Breeding Buff Leghorns

[math ace]

If the bird is wide(wide back,wide skull ,wide shoulders) and strong it is not likily to be knock kneed. Weak birds that are inbred tend to be knock kneed. Yes tall birds may be prone towards knock kneed but but it bis because they are not balanced with width and strength. Knock knees is hereditary.

Alright. I understand the relationship between a wide back, tail, shoulder, etc. and a nice wide leg placement.

On my grow-outs, the taller legged birds are more wobbly on their legs than the short legged birds.
I am not use to growing out long legged breeds. Is it normal for the young teenagers to be wobbly?
I don't see it on the young chicks. It doesn't show up until they get to the real lanky teenage stage.....
I haven't grow out enough to know if the legs tighten up when they get a couple of more months of growth on them...

What do you think?

 

[danhonour]

I would grow them out and see.As birds get older they do get more width to some degree. I also know that the long and tall birds seem to look awkward as they mature,but they will settle with age and look more correct,while shorter legged young will mature into squatty very short legged older birds.

 

[math ace]

I would grow them out and see.As birds get older they do get more width to some degree. I also know that the long and tall birds seem to look awkward as they mature,but they will settle with age and look more correct,while shorter legged young will mature into squatty very short legged older birds.

OK... I am just getting nervous that I will cull something I should of kept and will end up with birds I can't use...

The two I am watching right now are these two males. There is a few weeks difference in age. The one with better wing set is the older and more darker colored one. However, I am worried about his legs, specifically the possibility of knocked knees.

The other, younger male, is lighter in color. His wing set is lower, BUT better than the one I originally posted a week or so ago.
He is lankier with higher station than the one I posted a week or so ago. He appears to have a firmer leg set than the slightly older male that is pictured with him.. . .

Dan, HOW EARLY DO YOU IDENTIFY THE KNOCKED KNEE ISSUES? ? ?




The younger male, lighter colored, lower wing set, BUT firm leg set is in the cage.
The slightly older male, darker colored, great wing set, BUT may have a knocked knee issue is outside the cage...

Pictures of slightly older male are below....






I tried to get better photos of him today, but all he wanted to do was dig... and dig.... and dig... Then go off in the bushes.
He is in the BACK in all these photos...










The younger one seems braver ...Here are some photos of him by himself
















In the last few photos, he looks knocked kneed, BUT he normally has nice leg posture.
I apologize for the crappiness of the pictures. I was trying to catch them in natural poses.
If you can tell anything, if you can see anything - good or bad - from these photos, I would welcome hearing it....

As you can tell below... I have a few more males to evaluate in a few months...
LOL....

 

[math ace]

HELLO Leghorn Folks,

My two buff leghorn males have another month of age on them. I listened carefully to previous advice. These two males have a taller stance and a higher wing set than my previous males. There is a 4 week difference in their ages. The older male has a perfect horizontal wing set and is a darker buff than the other male. I really want to keep the older male, but I am concerned that he has a gait issue - knocked knee or something...

I will get better videos over the weekend if needed. In these video clips the birds are walking. The gait issue is more pronounced when the birds are running. Please, look at these clips and give me any feedback that you can.

FIRST, the older male.

This is the younger male. His gait never worries me, BUT he is smaller, lighter in color, and he does not carry his wings as high as the slightly older male. On top of all that, this guy is not as friendly as the other male...

IF these videos are not good enough... JUST say something and I will try a second round of video this weekend. The second video is not really great, but this is the male that is less social!

 

[danhonour]

I like the younger lighter male,seem to have more width,and bigger shanks.If his color is light mate himto some darker pullets,you can always work on color if the bird has type and good legs.I can often start culling at 3 months,if I have plenty to pick from. Knock knees is hard to get rid of so I try not to use any of it.

 

[BGMatt]

Well, time to join this thread I guess.

Here's my 4 week old Buffs, one cockerel and two pullets hatched from shipped eggs, really pleased with growth rate, the whiteish headed chick in with them is a Silver Campine LF, and they're easily twice the size already.






These are my 12 week old Buffs, they just arrived on wednesday.



This is my first go at breeding a Buff variety since I was a kid, so really looking forward to it! I'll keep posting pictures as they grow and develop.

 

[math ace]

OK... I have another video clip of the older Buff male.
This one is pretty short, again.
I did make a longer one, but I am having trouble uploading.
I will get with the internet gurus around here tomorrow and see if I can't get the bigger file to upload.
In the meantime, take a look at this video and let me know what you see...
Reminder.... I am looking specifically for feedback on his gait. Since he is running like a bat out of He##, you may not be able to tell anything.

 

[ArieBLB]

Hi there,

I would suggest to let them grow up to mature birds. At this time of his age birds are always a little weaker in the legs. Give them time to recuperate until they are mature. Then you can say with certainty that they have x legs

 

[ArieBLB]

Welcome Matt on this thread.

They look nice, were did you bought these Buffs? Are they from Keith Bjelland? He is is in the same place as you are Battle Ground

 

[ArieBLB]

Hello,

Do you know if there are Buff Leghorn breeders in your area?
It can be in large ore in bantam. Single comb or with rose comb.
Every kind of type. Gelbe Italiener, Giallo Livorno, Buff Leghorn American-Dutch-English-Australian type and more.

I would like to take stock of the situation of the breed world wide because Buff Leghorns become very rare.

Would you like to send me information?

Name, address, zip code, country, phone number and email address if possible. Also what variation they breed.

You may send your information to [email protected]
That's the e-mail address from "Buff Leghorns All over the World"

I will make a database with all the Buff Leghorn breeders who want let registered themselves.
The list is for those who are on the list. So we can help each others to let go further our strains.

Thank you for your cooperation and send me your information if you want also on the Buff Leghorn breeders list and want to receive a copy when the list is ready.

Best regards,

Arie van Bijsterveldt