Cream Legbars in Louisiana

[BlackBayouBirds]

Oh, Lol! You know I don't get on here too often but signed on to do some "shopping" to see if anyone had some goose eggs! Lol. And an interested lady asked to see breeder pictures on Facebook this morning, so I took that candid shot - the first one since they were chicks because I just get busy, ya know? Thanks for holding me to the photo documentation!!

That really just worked out today! Lol. I think it's really important to compare our experiences because that way we can all watch them grow, compare traits and what-not and know what's in the different US lines, for the breed as a whole ya know? It's really neat to watch! I bet your cream legbars are nice looking too! Post pics if you want as well - it's fun sharing the pics - I really love this breed, it's nice to share that with others on here

 

[BlackBayouBirds]

For me, they come peck at my shiny buttons, and run up to me to see if I have something good to eat but are still a little flighty. They'll stand on the little chicken house right in front of me - like for the picture, but if I pick them up they're like "Hey Lady! What's goin on?" They freak a little for a second, but I pet them, then set them down really slowly, really gently and they're fine! I think they are like most chickens - the more time you spend with them the more they get used to you, and I do have it working against me that I have a three year old little girl who despite her best attempts finds it reeeeally hard to move slow and gentle so she spooks them a bit when she runs up to them! Lol.

 

[dretd]

This is that teeny little blonde day old Roo "Reese" today as a two month old cockerel. I'm supposing he is double barred leading to the "washed out" effect of his barring pattern someone mentioned before with some Jill Rees cockerels. His January box mate I grew out as well, had a little silverish cast to him as a Dayold and grew up identical to Reese but with a very crisp barring pattern, without the larger blocks of white in Reese's barring. Both have great crests, but combs are not as straight as I've seen on breeders pictures of their earlier Greenfire Imports.

He looks like he is shaping up nicely. All Cream Legbar boys need to be double barred--its part of the breed

I have hatched two down types in males--a lighter type like yours and the more common silvery-grey type. I think the lighter type is recessive so once a breeder has removed all the dark ones they naturally only hatch the light because the dominant gene has been removed. I think that there is not really a correlation between light and dark male down and the rooster's later plumage, although some UK breeders think that the cinnamony tones are an indication of how much red/chestnut the roo will have later. I'm not sure I have hatched enough to make a judgement on that but my most cinnamon boy did turn out to be really colorful so maybe on that one, yes. Many breeders are trying to eliminate the chestnut and are going for just black and white and shades of grey. Personally I think that the chestnut is really pretty and a nice contrast to the black and white. So My goal is to make sure they are proper cream (I am going by a lack of gold/brown in the male's secondaries/wing triangles to help me figure out who is chestnut and who is non-cream) but to also have some chestnut there.

If you read the SOP, the way it is worded, it says that some chestnut is permissible. That wording indicates that there is a preference to a non-chestnut color but that chestnut is perfectly fine. Some breeders are thus trying to eliminate the chestnut in their show lines. I suspect that the Rees line is like that--and that is why your boy looks so light, there is little chestnut and probably probably fewer mellanizers as well.

From what I have hatched and seen, the wonki-ness of the male's comb is directly related to the size of the crest=>> the larger the crest, the more it pushes the comb off at the back. The earlier imports had smaller crests (and some had none) so their combs are better. I have been looking at the female's combs and how floppy they are. The ones with the floppy combs seem to produce males with overly-large combs which get even wonkier with the larger crests. Its such a battle and a very hard breed to get balanced, that's for sure. The SOP calls for a small crest on the male and a medium crest on the female so they are off-set from one another by a step.

Your boy will still change quite a lot as he matures and I think in my flock I don't want to pass judgement on a cockerel until he is around 5 or 6 months!

For sure keep us updated with photos net month, OK?

 

[chicken pickin]

@dretd Has made some good comments here.

@BayouBirds Thanks for sharing pics of your cute little ones, keep us updated on their progress.

 

[BlackBayouBirds]

Thanks, Dretd, I wasn't sure about the barring! Thanks for letting me know.

Thank you about Reese I need to name his girls...when I got them, I called them my 'Rees Pieces!' So Reese seemed like a good name for him

I was guessing lighter might be a good thing for me personally as a project to see, so that is what I've done so far, purchase two sets of Dayolds, selling the darker chicks to customers who prefer dark, or make no preference but would just like to purchase the new line for new blood, and I let them know I keep my favorites for my "foundation" I guess you'd call them, my breeders.

I read that the cream gene is recessive so I figured choosing lighter chicks might help? But other breeders have shared with me here that their dayolds were darker, but grew up to have the nice "pale butter" cream hackles still.

You're right it's definitely feels like "checks and balances" but it's fun! All Cream Legbars are such pretty birds! I like that they're a project - they're a great hobby bird

 

[BlackBayouBirds]

Chicken Pickin,

Thank you!!

Sorry it took me soo long to get some on here! Dretd held me to it, and I'm thankful - it's neat to document the journey!

 

[sherigleblanc]

Topdog told me your looking for chicks CCLegbar. I have some poulets I hatched thankgiving day. I will be putting more in the incubator Today. I also have hatching eggs. I'm in slidell. I have 2 lines For anyone wanting a breeding pair thats unrelated I will have that after my next hatch.

Hi do you have any pullets or hens available?

 

[Ron Skekel]

Hi do you have any pullets or hens available?

I'd be willing to sell one or two. Do you want a rooster? Pam

 

[sherigleblanc]

I'd be willing to sell one or two. Do you want a rooster? Pam

Hi Pam!
Not at this point I don't. I'm so new to chickens I don't think I'm ready for babies hatching. Just want some pretty birds who Lay pretty eggs

 

[Ron Skekel]

Hi Pam!
Not at this point I don't. I'm so new to chickens I don't think I'm ready for babies hatching. Just want some pretty birds who Lay pretty eggs

I have some that just started to lay on about to lay. I feed all organic soy and corn free feed. I'll sell for 50.00 each.