Cream Legbar Working Group: Standard of Perfection

[normanack]

I am working on a history of the Cream Legbar and would greatly appreciate collaborators in gathering research and working on the draft.
At this point I'm thinking of two documents: first, a short APA-styled history based on other breed examples (thank you, Walt) and second, a more comprehensive history of Punnett and his research, the progress/decline of the breed, its re-invention or re-introduction, its spread to the U.S., and any other issues I haven't included that you think are an important part of the Cream Legbar story.

Hey Curtis! You interested?

Anybody with an interest in research -- or who simply wants to point out something they know -- is welcome.

 

[redchicken9]

That is great, Thanks Walt!
Now we need to get that document together. I am happy to do it, but I think others are also working on it. Does it need to be completed by next weekend or a work in progress? I think some elements will take time to discuss.

Phage, Please go forward on this. If you have good connections in the UK, you may dig up what may not be at the surface of information. Let Normanack know what your intentions are, she also intends to gather information and start writing the cream legbar history. She PMed, but will post. You could work with her or work on your own version. You may discover things that need to be included that someone else misses. Ultimately it will be a collaboration, likely with many contributions, blends, re-writes, edits, content and wording discussions, potentially sticking points on what is accurate and what is needed, etc. I have base knowledge on how a working document gets produced. It's noteworthy that in a comprehensive process none of us, in any part, will (or should) take whole ownership. Eventually, there will be experts on this breed in USA. Currently there is us, and those that with more poultry expertise here and in the UK that choose to help. Walt, keep checking in on us and pass it along!

 

[GaryDean26]

I am working on a history of the Cream Legbar

Hey Curtis! You interested?

Anybody with an interest in research -- or who simply wants to point out something they know -- is welcome.

I had only read half of this post and was already hitting the reply button to volunteer to work on the History when my name popped out. Yes....I would like to work on the history. Sign me up!!!

 

[normanack]

. . . Ultimately it will be a collaboration, likely with many contributions, blends, re-writes, edits, content and wording discussions, potentially sticking points on what is accurate and what is need, etc.  I have base knowledge on how a working document gets produced.  It's noteworthy that in a comprehensive process none of us, in any part, will (or should) take whole ownership.

Sounds terrific! Phage, for the history part do you think something like google docs (has a new name now), or a yahoo group, or a thread here would work? Or whatever else you're comfortable with. I'm thinking we'll need a place to list sources, partial drafts, etc. for all of us to access easily. Redchicken, what mechanics do you think would be best for collaborative writing?

 

[redchicken9]

No, I don't know what is best on the internet. I'm under a rock on what's new and useful technology. Others? I'm slightly concerned about content ownership on the internet, but is this unfounded? Please, GaryDean26, Normanak, Phage, feel empowered to do what you think is best. If you work in a microsoft word document, you can share it between each other, work independently, split parts, etc. When you have a a draft for the short APA style history, consider what steps you want to take next. I'd like to see it. You could announce it here or on a CL club site. Anyone willing to take the torch on building that?

 

[Phage]

How about to start with if someone like GaryDean takes the lead and we all forward information to him to collate into one draft document and then go from there.

It is really important to include sources of reference when ever possible, not to go into the document per se, but so that we can go back to the source of any particular statement at a later date.

 

[normanack]

How about to start with if someone like GaryDean takes the lead and we all forward information to him to collate into one draft document and then go from there.

It is really important to include sources of reference when ever possible, not to go into the document per se, but so that we can go back to the source of any particular statement at a later date.

That sounds great. And GaryDean, if it's easiest for you, google docs, yahoo groups, or the equivalent might make it easier to share drafts, revisions, sources, etc. I think you're familiar with the yahoo group format. ;-)

BTW I'd much rather have a more "follower" than "leader"-type role. Much more comfortable for me.

 

[nicalandia]

I was looking at the pics provided of the UK girls. My 6 are all much darker and did come directly from GFF in Aug. I had a light colored boy 2 months older than the girls but he was always small, a failure to thrive issue, I culled him this morning as he was never strong and hardy. The other boys (3) are lighter in color than the girls but still not near the pics above. It'll be interesting to see what stardards are adopted as the line in general here seems to be darker than in the UK. If this light of a color is adopted I'll need to be doing lots of breeding and culling. I'd like to see a range of acceptable blue eggs put forth for a standard. I'm watching this thread with lots of interest!

in barred autosexing birds, Lighter means they are Homozygous(double dose) of Barring, and the Darker boys are Heterozygous and only have one copy of the barring gene

 

[fowlman01]

I will be available to give you what the APA will need as you go along. If you keep me in the loop there will be less redoing of the documents. The APA only requires the short history, but as noted you want the whole history.....or as much as you can find.

You probably want to start with some goals and processes, so that there is less confusion and differences of opinions. There will be differences of opinions.....there always is once you have more than one person doing it.

Lay out the basics. Kind of comb as an example as I see someone is working on a rosecomb. It is much easier if you have some of this determined before you get too far into it. Crested or not crested.....etc.

Walt

 

[blackbirds13]

I think egg color could have some give in the range of blues that are acceptable, and I'd rather not re-invent the wheel if there is a good color chart we could adopt. I’m for not including olive eggs as I agree that could include and help eliminate mixed birds.

I am not a fan of creating a 'variety' of cream legbars at this point - i.e. Gold, Silver, Cream, production, show, etc. I think we should be striving towards one ‘simple’ common goal and deviate personally but collectively stick to one ideal.

Do we strive for a more true Cream which is my preference or attempt to include these variances we have in the US? I don't think many of the birds we have, mine included meet the ideal if you reference the UK SOP. I am interested to see how much deviation there is between what 'we' have and what the SOP specifically states. I think we are starting from a general standpoint of our birds ‘en masse’ being subpar to what the UK SOP states. In attempting to get the gold out I am wondering if breeding towards one part of the standard (UK or proposed US) may make reaching other stated aspects more difficult or easier to accomplish as we make decisions to accept or alter the standing SOP. The pictures of the Legbars from Avalon, Huckleberry and Jordan Farms are all considered too gold for the UK Standards which allows chestnut on the shoulders but not on the saddle or hackle which all those roosters do have, and some of those Avalon hens have gold hackles another no-no…this is going to be an interesting discussion as we go ahead. I’m excited for it. When referencing the standards or proposed standards once they have been broken down we could create a catalog of images under each that help everyone see the comparative differences within, especially when it comes to type and the like.