Cream Legbar Working Group: Standard of Perfection

[dretd]

Hey Localheronow:

VERY NICE !!! Head and shoulders above 99 per cent of what I have been seeing....He definitely leans to the Silver side and I love that abcense
of red on those wings......I think that could be a problem if people aren't careful in breeding.....The only thing that I might like to see different......here goes that picky side of me.....is a little more cream sheen on the hackles and sickles. Otherwise, he''s just pretty good ! Congratulations.....

Where are you located ? I will have to keep this boy in mind for future reference. May need to get a cockerel off him a little later on......

Thank you so much for taking the time to post his picture......

I have found that it is really hard to get a good representation of color in photographs. The colors can become washed out or over saturated easily depending on the lighting and the camera. I have tried taking pictures of my cockerels and have gotten some shots that seem really too yellow and others where the color looks silver (white)--all of the same area.

 

[rockyspringsfarm]

Rinda:

Those pictures from the Club are what my vision of the Cream Legbar should be...Are they of real birds or have they been photo shopped ? Thank you for posting them for me.

Taking pictures of any kind of livestock can be a real pain in the rear and I am one of those that is obsessive about pictures. Never post a bad picture just to post a picture. People NEVER forget the first thing they saw. A bad picture can make a wonderful bird or animal look like fido's rear. I gave up trying to make a realistic picture of Marans eggs a long time ago. I don't care what light, location, whatever they never turned out to their true color. So, I do understand very well about getting the correct color in a photograph....It's extremely hard and frustrating.

 

[ChicKat]

Are you in Woodville ? I was looking at the Club site and saw that the contact information was in Woodville.....the world gets to be a small place sometime ! I am looking forward to working with the Cream Legbars..... I do plan on joining the club soon.

Will be getting 10 pullets and 4 cockerels this week from a friend in Indiana. They are about 2 weeks old. His breeders came from GGF and were from the last line (not Rees) that GFF imported. His hens are gorgeous Creams. He never did anything half way so I'm sure he went for the best. Anyway, I feel sure I will have an excellent "starting point" to work from. I hope to be showing them this fall and winter along with my Marans and Eng Orpingtons. Right now temporary plans are to make the APA National Show in Knoxville if we can work it out...

One point I see is that the sure enough breeding male in the Cream Legbar may be as tough to come by as they are in the Wheaten and Black Copper Marans. There's lots of roosters out there but very few that truly meet my criteria as a breeder. We just use the one with the least faults. Really good hens aren't a too much of a problem with the Marans and that's what I see with the Cream Legbar. There are some gorgeous Cream girls out there but I haven't seen a picture of a male that I think really meets the "Cream" criteria. I'm not critizing.....I'm just very demanding in the male department. That male influences every offspring.....the hen only hers.

Have a great day.

Yes, Woodville, and I love this town it is so absolutely awesome and well run...and the folks here are amazing for how friendly and nice they are. Woodville has SO much...population around 2,600--I don't know how they do it... Moving from a town with the same population that was a ghost-town by comparison. I'm amazed...on a regular basis.

I agree with you that roosters are under-rated for their influence on the flock---and a good one is rarer than ---hen's teeth/ Also hope strongly that the CL doesn't loose cream and become overly silver-looking.

Gotta go get the brooder ready for my new chicks -- hatching even as we speak.....

 

[blackbirds13]

Quote:
This is so true. So many times I'd post photos only to hear that my birds were too pale or silver and I'd want to scream that it's just the photo washing them out. With more cream birds now it seems that is happening less and less. Between the photo, the internet setting and the screen settings who know what the colors look like to any individual.

I am a crested cream legbar owner/breeder "in waiting" so to speak and have read with tremendous interest the bulk of this thread. Having come through the fire of supporting, hauling, and showing 3 varieties of Marans toward their APA acceptance since 2011 I want to commend this group for the discussion and endeavor being made to get this breed APA approved. You have gone forward with a draft SOP with help from Mr. Leonard which is great. It's a long road to the finish but it is worth it......
Having probably worn out my welcome by now......I would like to say that I intend to pursue the Crested Cream Legbar with the same determination in the breeding pen and at the shows that I have with the Marans.

I can readily see the difference between the Cream and Gold hens but could someone take pity on me and post a picture of what the ideal Cream male should be as close to as possible. Or, direct me to a site with one on it......I tend to operate better with a visual experience. Thank you for your tolerance of my long post....

Peggy Taylor
Rocky Springs Farm
Huntington, Texas

Welcome Peggy. It has been a great adventure for us so far and a lot of fun. The birds today are much improved in the last 2 1/2 years and there a quite a few folks out there with really nice flocks and growing. We have a few forums here and on other sites where we discuss the breed that may interest you. Like Rinda says we are working towards the cream colored Cream Legbar. There are some that like and prefer the gold toned birds and there has been talk about finding a means to have those APA accepted as there own variety under a different nomenclature. Good luck with your soon-to-be flock. I am contemplating entering my first show also this year if I can find the time.

