Cream Legbar Working Group: Standard of Perfection

[dretd]

So I thought I'd post some photos of what I think folks are terming silver and then some that are less so and then gold hackles. My birds are not perfect and have flaws in many areas but this is just to help with the silver hackle aspect.
This is one of my gold hackle females I gave away to a local friend to make EE's


this female is very light gold hackle as her hackles appear more pale gold than cream, the tips seem more cream-colored but I'm going to let her grow out and see what she looks like when she gets older and maybe test mate her

Very nice photo series and thank you very much for posting these!

It may just be the photos not capturing true colors, but when I look at your all girls I see all potential cream, even the one you gave away. I have 2 gold-gold girls and they are really gold. I have one girl I have been one the fence about. She doesn't have milk-cream but more of a light butter cream near the head that lightens as it blends down. Really light gold? Really rich cream? Time will tell. Well that and test breeding next spring. This little pullet of yours seems lighter than most gold pullets I've seen. These are the ones that are ambiguous and confusing for me.

 

[KPenley]

Thank you to everyone who has been waiting! Here is the Cream Legbar Standard of Perfection Draft 2 in it's entirety, including introduction and shafting additions to the Female:Color, Back and Breast sections. Special thank you goes out to Heather and Elissa for all of your input and help!
If you need the properly spaced version to bring to Shows, please feel free to PM me with your email addy.

CREAM LEGBAR
(Proposed Standard of Perfection Draft 2 for Preliminary Show Requirements)​

The Cream Legbar was presented at the 1947 London Dairy Show as a new breed of cream colored autosexing chicken, friendly in temperament, and prolific layer of blue eggs.
The recessive nature of the cream color, the dominate blue egg color, and the crest which sets this breed apart from its similar Legbar relations was discovered in genetic experimentation performed by Professors R.C. Punnett and Michael Pease. Professor Punnett received blue egg laying crested Chilean hens from botanist Clarence Elliott in 1929. He experimented with these birds to create crested blue egg layers with plumage like Brown Leghorns except with cream instead of gold. Later Professor Pease performed his own breeding experiments using Gold Legbars and an inbred White Leghorn from Reaseheath, which also resulted in a number of cream colored birds. Professors Pease and Punnett bred their cream birds together to see if they had stumbled upon the same cream gene, proving it upon the birth of all cream offspring. Descendants of these birds were selected for crests, blue egg laying abilities, and the remarkable autosexing feature that allowed them to be identified at birth. These qualities were stabilized by 1947, and the Cream Legbar received a written standard by the Poultry Club of Great Britain in 1958.

ECONOMIC QUALITIES

Especially noted for the autosexing feature in offspring, and production of eggs. Color of skin, yellow; color of egg shell, blue or green.

DISQUALIFICATIONS

See General Disqualifications and Cutting for Defects.

STANDARD WEIGHTS

Cock…………………………7 lbs. Hens…………………………6 lbs.
Cockerel……………………..6 lbs. Pullet…………………………4 lbs.​

SHAPE -- MALE
​

Comb: Single; large, fine in texture, straight and upright, deeply and evenly serrated with six distinct points, extending well over the back of the head and following, without touching, the line of the head, free from side spikes, thumb-marks or twists.
Beak: Stout, point clear of the front of the comb, slightly curved.
Face: Smooth, skin fine in texture.
Eyes: Large, bright, and prominent. Round in appearance.
Wattles: Moderately long, thin, uniform in size, well rounded, free from folds or wrinkles. Skin soft.
Ear-lobes: Large, elongated oval, pendant, smooth and free from folds, equally matched in size and shape.
Crest: Small, well back from the eyes with narrow feathers falling off the back of the head to below the blade of the comb.
Head: Medium size, symmetrical, well balanced, and of fine quality.
Neck: Long and well covered with hackle feathers.
Back: Moderately broad at the shoulders, narrowing slightly toward the tail, long in length, flat, sloping slightly to the tail.
Saddle feathers—Abundant, long, and filling well in front of the tail.

Tail: Moderately full, carried at an angle of forty-five degrees above horizontal.
Main tail—feathers broad and overlapping.
Sickles—long and well curved.
Lesser Sickles and Coverts—long, of good width, nicely curved and abundant.

Wings: Large and carried close to the body without dropping.

Breast: Prominent, well-rounded, carried forward and upright.

Body and Fluff: Body moderately long, sloping to the tail, broad in front tapering slightly to the rear. Keel is of good length, following the line of the back. Feathers moderately long and close to the body.
Fluff—medium in length, moderately full.

Legs and Toes: Legs moderately long, straight when viewed from the front. Thighs are medium length. Shanks round, strong, and free from feathers.
Toes—four, long, straight, and well-spread.

SHAPE -- FEMALE​

Comb: Single; large, fine in texture, erect or first point to stand erect and the remainder of the comb dropping gracefully to the side without obscuring the eyes, deeply and evenly serrated having six distinct points.

Beak: Stout, point clear of the front of the comb, slightly curved.

Face: Smooth, skin fine in texture.

Eyes: Large, bright, and prominent. Round in appearance.

