Cream Legbar Working Group: Standard of Perfection

[Cadbury Eggs]

I got my Cream Legbar trio in the fall from a breeder in northern Washington. She had listed her roo on Craigslist and pointed out that he had a couple faults: curled comb and squirrel tail, but that his color was near perfect. She suggested picking the best roos from the hatch and continue the breeding program with them instead. She also cautioned me about buying from Craigslist because not all Cream Legbars are created equal and that some people just see them as a cash bird. After a long drive home with my new birds, I did some research and found the Cream Legbar Club and became an associate member. I have hatched out 2 small clutches using a broody hen and so far am pleased with the result (I see a super-roo in the making!

) I wanted to evaluate my stock before considering selling eggs or chicks. I have tons of questions though and will have to go take pictures of my birds so I can ask!

The facebook group was Western Washington Poultry. I totally understand CCL being a pet peeve! It grates on my nerves when people insist on calling something by the wrong name. Maybe it is because I did so much research before getting into chickens at all. Trust me, I have a 13 page chicken spreadsheet with graphs and weigh every egg that is laid.

I have become a bit of a chicken nerd! Usually I am too polite to correct anyone, about their misuse of name or spelling, but it bugs me just the same.

 

[ChicKat]

I got my Cream Legbar trio in the fall from a breeder in northern Washington. She had listed her roo on Craigslist and pointed out that he had a couple faults: curled comb and squirrel tail, but that his color was near perfect. She suggested picking the best roos from the hatch and continue the breeding program with them instead. She also cautioned me about buying from Craigslist because not all Cream Legbars are created equal and that some people just see them as a cash bird. After a long drive home with my new birds, I did some research and found the Cream Legbar Club and became an associate member. I have hatched out 2 small clutches using a broody hen and so far am pleased with the result (I see a super-roo in the making!

) I wanted to evaluate my stock before considering selling eggs or chicks. I have tons of questions though and will have to go take pictures of my birds so I can ask!

The facebook group was Western Washington Poultry. I totally understand CCL being a pet peeve! It grates on my nerves when people insist on calling something by the wrong name. Maybe it is because I did so much research before getting into chickens at all. Trust me, I have a 13 page chicken spreadsheet with graphs and weigh every egg that is laid.

I have become a bit of a chicken nerd! Usually I am too polite to correct anyone, about their misuse of name or spelling, but it bugs me just the same.

Looking forward to seeing your chicken pictures.

Reminds me of a few years back when people were calling them Crested Cream Legbars, and that implied that there were also non-crested Cream Legbars --

 

[mwhisman]

I too am getting into the CCL game and would like to eventually have some show quality.

I would like to see pictures that show examples of good and even bad qualities for the breed. There are descriptions , but a visual reference would be great.

 

[ChicKat]

I too am getting into the CCL game and would like to eventually have some show quality.

I would like to see pictures that show examples of good and even bad qualities for the breed. There are descriptions , but a visual reference would be great.

This is a request that has echoed for a bit. One thing that I can do is make you aware of some information that is already out there...you may not be aware of. :O)

Here is a photo of the Cream Legbar cockerel that won in the 2014 'Nationals' - or was it the 'Federation' -- at anyrate - that is the highest ranking Poultry show in the UK where the CL originates.

And this is a cockerel from the line of chickens raised by the winner of the 2013 Poultry show:

The females seem to have less wide variation on the CL Club's webpage the 2013 winning female - and this female from last year:


And this picture from the 1980's is believed to be from the flock that David Applegarth - reputed with saving the breed from extinction - and published in the UK's Fancy Fowl magazine:

 

[mwhisman]

That is very helpful.

It would be nice to have a collection of past show winners for reference

 

[ChicKat]

That is very helpful.

It would be nice to have a collection of past show winners for reference

Shhesh - are you on tip of things.... if you go to the Club's website, you will see exactly that. Bear in mind, however that sometimes the winners had absolutely NO competition. Hopefully 2015 and 2016 can remedy that. These winners are what we started with.

Your views and opinions - (and everyone's) regarding how near or far from the SOP the winners are - would really be interesting. Good points and bad points about the 'winners' would also be interesting ... (like .
don't talk tails...LOL )

http://www.creamlegbarclub.com/11-show-winners

It's number 11 on the left hand navigation bar on the Club's webpage....

 

[Cadbury Eggs]

Quote: Interesting how this hen has more buff in her breast than salmon.

 

[ChicKat]

Interesting how this hen has more buff in her breast than salmon.

Good view point... I think that it is a faded picture...more than what the actual hen looked like. JMO. Sam Brush the APA judge who evaluated the 4H project CLs at the Texas State Fair last year -- told me that there is a range of salmon........

Here is a salmoFan to demonstrate. ;O)




Probably in 'real life' - she would come in on the lighter end of the examples. (but not be buff) -- colors over 30-years, scanners, monitors -- we can just see it as a sample I think. IMO the fresh picture was probably a bit more vibrant.
,

 

[Cadbury Eggs]

Here's my rooster. He supposedly came from GFF in 2012. I know he has a squirrel tail, curled comb, and some red in his ear lobes, but it was a place to start. He's a nice boy with a docile temperament though he doesn't seek affection he will tolerate handling and is not people aggressive. He takes good care of the hens and is not rough with them.






These are the two hens I got with my roo, which were from the breeder's stock. The one in the back went through a rough sinus infection over the winter and though she came out of it, her face and comb will never be the same. I wish these two had more cream in their hackles and slightly larger crests, but again it was a place to start.





Here are the resulting fluff-balls:






This was my first hatch and the group is now 9 weeks old. I really like the cockerel, although he was not cooperating for this picture session. His tail has a much better set than my roo and his comb appears to be growing straight. I plan to keep the pullet in the top left (with the cockerel). Top right has too much salmon in her face, and her hackles have more of a gold cast to them. Initially I was really excited about the pullet on the bottom because she was so light... but she hasn't developed much color on her breast.





I don't have an incubator, so I stuck a couple eggs under a broody hen to hatch. This is hatch #2 and they are now 7.5 weeks old. The cockerel in the top left is looking good color wise, but his comb is starting to twist. I will probably keep the pullet in the top right. The other 3 pullets look very similar to the one on the bottom.





I have one pullet with a beak deformity, and I don't know if it is genetic or had something to do with the brooding. As I mentioned, I used a hen so I don't know if the temperature was properly maintained. You can see in the picture that the bottom portion is longer than the top, but it is also slightly twisted. She has been out in a mostly dirt run with the foster hen & chicks and has access to stone for filing. After I took this picture, I used a pair of dog nail clippers to trim away the excess lower beak and filed it smooth.





In summary, am I on the right track?

 

[ChicKat]

Hi Cadbury Eggs,

IMO, Yes, I think that you have a very nice basis. ETA also I think that you chose the right pullets to keep -- cute chick pictures too - awwwww. Thanks!