 

[blackbirds13]

Here is my bird this is not a prefect cockerel but close I hope

Nice rooster. I don't think I've seen a 'perfect' rooster. He has nice color and his wing bay looks barred but maybe he has just a hint of color there but that may be the photo. He seems to be carry it low but again it may just be this moment in the photo. His tail angle looks good and his legs look to be a good yellow. He does have some color on the shoulder but that some is allowed in the SOP and that is a separate issue to the overall cream gene. His comb looks good and his ear lobes are nice and white. His breast may fill out in time. He has some nice overall barring but it looks a little light in the front and not as dark barred as some may prefer. He should make a good breeder.

 

[dretd]

Speaking of the 2/2/2/2 rule...

[as a reminder, as a part of the acceptance process, the APA requires certification that "two or more specimens from each class of cocks, hens, cockerels, pullets in each of the preceding 2 years at a show officiated by a licensed A.P.A. judge... (details starting on page 8 http://www.amerpoultryassn.com/PDF Forms/APA_Constitution_2008.pdf)]


Is anyone else following the APA's recent talk of modifying the rules for acceptance? Announced at the beginning of April, the Standard Review Committee started reviewing the admission process and admissions activity (not sure what that is, exactly) is suspended until they are done with the review.

 

[GaryDean26]

.....

Peggy Taylor
Rocky Springs Farm
Huntington, Texas

Welcome rockyspringsfarm. Yep, it is a small world. I too am in Texas and a Marans breeder. I have seen lots of photos of your chickens from show results.

I didn't plan to ever show chickens, but to help promote the Cream Legbars have made the decision to show them (the 2-2-2-2 doesn't happen if everyone leaves their birds at home). My 2nd ever show that I took birds to was the Blue Bonnet Classic in January. My Black Copper Marans cockerel was penned next to yours and they were pecking each other through the wires all day long.

I was one of the exhibitors at the Austin Chickens in the Library event and wanted to take my Black Copper Marans Hens but the organizer (Susan) told me that I couldn't bring Marans because you were going to be an exhibitor and bring your Marans. I was looking forward to finally meeting you at that event. I missed not having you there. I ended up taking three Cream Legbar Pullet and they were a big hit.

Yep, I was at the Dripping Spring Show too. I was running the Cream Legbar Club table and was so busy all day that I didn't get to spend much time looking at Marans and didn't even see your Best of Show White Marans (although I have seen some photos of her). I look forward to having you working with this breed.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Rinda:

Those pictures from the Club are what my vision of the Cream Legbar should be...Are they of real birds or have they been photo shopped ? Thank you for posting them for me.

Taking pictures of any kind of livestock can be a real pain in the rear and I am one of those that is obsessive about pictures. Never post a bad picture just to post a picture. People NEVER forget the first thing they saw. A bad picture can make a wonderful bird or animal look like fido's rear. I gave up trying to make a realistic picture of Marans eggs a long time ago. I don't care what light, location, whatever they never turned out to their true color. So, I do understand very well about getting the correct color in a photograph....It's extremely hard and frustrating.

These "idealized birds" have been photoshopped to match the SOP by a club member and the images donated to the club. I need to take the time to watermark them with the club name or website I think... I would hate to see them stolen and used for someone's ebay listing!

 

[KPenley]

Speaking of the 2/2/2/2 rule...

[as a reminder,  as a part of the acceptance process, the APA requires certification that "two or more specimens from each class of cocks, hens, cockerels, pullets in each of the preceding 2 years at a show officiated by a licensed A.P.A. judge... (details starting on page 8 http://www.amerpoultryassn.com/PDF Forms/APA_Constitution_2008.pdf)]

 

Is anyone else following the APA's recent talk of modifying the rules for acceptance? Announced at the beginning of April, the Standard Review Committee started reviewing the admission process and admissions activity (not sure what that is, exactly) is suspended until they are done with the review.

Maybe Mr. C can ask Walt when he sees him? I'll look into it, but I think the current APA board was not happy about the Marans entry process and felt that it was rushed.

 

[dretd]

Quote:
I hope Mr C has time--I am sure that Walt can! I was able to parse out a few things from all of the info posted on FB. It looks like they are thinking of requiring the 5 breeders that will certify that they have been working with the breed for 5 years to also have been members of the APA while being active in the qualification process--so if anyone has a glimmer of thought that they are going to be at a qualifying meet down the road to help get the Cream Legbar accepted, then its best to fast-track the APA membership now!

Walt also mentioned that the new breed would be required to have 3 distinct differences from an accepted breed (no problem for the CLs since we have Cream, Egg Color and Crest right up front)

Walt also asked a question about whether having one qualifying meet would be good. After driving 5 roosters 850 miles one way in my Camry, I will say that it will be hard for me to get 10 birds any real distance--I will have to make 2 trips in my current car, so having an option of a second qualifying meet to include breeders from more areas in the US would be really good--I hope they can make this happen.

He went on in one of the replies to call out and complement the Cream Legbar group for taking our time and 'doing it the right way'. so a hat needs to be tipped to all of y'all who have been actively involved from the beginning and getting us started down the right path! And that includes you Kestlyn!