Calling All Cream Legbar Breeders- 2024 Edition

[RememberTheWay]

Here is a 2012 photo progrogression of Legbar cockers. https://14361926546709837634.google...ITyUl2PaD1PlrM_Q8LDqb17qLcoK_ghztcRyvti6k99Tc

Did cockerel A not make it to maturity? I didn't see a mature photo of it. I think the young cockerel I have here was closest to the A cockerel at hatch.

 

[RememberTheWay]

Here is a 2012 photo progrogression of Legbar cockers. https://14361926546709837634.google...ITyUl2PaD1PlrM_Q8LDqb17qLcoK_ghztcRyvti6k99Tc

In the creation of the Legbar in the 1930’s they started with and English line of Legbars that had a light down color. Then in the second year of the project they introduced imported Dutch leghorns because they were more productive layers. This down color study was an attempt to see if on down type or another produced better color in the adult plumage. It was noted that the dark down showed brighter red colors than the light down color. I personal decided to not put a preference on down color and just select for the best assault plumage. As I did that my down color naturally started to settle on a bluish down color (I will look for photos). Chicks with a lot of yellow or refuse colors in the grow out with too much red/chestnut. Those with the dark down color get black crest and are too dark.

Very interesting. Do you know if any thing similar has been studied for the Opal variation? I have two pullets and the cockerels at the moment that are Opal. A couple cream split to Opal pullets and then a few pure cream pullets and one cockerel.

So far I am really liking the color on the cream cockerel but I have a feeling his comb will end up being way oversized

 

[RememberTheWay]

The photo of the chicks in the white basket is the one I was looking for (Blaze Chicks). The cockerel is the bluish color and the pullet to his top left is what I was looking for an example of what pullets from the bluish lines look like. All the pullets in that photo are out of the same cockerel though. There were multiple hens in the pen that the group hatched from which both light and bark down colors among them. When searching I could a few photos from others. There is a pair of bluish downed cockerel line chicks from another breeder’s line and a pair with red in the chick down from the other breeder. Those with the red in their down grow out with posts of red on their crests eyebrows, etc. the pullets will likely have red on their throat and possibly body feathers too.

Lol. Now I wish I had paid a bit more attention to their down color. Maybe I have photos though. I'll have to look back through to see

 

[RememberTheWay]

Measure the width of the birds at the hips and the shoulder and use those with the best width to open up the tails to were they form a tent shape when viewed from the back. Again in a few generations you can see a lot of improvement in this area.

A couple yrs ago, before I knew about pelvic width and tail spreads, I had an Ameraucana rooster (which would have been considered mutt due to unrecognized color but everything else was right) that had a super wide tail "tent". Probably the widest I ever seen still to this day. I remember back then actually thinking that he looked odd because it was so wide and more spread then any of the other roosters I'd raised up until then. Boy to know what I know now back then. I sold him because I had no use for a mixed breed or his color at the time and was moving towards all purebred poultry. Honestly makes me cringe every time I think about him because man is it had to find males these days with super wide pelvic widths and I surely could of used him to produce some very productive laying hens!

I won't make that mistake again, definitely. I am actually quite excited to see how the new Legbars I'm growing out get along. Their breeder has paid attention to that aspect as well as many others and I'm very impressed with the width even on these young chicks. They all descend from Legbars that were still going strong in their fifth year so that fact alone even if you never checked pelvic width would most likely land you wide birds anyways bc they are the only ones that would still be laying good by then.

 

[GaryDean26]

Did cockerel A not make it to maturity? I didn't see a mature photo of it. I think the young cockerel I have here was closest to the A cockerel at hatch.

No, cockerel "A" was culled for lameness. He was one of those $99/chick purchases when the first chicks were being released from Greenfire Farm in 2011. That is a hard pill to swallow but it was for the good of the flock.

 

[GaryDean26]

Very interesting. Do you know if any thing similar has been studied for the Opal variation? I have two pullets and the cockerels at the moment that are Opal. A couple cream split to Opal pullets and then a few pure cream pullets and one cockerel.

So far I am really liking the color on the cream cockerel but I have a feeling his comb will end up being way oversized

The Opal Variety was created by Candace Waldon. Attached is the article by her that was published in the Q3 2017 CLB Club Newsletter. It has photos of chicks and mature birds. I don't know if anyone has done any photo progressions of Opal Legbars.

 

[GaryDean26]

...I won't make that mistake again...

The breed standard should describe the bird with the best type to produce the desired utilities for the breed. There was a guy from Canada that was on the Legbar threads that had a line of Light Sussex imported to Canada from England. I didn't sound like anyone working on that line ever read a breed standard. They had poultry researchers at the Agricultural Extension build a line that was adapted to thrived to farm life in Canada and then bred for utilities only. That line dominated all the poultry shows when stock started to be sold to the public about 10 years later. Those who had breed "show birds" for 10 years didn't achieve a line as close to the standard as though just breeding for utilities.

 

[RememberTheWay]

No, cockerel "A" was culled for lameness. He was one of those $99/chick purchases when the first chicks were being released from Greenfire Farm in 2011. That is a hard pill to swallow but it was for the good of the flock.

Yikes! I feel your pain. That would definitely be a difficult decision

 

[RememberTheWay]

The Opal Variety was created by Candace Waldon. Attached is the article by her that was published in the Q3 2017 CLB Club Newsletter. It has photos of chicks and mature birds. I don't know if anyone has done any photo progressions of Opal Legbars.

Started reading through that last night. Interesting.

 

[RememberTheWay]

The breed standard should describe the bird with the best type to produce the desired utilities for the breed. There was a guy from Canada that was on the Legbar threads that had a line of Light Sussex imported to Canada from England. I didn't sound like anyone working on that line ever read a breed standard. They had poultry researchers at the Agricultural Extension build a line that was adapted to thrived to farm life in Canada and then bred for utilities only. That line dominated all the poultry shows when stock started to be sold to the public about 10 years later. Those who had breed "show birds" for 10 years didn't achieve a line as close to the standard as though just breeding for utilities.

That's interesting. I don't think most ever do look at the standards. But I do also see a issue where one must pay membership dues to gain access to some of the standards which creates a disconnect. Personally I think they should be available freely. But that's just a personal opinion.

First and foremost my birds have intended functions. Production and meat. I keep production traits in mind when making breeding decisions because I do not want to lose form over function. With that in mind though I think that most of the standards are there for a reason. Although there are lots of breeds that could produce better but have been lost trying to attain the "show qualities" they have. If a bird doesn't adequately produce then how do we keep them in existence? Simple extinction has happened with certain breeds due to vigor and fertility being lost.

I think that's interesting that the utility line dominated the show rings though. Maybe that says more about the judges then the showmen?