Wattles: Medium in length, thin, uniform in size, well-rounded, free from folds or wrinkles. Skin soft.

Ear-lobes: Medium, elongated oval, pendant, smooth and free from folds, equally matched in size and shape.

Crest: Medium, affixed at the forefront of the skull on both sides of the base of the comb and running length of comb. Rising well in front so as not to obstruct the eyes, with feathers narrow and falling off the back of the head to below the blade of the comb.

Head: Medium size, symmetrical, well balanced, and of fine quality.

Neck: Long and well covered with hackle feathers.

Back: Moderately broad at the shoulders, long, with an even slope to the tail. Feathers moderately broad and of sufficient length to carry well up to tail.

Tail: Moderately long, carried at an angle of thirty-five degrees above horizontal.
Main tail—feathers broad and overlapping.
Coverts—broad and abundant, extending well onto main tail.

Wings: Large and carried close to the body without dropping.

Breast: Prominent, well-rounded, carried forward and upright.

Body and Fluff: Body moderately long, sloping to the tail, broad in front tapering slightly to the rear. Keel is of good length, following the line of the back. Feathers moderately long and close to the body.
Fluff—medium in length, moderately full.

Legs and Toes: Legs moderately long, straight when viewed from the front. Thighs are medium length. Shanks round, strong, and free from feathers.
Toes—four, long, straight, and well-spread.

COLOR -- MALE
​

Comb, Face and Wattles: Bright Red.
Beak: Yellow.
Eyes: Reddish bay.
Ear-lobes: Enamel white.
Head: Plumage, cream and gray.
Crest: Cream and gray, some chestnut permissible.

Neck: Hackle—cream, sparsely barred with gray.
Shoulder—cream, barred with dark gray, some chestnut permissible.
Front of neck—same as breast.

Wings: Fronts and Bows—dark gray, faintly barred, some chestnut permissible.
Coverts—gray, barred, tipped in cream.
Primaries—dark gray, faintly barred, some white permissible.
Secondaries—dark gray, more clearly barred.

Back: Cream, barred with dark gray, some chestnut permissible.
Saddle—cream, barred with dark gray, edged in cream.

Tail: Main Tail—gray, evenly barred.
Sickle and Coverts—light gray, barred, some white feathers permissible.

Breast: Dark gray, evenly barred, well defined outline.

Legs and Toes: Yellow.

Under-Color of All Sections: Silver-gray.

COLOR -- FEMALE​

Comb, Face, and Wattles: Bright red.
Beak: Yellow.
Eyes: Reddish bay.
Ear-lobes: Enamel white.
Head: Plumage, cream and gray.
Crest: Cream and gray, some chestnut permissible.
Neck: Hackle—cream, softly barred gray.
Front of neck—salmon.

Wings: Fronts, Bows and Coverts—silver-gray, faintly barred.
Primaries—gray, peppered.
Secondaries—gray, very faintly barred.

Back: Gray, softly barred, feathers having a lighter shaft permissible.

Tail: Main Tail and Coverts—silver-gray, faintly barred.

Breast: Salmon, well defined in outline, some feathers having a slightly lighter shaft permissible.

Body and Fluff: Silver-gray, indistinctly barred.

Legs and Toes: Yellow.

Under-Color of All Sections: Silver-gray.

 

[WHmarans]

Here is my darkest goldest young hen against a white coop background. Her face has chestnut around it. Her crest is really dark. Even her hackles, even though the lightest part might be creamish the dark parts of the feather are very dark. So in saying I think this hen is dark and gold... I'm really not looking just at hackle color but very much looking at other parts of her head and face feathers. (She's not my favorite personality on top if it! But I pretty much still love all chickens anyway)

as a side note...though the body width at the tail seems ok on several of my girls I still think they look pinched tailed because the left and right sides of the tail feathers come together and I would prefer the two sides of the feathers that form the tail to spread out a little in a triangle.. Does that sound like the right goal? I don't see anything in particular in the standard but maybe it goes for all chickens?

 

[WHmarans]

here is a close up photo of Elvis who is still in rough shape poor guy. But his color seems interestingly made up of chesnut interspersed with some gray and maybe cream to me. I've brought him to his own coop with just one other young hen for company and put him on 22% game bird feed mixed with all flock 18%. I am just really interested in his color at this point and what it will look like next spring when I can really see it.

 

[GaryDean26]

STANDARD WEIGHTS

Cock…………………………7 lbs. Hens…………………………6 lbs.
Cockerel……………………..6 lbs. Pullet…………………………4 lbs.

​

I still think 6 lb hens sounds very optimistic out of 6 lbs. cockerel. My aim was for 4-1/2 lbs pullets and 5-1/2 lbs hens. I guess I better break out the Game Bird feeder.

I am looking forward to participating in the part by part discussion. I was reading comments on the LEGHORN* and Plymouth Rock type in Harry Lamon's 1920 book last night. I picked up on some new things that I think will help me with future selections for CLB type.

Oh..and thanks KP for posting this draft I am going to break out a new pen and sit down with this and make a lot of notes to help me learn it.

