The Legbar Thread!

[ChicKat]

I was hoping for maybe an opinion or 2. I currently have my main breeder he is 1year 3months. He is very decent looking though a little colorful but has some other very great physical qualities. My plan has been to pick one of his sons as my new main breeder and then keep the older one as my backup and maybe a second son as a backup. My main breeder though has an attitude problem and has for about a month or more now. I am fed up with his trying to spur me when I come in to feed and water them. I have an appt scheduled for him and a few other roosters to get processed tomorrow. Im a little hesitant because all the other cockerels I have are only the 9 week olds Im growing out ( the ones I posted pics of). I do have a dozen eggs I plan to set tonight and I was also planning to collect and set eggs over the next 2-3weeks while the hens may still be fertile.

Am I making a good decision to part with my main boy now sooner than later due to his aggression or is this a bad plan since I don't have a mature roo that I know has good qualities set in place? My thought was no matter how good looking the rooster if he has a bad attitude he is a bad breeder.

I also made the hard decision to process my main Marans cock also tomorrow, again with no backup in place he is such a sweet boy and passes on his sweet nature to his offspring he just isn't good quality. So looks like I am pretty much done with my CL and my Marans for the summer. I am in search of a better quality Black Copper Marans rooster now. I have 6 very young cockerels I hatched from a breeders eggs that I am growing out but Im not really liking them much(so far anyhow, but Im keeping my fingers crossed that one will surprise me).

It is hard...and unless you have some genetic traits that you really want to capitalize on in the roosters...and breed to daughter and grand-daughter...in the numbers game - it should be possible to get hold of a good rooster -- (well should---) Back in my cattle-ranchin' days--
good Bulls were Very hard to come by - and pure bred stock -- expensive. One year we spent 4,500 for a herdsire...and he was used only one and a half years before he got thrown over a barbedwire fence (by another 2,000 pound bull) he was injured and subsequently sterile... He was a GrandChampion at a show---BUT subsequently we had cattle that definitely showed the results of the genetics he passed along to the herd. As Junibutt said - it is an investment - to pay a lot of a good male for your breeding program - but you really capitalize on the male because of his multiple offspring.

Temperament although invisible when you look at the bird in a photo is a really important trait. It is tough when you have to be edgy all the time and watch your back in the pens....

 

[sweetdreaming]

Squirting ammonia in a rooster's eyes is cruel.

Like Chickat said, it's very diluted, it just smells bad and will sting a bit -like if u get soap in your eyes (it's a wide spray and I'm not a very good shot, I don't think I've ever got one directly in the eyes!). It doesn't cause any injury. Kicking, hitting, and killing them are much more "cruel"! With this technique, they learn after 1 or 2 squirts that they need to stay away from me. It completely diffuses their "cocky" behavior w/ me and all the other humans that are in the barnyard. I don't hv to worry anymore about my kids and grands and ranch hands getting attacked.

 

[flitter]

I have a batch of Creme Legbars that I've been evaluating for keep/rehome. They were Greenfire day olds and are between 4 and 5 weeks old. Opinions appreciated. I am particularly perplexed by color. I realize that it is early days yet but I should cut some in the next couple of weeks (space). The cockerels:
Black band

Green band... this one has a twisty comb
Orange band

Purple band

Yellow band

 

[flitter]

In case anyone has any interest or patience left. Here are the pullets:

:

Black left leg band Black right





Blue left Blue right... or this could be a cockerel?




Green left
Green right


Orange left



Purple left Purple right




White right Yellow right

 

[KPenley]

Pretty birds flitter! I would give them all as much time as you can before you cut. While you can see glimpses of who they will become so many things change in the first 8 months. If possible I'd try to hold them all until at least 8 weeks and see how their weights and shapes are looking at that point. Best wishes!

 

[flitter]

Thank you. I'd love to keep them all through the winter but really can't do that. My impression is their color is pretty good and there isn't anything glaringly wrong except for the one with the wonky comb. They are sweet birds. They didn't seem to mind getting banded... not as cooperative about the pictures though.

 

[Junibutt]

Thank you. I'd love to keep them all through the winter but really can't do that. My impression is their color is pretty good and there isn't anything glaringly wrong except for the one with the wonky comb. They are sweet birds. They didn't seem to mind getting banded... not as cooperative about the pictures though.

Hi Flitter,

Are you sure they are only 5 week old? They seem a little bigger than that or your maybe its the camera angle. Do you have weights on them?
At this point I would agree that you should get rid of the cockerel with a twisted comb.
From amongst the pullets, I noticed 2 don't have any crests. Its my personal liking that I would not keep this breed without crests. I am not an expert as to whether they can grow the crest late or not.

 

[ChicKat]

Just my opinion - I like blue-left pullet, orange-left and black-right in that order. For cockerels, I would keep purple band and yellow bad if their combs are straight and their crests symetrical...there is something about orange that appeals to me -- personality looking - but not thinking he would be as good an adult as the other two.

You may get as many opinions as there are viewers of the thread who voice one...Someone on a UK thread I was reading last night was saying that cockerels should be kept 6-months before being evaluated---but that isn't always feasable...and partly it depends on what aspects of the breed you are presently working on. :O)

 

[blackbirds13]

In case anyone has any interest or patience left. Here are the pullets:

:

Black left leg band Black right





Blue left Blue right... or this could be a cockerel?




Green left she looks cream
Green right


Orange left



Purple left Purple right




White right Yellow right

I like these most. so far The others are too colorful for me at this age. They are crested also which is a must for me.

 

[blackbirds13]

I have a batch of Creme Legbars that I've been evaluating for keep/rehome. They were Greenfire day olds and are between 4 and 5 weeks old. Opinions appreciated. I am particularly perplexed by color. I realize that it is early days yet but I should cut some in the next couple of weeks (space). The cockerels:
Black band

Green band... this one has a twisty comb

Orange band

Purple band

Yellow band

He looks to young for the back to have saddle feathers coming through so I am unsure what the color on his back is. He's the one I think looks the most hopeful for cream but he'll need to grow out more to see. The back color does not match his overall color.