Cream Legbar Working Group: Standard of Perfection

[mmccubbins30]

I bought some eggs i thought were pure cream legbars, but the feathered shankes prove they arnt right?

 

[ChicKat]

occasionally CLs do have stray feathers or stubs on shanks. The SOP calls for clean shanks -- so you would want to select away from feathers. They may just fall out as the chick matures.

 

[mmccubbins30]

But even if they fall out, they shouldn't be in my breeding program. Right?

 

[ChicKat]

But even if they fall out, they shouldn't be in my breeding program. Right?

correct, any divergence from the SOP would be a less than optimum candidate for breeding -- that includes egg color, ambiguous autosexing, wiggling or floppy combs -- color --legs, earlobes, plumage etc.etc.
You are right.

 

[sol2go]

But even if they fall out, they shouldn't be in my breeding program. Right?

The down color does appear to be cream.

 

[kris86AR]

Any suggestions on tagging or banding day old chicks to keep up with traits along the road to maturity for breeding programs. I have seen leg bands but do they have ones for young chicks then remove for juveniles?

 

[ChicKat]

Any suggestions on tagging or banding day old chicks to keep up with traits along the road to maturity for breeding programs. I have seen leg bands but do they have ones for young chicks then remove for juveniles?

My fingers are so big - and my newly hatched chicks legs so small that it is always a struggle for me. Some on eBay sell colored rubberbands, you can also buy them in the haircare section of WalMart -- all colors -- the size used for dental braces.

Toe punches with patterns can be used -- I would have trouble punching the toe webs of the babies.

There are tiny sized zip-ties ---- you have to be sure to monitor and clip off frequently as the chick grows fast. And zip ties seem the most flexible and available and cheap......

Here is something on toe punches from the Iowa Blue chicken Club
http://www.iowabluechickenclub.com/line-breeding-via-spiral-breeding-program.html

here's a toe punch
http://www.jefferspet.com/products/...tJMSVIVhwcp2FgglMS5elBES3Sf8msLPcexoCEcLw_wcB

 

[caychris]

Any suggestions on tagging or banding day old chicks to keep up with traits along the road to maturity for breeding programs. I have seen leg bands but do they have ones for young chicks then remove for juveniles?

Someone I know suggested using different colored permanent markers for the first days till legs are a bit bigger for rubber bands or zip ties.

 

[GaryDean26]

Any suggestions on tagging or banding day old chicks to keep up with traits along the road to maturity for breeding programs. I have seen leg bands but do they have ones for young chicks then remove for juveniles?

I have never used food color but know people that do and it will stay on the chicks for several weeks. I go chicks from a breeding partner that used the tiny rubber bands and food coloring. It was nice to have them double marked because leg bands can fall off. That same breeding partner wing bands all her chicks. She said that wing bands is by far the best way she has found for marking chicks. They don't have to be changed out every two weeks like the zip ties do and she said she had never had one fall off (unlike leg bands). I have used the small zip ties, numbered leg bands, and colored legbands, and toe punches. I like the colored zip ties the best, but they don't have an individual number for every chicks so I you are trying to track all the chicks from day one to maturity you end up having to used two colors per chick. You have to change the zip ties every two weeks so if you have a big grow out group it is a lot of work. I started teo punching last year. I love that I don't have to worry about zip ties getting to tight when I toe punch but have had the hole tear through the web on some chicks and grow back in on some too, so if you toe punch double mark them and then re-punch if needed at 2-3 weeks old.

 

[kris86AR]

What about wing bands? Thoughts and input on them?
And what color do you consider these eggs (color blind and need some help).