The Legbar Thread!

[Penny Hen]

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.

My dad used this technique to discourage a dog who chased his car every morning on the way to work. He was afraid that one day the dog would bite his tires and die. He used lemon juice instead of ammonia because that was what was available. Broke the dog of chasing him. Dog still chased other cars though.

 

[Penny Hen]

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

Well most of your girls have crests. I love the crests. Many people thing it is a not a good idea to breed crested to crested. Afraid it might build bigger into something more Polish looking. I would choose a non-crested roo then to keep with the crested girls. If one of your roos is crested you might sell a breeding trio with the non-crested girls. Of course only if they are breeding material too.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Well most of your girls have crests. I love the crests. Many people thing it is a not a good idea to breed crested to crested. Afraid it might build bigger into something more Polish looking. I would choose a non-crested roo then to keep with the crested girls. If one of your roos is crested you might sell a breeding trio with the non-crested girls. Of course only if they are breeding material too.

In the UK they've not had any problems breeding crested to crested. Just like spitzhabens, brabanters, silkies, polish you always breed crested to crested. Some folks in the us are convinced it is a terrible idea and will lead to death of the chicks due to vaulted skull problems. I went round and round with someone on the sfh thread but finally gave up. Sfh are different because some of the lines have been bred for decades without crests so you should breed crested to non crested. Cream Legbars should not have that problem. Time and trial and error will tell I suppose.

 

[flitter]

Thank you, everyone. I've made notes and have a better idea of what to look for at this age.
Re: their age... They came from an auction of Greenfire stock as day olds but I think they looked older when I got them. The age I used is based on when they arrived. They could easily be a week older. I should and will try to weigh them.

 

[blackbirds13]

Quote:
All my birds are crested. I have been breeding crested to crested for a while with no ill effects, except the wonky comb. I have not gotten any Polish looking birds and the crests vary a bit still but hopefully will become more uniform in time. How big the crest is may be more subjective as some prefer smaller and tighter and some more of a bouffant. The issue may be with the males and how it works with the comb but I'm not keeping uncrested birds as they are a DQ for the SOP and I'm not going to keep obvious DQs in my breeding plan and don't want to use non-SOP birds to make SOP birds as a routine. Cresting will show with a single gene so those that are uncrested lack both genes and will produce single gene birds which will then produce more uncrested and crested going forward. Not something I want to deal with if I don't have to. I'd rather weed through the cresting and figure a way to mediate it and make it work in my program.

 

[ChicKat]

I agree that the Cream Legbar crest is really different from the chickens that have the domed skulls--- I never had a domed skull in a chick---just normal skulls---and never had an uncrested...and always breed crested to crested...and - I agree with blackbirds13 insights that crested bred to crested isn't a problem at all - based on the ones that I have hatched.

 

[madamwlf]

Yippee! I got my Jill Rees chicks from GFF this morning! Actually, 2 girls and 1 roo (who can afford any more??). I also ordered 2 girls/1 boy from "any line that you're not getting gold from" (and Jen sent 2 extra girls which was very nice). They arrived active, very thirsty and hungry. In the pic the JR's are: the girl at 3 o'clock, the lightest boy at bottom and the girl at 7 o'click (light w/ indistinct stripes). Let them all get settled in for a day or so, then I'll post better pics! "I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it" (to the tune of the old Pointer Sisters song!!!)

Beautiful chicks!! I can not wait to get mine this week!!

 

[blackbirds13]

Quote:
That's exciting. I had some on order but put them on hold for now as I need to organize what I have on hand. Hopefully you can post pics. I'm wondering if it's worth it for me to expend all that cash as I'm pretty happy with my flock as it stands and would hate to be disappointed if the difference is negligible. I'm more interested in plunking down the funds for something else I have my eye on if I can but the Rees birds are soooooo tempting. Indecision rules the day.

 

[madamwlf]

That's exciting. I had some on order but put them on hold for now as I need to organize what I have on hand. Hopefully you can post pics. I'm wondering if it's worth it for me to expend all that cash as I'm pretty happy with my flock as it stands and would hate to be disappointed if the difference is negligible. I'm more interested in plunking down the funds for something else I have my eye on if I can but the Rees birds are soooooo tempting. Indecision rules the day.

I'm disbanding my current Legbar pen. I'm not getting what I was hoping from them so I'm starting over. If you ever want any, I'll gladly trade you!

 

[Penny Hen]

In the UK they've not had any problems breeding crested to crested. Just like spitzhabens, brabanters, silkies, polish you always breed crested to crested. Some folks in the us are convinced it is a terrible idea and will lead to death of the chicks due to vaulted skull problems. I went round and round with someone on the sfh thread but finally gave up. Sfh are different because some of the lines have been bred for decades without crests so you should breed crested to non crested. Cream Legbars should not have that problem. Time and trial and error will tell I suppose.

That is good to know. It is quite often hard to tell what is a true observation and what is just a hearsay perception unless someone happened to do a complete scientific study on it.