The only other change is the outdoor temps are much colder - Spring and late summer/fall hatches are pretty warm here. The only other thing is that there are just 3 of them versus the normal number (I'm very small-time and appreciate each more when I have fewer - but this hatch only resulted in 3) Maybe just less distraction/competition?

Bottom line - I think the feed is better.

 

[newmanmichael]

Hello - I just joined the Cream Legbar Club and currently have 2 roosters and 3 laying pullets that I got form FaykokoWV. I know these birds aren't APA approved yet but was wondering if anyone is showing their birds at poultry shows yet. I'll be at the show in Newnan, GA next month. Anyone else going to be there with CLB's?

Thanks!

Michael

 

[CibolaChooks]

I read a post on another thread where a guy stated winter birds grow faster than spring and summer birds. Im not sure if its true but the better feed im sure has allot to do with it

 

[Laingcroft]

Hello - I just joined the Cream Legbar Club and currently have 2 roosters and 3 laying pullets that I got form FaykokoWV. I know these birds aren't APA approved yet but was wondering if anyone is showing their birds at poultry shows yet. I'll be at the show in Newnan, GA next month. Anyone else going to be there with CLB's?

Thanks!

Michael

Yes. Hapless Runner is one such person. I believe there are a couple more but I don't recall who. If I can get some good youngsters out of my group this year, I may show them next autumn.

 

[dretd]

For people who want to track their chick growth... there is a form to fill out on the Club's website. Once you enter the first weights you probably will need access to the spreadsheet.. it's a tool for those who want it. The chicks here - two from one totally different parents than the other one all weighed 1/2 pound at week 3. Can't believe how big they got that fast. And since they are not from the same parents it has to be the feed-- or maybe 1/2 pound at 3-weeks is normal.--- my others didn't seem that big that fast...but memory fades...fast.

Good to know about the form at the clubhouse, I'll go check it out. I use a kitchen scale that seems pretty accurate. I always track the weights of the hatches to make sure they are growing properly and especially to catch if one is not keeping up. Here is the data from my last hatch, at 21 days wt in grams/lbs
Wellie x faverolles chicks (guessing will grow into 7-8 lb roos and 6 lb hens):
pullet 193g/0.43lb,
cockerels
265/0.58,
240/0.53,
238/0.52,
Cream Legbar Cockerels:
211/0.47,
162/0.36 (this last one was hatched late and had an open umbilicus which needed to be tied off--I gave him a 50/50 chance of surviving and he eventually rebounded, but his weight is artificially low at 3 weeks.

So as compared to other breeds, around a half a pound at 3 weeks seems about average and in the ball-park for 'normal' I haven't rounded them up to weigh them at 4 months yet. eta: I use Ranch-a-Way Chick Starter early on, then either Ranch-a-Way Pullet Grower or Purina non-medicated Start and Grow after a few weeks.

 

[GaryDean26]

Hello - I just joined the Cream Legbar Club and currently have 2 roosters and 3 laying pullets that I got form FaykokoWV. I know these birds aren't APA approved yet but was wondering if anyone is showing their birds at poultry shows yet. I'll be at the show in Newnan, GA next month. Anyone else going to be there with CLB's?

Thanks!

Michael

I have been to two shows in the past year where multiple entries of Cream Legbars were in the open APA shown (none of these were my birds). It turns out that the breed doesn't have to be APA recognized to be shown, just to qualify to win a class with other breeds in it (i.e English class). I plan on showing my first Cream Legbar this year (I hope). The recommendation with unrecognized breeds is to post the proposed APA standard on the cage with an image of the breed for the judges to reference so they know what they are judging.

Good luck at Newnan.

Since you are a club member (and I don't know if any other club members will be at the Newnan show) please walk by the cages after the judging and take some notes on the show (number of Cream Legbars shown, number of exhibitors of CLB, who the judge was, etc.) so you can go to the club link to record the show results. The link to the show form is item 31 on the left hand of the screen at the link here.

 

[dretd]

Since you are a club member (and I don't know if any other club members will be at the Newnan show) please walk by the cages after the judging and take some notes on the show (number of Cream Legbars shown, number of exhibitors of CLB, who the judge was, etc.) so you can go to the club link to record the show results. The link to the show form is item 31 on the left hand of the screen at the link here.

The National Western Stock Show is going on in Denver. The poultry arrival is Friday am, showmanship is Friday at 3 ( can I assume this is the 4H kids--how does this work?) and the poultry judging is at 9 on Saturday. How long does the check in last and does the public have access to viewing prior to judging?

I was thinking of going down on Saturday and checking out the poultry and seeing if there were any Cream Legbars entered. Typically, how long will the judging last in a given show, and will the poultry area be available for me to walk through the rest of the day? Are the breeders typically present with their birds after judging to talk to folks that walk through? Just trying to plan accordingly since I may want to sneak in a rodeo while I am there and would hate to miss the poultry viewing

Thanks!

 

[ChicKat]

I read a post on another thread where a guy stated winter birds grow faster than spring and summer birds. Im not sure if its true but the better feed im sure has allot to do

Well that is interesting - winter hatch.

DrEtd- the form is live to fill in blanks on the website - going from hatch to 2-3 years old, I think -- but once you send the form to the spreadsheet subsequent updates probably will need to go in on the spreadsheet...the Clubhouse is more archives, and some discussion, but no live forms. :O)

 

[ChicKat]

.

So as compared to other breeds, around a half a pound at 3 weeks seems about average and in the ball-park for 'normal' I haven't rounded them up to weigh them at 4 months yet. eta: I use Ranch-a-Way Chick Starter early on, then either Ranch-a-Way Pullet Grower or Purina non-medicated Start and Grow after a few weeks.

So my half pound CLs at 3 weeks are pretty hefty little critters.

I am just now wondering about the package which says to feed medicated chick starter until 8 weeks and then switch to grower....and at that point you want to leave the Amprolium behind -right?