Cream Legbar Working Group: Standard of Perfection

[KPenley]

Perhaps an activity for the future would be to go through the SOP

@ K: What do you think of a series that could be done in stages through the newsletter, or whatever other means would help people the most. For example we could take 5 parts at a time (ie Comb, Beak, Face, Eyes, Wattles ). Define it as per SOP, and any other explanations that might be deemed necessary.. Show both good and bad examples of shape (and color???). Sure it will take a while, but by concentrating on a small section I think we really will start to "see" better. And, when it's all completed we have a great pictorial way to explain our SOP!

I tried the coloring contest before to try to teach about the shapes and parts of a chicken, but perhaps it was just too much info at one time since we didn't get many participants.

 

[fowlman01]

@ K: What do you think of a series that could be done in stages through the newsletter, or whatever other means would help people the most. For example we could take 5 parts at a time (ie Comb, Beak, Face, Eyes, Wattles ). Define it as per SOP, and any other explanations that might be deemed necessary.. Show both good and bad examples of shape (and color???). Sure it will take a while, but by concentrating on a small section I think we really will start to "see" better. And, when it's all completed we have a great pictorial way to explain our SOP!

I tried the coloring contest before to try to teach about the shapes and parts of a chicken, but perhaps it was just too much info at one time since we didn't get many participants.

Great idea!

I'm not trying to be mean to anyone, but it has been obvious to me by comments I have read that folks don't know as much about this breed as they would like to think. It takes most people about 10 years to get on to this stuff. Recognizing the parts is the first step. Trying to fix them is going to be an awesome task. This is a complex breed and although it is supposed to have a Leghorn look it seems a bit different to me. Does anyone know what the Brits mean by a wedge shaped body? I have never seen that description applied to a Leghorn body.

Pictures always help in understanding a written Standard.

Walt

 

[chicken pickin]

Is this what is considered a wedge shape? Broader in the shoulder and tapered in slightly to the tail?

 

[nicalandia]

Quote:
while I like your Bantams, they are that. just bantams and due that fact you cant compare a bantam leghorn to a full size Legbar, a better comparison would be the standard size show Leghorn.... look at the following show type leghorn of Holland...

 

[fowlman01]

Is this what is considered a wedge shape? Broader in the shoulder and tapered in slightly to the tail?

That's what it means to me, but usually that is not a good body form. That is usually considered an unthrifty bird. The bird pictured carries its width from the shoulders to the tail, so that is not much of a wedge, but maybe it is what they meant. This bird would have what they call "good width of back".

Walt

 

[KPenley]

Great idea!

I'm not trying to be mean to anyone, but it has been obvious to me by comments I have read that folks don't know as much about this breed as they would like to think. It takes most people about 10 years to get on to this stuff. Recognizing the parts is the first step. Trying to fix them is going to be an awesome task. This is a complex breed and although it is supposed to have a Leghorn look it seems a bit different to me. Does anyone know what the Brits mean by a wedge shaped body? I have never seen that description applied to a Leghorn body.

Pictures always help in understanding a written Standard.

Walt

You're right Walt. With the exception of a few, most of us are newbies to poultry or at least poultry showing. I think that most of us are hungry to learn all we can though

When you get down to the details, the Legbar is not the same as the Leghorn, but many Leghorn features did get passed down through the creation process due to their dominant genetics or the breeder's preferences (such as egg production).

"Body wedge shaped, wide at the shoulders and narrowing slightly to root of tail" (PCGB SOP) This is the way that Breeders from the UK described the wedge to me when I asked a bit ago. They explained that the Legbar is supposed to be a strong muscular bird. They describe the view from the top as "narrowing slightly", but they all reiterated that it does not look like a pie shape (ie pinched tail is not the goal), which is what I think of when I hear wedge! This is why I wrote it, "Moderately broad at the shoulders, narrowing slightly
toward the tail" in our draft SOP for the APA.

 

[chicken pickin]

Is this a good wedge shape?

 

[nicalandia]

yes.

 

[KPenley]

Found someone willing to share more photos for us to look at, Amanda Rowe gave permission for me to share these. She lives in the UK.

Not perfect, but I think the top pic sort of shows the wedge shape we're going for in the hens. It's definitely more of a narrowing than a Barnie. This bottom pic shows the breast of the rooster, rather than the shoulders, but sort of shows the width we're going for too.

 

[ChicKat]

Great idea!

I'm not trying to be mean to anyone, but it has been obvious to me by comments I have read that folks don't know as much about this breed as they would like to think. It takes most people about 10 years to get on to this stuff. Recognizing the parts is the first step. Trying to fix them is going to be an awesome task. This is a complex breed and although it is supposed to have a Leghorn look it seems a bit different to me. Does anyone know what the Brits mean by a wedge shaped body? I have never seen that description applied to a Leghorn body.

Pictures always help in understanding a written Standard.

Walt

X2 - fabulous Idea --- maybe a course outside the newsletter that is available in a repository, one line item from the SOP at a time. That way if someone joined the club later they could start at the beginning, and if later developments and pictures came in, for example our 'best' tail angles began to lower-- then it could be added to or updated. Good thinking KP.