*Edited To change Legbar to Leghorn

 

[KPenley]

I still think 6 lb hens sounds very optimistic out of 6 lbs. cockerel. My aim was for 4-1/2 lbs pullets and 5-1/2 lbs hens. I guess I better break out the Game Bird feeder.

I am looking forward to participating in the part by part discussion. Was reading comment on the Legbar and Plymouth Rock type in Harry Lamon's 1920 book last night. I picked up on some new things that I think will help me with future selections for CLB type.

Oh..and thanks KP for posting this draft I am going to break out a new pen and sit down with this and make a lot of notes to help me learn it.

I agree which is why I asked not too long ago about everyone's consideration on the weights. The PCGB just says, "Male 2.7-3.4 kg (6-7 1/2 pounds), Female 2-2.70 kg (4 1/2 - 6 pounds)". Using the 20% rule and the current numbers:
Pullets could range from 3.2 - 4.8 pounds (3 lbs 3 oz - 4 lbs. 13 oz)
Hens could range from 4.8 - 7.2 pounds (4 lbs 13 oz - 7 lbs. 3 oz)
Cockerals could range from 4.8 - 7.2 pounds (4 lbs. 13 oz - 7 lbs. 3oz)
Cocks could range from 5.6 - 8.4 pounds (5 lbs. 10 oz - 8 lbs. 7 oz)

My pullets and cockerals would be fine at POL to 1 year, but I've got a lot of work ahead of me to make the adult numbers. thedragonlady sent me her feeding regime, and I'm going to try it with my next set of chicks to see if I can make a difference with nurture. It includes a strict worming schedule every 2 weeks from 2-14 weeks and chick starter/grower until 4 months of age with whole grain supplements as well. She has been able to grow larger carcass/not fat birds this way, so it's definitely worth a shot!

 

[ChicKat]

Here is my darkest goldest young hen against a white coop background. Her face has chestnut around it. Her crest is really dark. Even her hackles, even though the lightest part might be creamish the dark parts of the feather are very dark. So in saying I think this hen is dark and gold... I'm really not looking just at hackle color but very much looking at other parts of her head and face feathers. (She's not my favorite personality on top if it! But I pretty much still love all chickens anyway) as a side note...though the body width at the tail seems ok on several of my girls I still think they look pinched tailed because the left and right sides of the tail feathers come together and I would prefer the two sides of the feathers that form the tail to spread out a little in a triangle.. Does that sound like the right goal? I don't see anything in particular in the standard but maybe it goes for all chickens?

Yes, it is my understanding that a 'tent tail' is an indication of a better layer across the boards in chickens. There is some discussion of this in CSU. My CLs also have a tight tail - but if 'pinched' it doesn't seem to have interfered with their egg laying ability.

Although darker, your pullet is very pretty. She still looks a bit young too. Seems to me that there are changes in the coloration and it really isn't a fixed thing, or as fixed as we thought depending on seasonal and probably specific to the chicken conditions. Also I do see a lot of recent CLs with more chestnut at the side of the crests than were around about a year ago. Wonder what that is? Just looking at the new SOP for reference it does say 'some chestnut permissible' in the female crest. How does she stack up in other areas beyond coloration?
Also - what is it in her personality that isn't what you like.

Elvis looks like a nice rooster...Did I miss why he is in rough shape? He looks pretty young too based on size of comb and wattles. Outstanding yellow in beak and feet!

 

[ChicKat]

Earlier I had said the article about prepotency was in Practical Poultry but it isn't -- it is in the Nov/Dec issue of Poultry World magazine. Article is called "Prepotent Males" by Grant Brereton

 

[WHmarans]

Thanks for your kind comments about sophie ChicKat. There's nothing so wrong with her personality. My personal preference is for an easy going hen. This girl is just spunky! Storms up to crowd the door at treat feed time. Always under foot..gets all tall and "bring it on" expression when I go to pick her up. Cute though just not my favorite. Otherwise though she's also the shortest. So shes probably a little too small. I need to get something to weigh her with. Her body tapers too much at the tail I think. Truthfully I think she's going to be a breakfast egg layer but well see! Maybe ill test her with elvis. Sophie and 1 other are at the bottom of my list but the other is taller broader beautifully built compared to the others just lots of gold and chesnut and no crest! So I hesitate to take the size and build she offers out of the equation. But no crest?!

Sophie is about 6 months old only. Elvis was fending for himself in a friends mixed pen and had a bunch of tail and crest pecked out and didn't probably really get what he needed for ideal growth in with mature hens and Roos from about 3 months old on until a few days ago so he's still pecked and dirty and ratty looking but he's 6 months old plus about a week. I gave him away at about 3 months old because of the kink in his crest but decided to see if i could trade something to get him back and see how he turns out.

 

[GaryDean26]

thedragonlady sent me her feeding regime, and I'm going to try it with my next set of chicks to see if I can make a difference with nurture. It includes a strict worming schedule every 2 weeks from 2-14 weeks and chick starter/grower until 4 months of age with whole grain supplements as well. She has been able to grow larger carcass/not fat birds this way, so it's definitely worth a shot!

Wow...deworming every two weeks. That is aggressive.

And, yes 4 lbs pullet and 6 lbs hens looks correct then.