There is a lot of variation in various strains of Cream Legbars in the US. I've had the privilege of working with 2 strains, and the Jill Rees line has very much impressed me. Because of my experience with them, I do not agree with the assessment of their attitude or egg laying that is in the initial post of this thread.
I find their eggs are often large to extra large, especially from the older hens. I've even gotten some double yolk eggs, though not many (you don't want them from a breeding flock anyway). They start out as typical pullet eggs and my flock varies in age, so some might keep laying small eggs and I wouldn't really notice, but I definitely get eggs to match the Welsummers and Marans in size. I find them to lay more eggs than my other breeds that are non-commercial. They are not as good a layer as the California Greys or hybrids (like Black Sexlinks), but better than the Ameraucanas and Welsummers/Welbars, and far better than the Copper Marans.
The eggs are pretty consistent in their blue color. They fall right in the middle of all my blue egg laying breeds, bluer than the Lavender Ams, but maybe not quite as baby blue as the Silver Ams. No one has ever looked at their eggs and said they were green. Showing customers the eggs they hatch from always "seals the deal" because they are much better than any breed you will ever get from a hatchery and everyone should have a few truly blue egg layers in their flock. If you want a consistent layer of bright blue eggs, you will not be able to do better than a Cream Legbar.
As regard to temperment, I think because these are a "show line", the Jill Rees birds are exceptionally calm and docile, so much so that I do not regard them as ideal for unsupervised free ranging (they are not the brightest bulbs in the box), but more like an English Orp or Copper Marans. I often raise them with California Greys and the difference in temperment is obvious, any sudden movement will set off the CG's and they do not like to be handled, but the Legbars, even if not handled much, will calm down very quickly in your hand. My older ones are underfoot all the time, looking for handouts from me, and I have not tried to raise these as pet birds, so a large component must be genetic. As pet chickens, they are among the very best. I highly recommend the pullets for families with small children. Their appearance and general demeanor endear themselves to everyone who is around them. The autosexing is crucial because roosters are generally not allowed or desired, and this truly sets them apart from Ameraucanas, and all the other blue egg layers. None sex as easily as Cream Legbars.
If your experience with Cream Legbars has left you lukewarm about them, get some pure Jill Rees birds (or at least half JR) and I believe you will see them in a whole new light. They are the best "all around" backyard chicken, IMO. I absolutely LOVE Ameraucanas, and I will always appreciate my Welbars since they are my own creation, but if I could only have one breed, it would be the Jill Rees line of Cream Legbars.
I find their eggs are often large to extra large, especially from the older hens. I've even gotten some double yolk eggs, though not many (you don't want them from a breeding flock anyway). They start out as typical pullet eggs and my flock varies in age, so some might keep laying small eggs and I wouldn't really notice, but I definitely get eggs to match the Welsummers and Marans in size. I find them to lay more eggs than my other breeds that are non-commercial. They are not as good a layer as the California Greys or hybrids (like Black Sexlinks), but better than the Ameraucanas and Welsummers/Welbars, and far better than the Copper Marans.
The eggs are pretty consistent in their blue color. They fall right in the middle of all my blue egg laying breeds, bluer than the Lavender Ams, but maybe not quite as baby blue as the Silver Ams. No one has ever looked at their eggs and said they were green. Showing customers the eggs they hatch from always "seals the deal" because they are much better than any breed you will ever get from a hatchery and everyone should have a few truly blue egg layers in their flock. If you want a consistent layer of bright blue eggs, you will not be able to do better than a Cream Legbar.
As regard to temperment, I think because these are a "show line", the Jill Rees birds are exceptionally calm and docile, so much so that I do not regard them as ideal for unsupervised free ranging (they are not the brightest bulbs in the box), but more like an English Orp or Copper Marans. I often raise them with California Greys and the difference in temperment is obvious, any sudden movement will set off the CG's and they do not like to be handled, but the Legbars, even if not handled much, will calm down very quickly in your hand. My older ones are underfoot all the time, looking for handouts from me, and I have not tried to raise these as pet birds, so a large component must be genetic. As pet chickens, they are among the very best. I highly recommend the pullets for families with small children. Their appearance and general demeanor endear themselves to everyone who is around them. The autosexing is crucial because roosters are generally not allowed or desired, and this truly sets them apart from Ameraucanas, and all the other blue egg layers. None sex as easily as Cream Legbars.
If your experience with Cream Legbars has left you lukewarm about them, get some pure Jill Rees birds (or at least half JR) and I believe you will see them in a whole new light. They are the best "all around" backyard chicken, IMO. I absolutely LOVE Ameraucanas, and I will always appreciate my Welbars since they are my own creation, but if I could only have one breed, it would be the Jill Rees line of Cream Legbars.
.Super helpful thread 
