Arkansas Blue egg layers

[enola]

Are you planning on improving your legbars by crossing them with AB?

 

[caychris]

Are you planning on improving your legbars by crossing them with AB?

No

 

[Manningjw]

It would work the same but the chicks would not be sex linked.

That.

I'm hoping to get some of these birds this year from @ronott1 and I have CLB birds already so some of the crosses seem interesting.

I've read a bit about the A/B roo over CLB hen cross but what about the CLB Roo over A/B hen?

I am interested in improving my CLB on their own but really only interested in the A/B as blue egg layers. (Though keeping a breeding line of them may be an option)

If you want some very prolific blue egg layers, I would consider getting some production White Leghorns or California Greys and cross the AB cockerel to them. The F1 cross to California grey would product a color sexable chick that if the AB stock was pure will be 100% blue egg laying blue or black hens. But the AB alone should be a very productive blue egg layer as well.

 

[ronott1]

That.


If you want some very prolific blue egg layers, I would consider getting some production White Leghorns or California Greys and cross the AB cockerel to them. The F1 cross to California grey would product a color sexable chick that if the AB stock was pure will be 100% blue egg laying blue or black hens. But the AB alone should be a very productive blue egg layer as well.

The chickens would be bigger--eating more feed--and would not lay much more. The eggs would be larger but the eggs are already in the large range. I will go weigh one from today.

The egg weighs 58G, which is a large egg.

 

[Manningjw]

The chickens would be bigger--eating more feed--and would not lay much more. The eggs would be larger but the eggs are already in the large range. I will go weigh one from today.

The egg weighs 58G, which is a large egg.

California Greys and White Leghorns generally are fairly light bodied breeds that lay massive eggs, do you think the feed conversion of the AB is actually better? That would be impressive!

My cross breeds are finally laying large sized eggs, but they are still all under 1 year old. My leghorn who will be turning 2 years old lays an egg that doesn't even fit in the carton anymore! My crosses are pretty light bodied birds being they are also primarily of White Leghorn descent just like the AB layer. I haven't every weighed an egg, I guess I should but I'd have to find that scale! (I think it's at the parents house...).

 

[ronott1]

California Greys and White Leghorns generally are fairly light bodied breeds that lay massive eggs, do you think the feed conversion of the AB is actually better? That would be impressive!

My cross breeds are finally laying large sized eggs, but they are still all under 1 year old. My leghorn who will be turning 2 years old lays an egg that doesn't even fit in the carton anymore! My crosses are pretty light bodied birds being they are also primarily of White Leghorn descent just like the AB layer. I haven't every weighed an egg, I guess I should but I'd have to find that scale! (I think it's at the parents house...).

Leghorns have very good feed conversion--If I had California Greys I would likely do that cross. They would be similar to the Super blue egg layers and they would be sexlinked if the rooster was blue and the hens were the greys--because they are barred.

 

[caychris]

Leghorns have very good feed conversion--If I had California Greys I would likely do that cross. They would be similar to the Super blue egg layers and they would be sexlinked if the rooster was blue and the hens were the greys--because they are barred.

I think the AB's are flighty enough without going back more toward the Leghorns. I might do the CLB cross but only to see how they turn out.

 

[ronott1]

I think the AB's are flighty enough without going back more toward the Leghorns. I might do the CLB cross but only to see how they turn out.

That would be a fun cross too!

I do have three Cream Legbar pullets too....

 

[Manningjw]

Leghorns have very good feed conversion--If I had California Greys I would likely do that cross. They would be similar to the Super blue egg layers and they would be sexlinked if the rooster was blue and the hens were the greys--because they are barred.

My thoughts exactly. And you avoid the breeding out of the dominant white gene. My next hatch I have to factor in that I need to hatch twice as many chicks from my hens that are carrying 1 dominant white gene because 50% will also hatch white(with a black or blue cockerel that is). Luckily at this point in my breeding, I have 2 birds like this, and 4 that are either black or barred blue egg layers from this project cross. At least with the California Greys you would have all black (blue based black I hope? I don't know enough about the Calif Grey) so you can hatch out enough to focus just on culls instead of eliminating(selling) 1/2 at hatch because of dominant white then factoring in culls for better production/type.

But I have so much fun hatching and selecting birds I really cannot complain.

 

[1muttsfan]

I am quite happy with large sized eggs, much larger than that they do not fit the cartons unless you get jumbo ones, and most recipes call for large eggs. Giant sized eggs also use more resources such as calcium and protein for the larger volume of white.