Cream Legbar Working Group: Standard of Perfection

[KPenley]

I would love to participate, but will not be getting my eggs/chicks until Spring. In the meantime can I help in any other ways? I kind of like research I love a project, and come March will have incubator space

should anyone like to see if the offspring of their stock breeds true

.

1 - can we assume that Greenfire was the original and only importer of Cream Legbars? This has been a question with Basque hens where there is some indication that Greenfire was not the original North American importer and that the early stock may have been crossed with another Spanish breed the Pendesenca.
In my research, most of the Legbars in the USA are from Greenfire Farms. But riverrockfamilyfarm said that their stock was not related to GFF (in post 68 of The Legbar Thread!). If I did my math correctly their babies were imported/hatched 3/2011. GFF says they imported 1/2011 (greenfirefarms.com/store/cream-legbar/)
2 - I think that all the Legbars are supposed to have a crest. See post 1754 of The Legbar Thread! already corrected I saw!
3 - Even though the UK standard posted above and on The Legbar Thread indicates the Cream Legbar lays blue, green or olive eggs, most sources list them with blue eggs. Other Legbars (Gold and Silver) lay white eggs and Isbars lay green. Does anyone have Legbars (known to be direct descended from the original imported stock) lay any color other than blue? If everyone's imported all lay blue eggs, perhaps we should restrict the US standard to blue eggs to weed out the crosses as happened to the Ameraucana/Americana/Easter Eggers. I'd hate to see that acrimony affect the Legbars.
GFF claims theirs all lay "sky blue" eggs on the Legbar page mentioned above. I love the idea of adopting a color card and putting a range as acceptable (I think this should include what my eyes see as green...but it considered blue).

4 - Does anyone have a photo or links to photos of the ideal Cream Legbar per the standard above? From the written description, my Cream Legbar rooster isn't a cream legbar at all. He is crele colored with chestnut barred saddle, predominantly cream with some chestnut, blending to dark gray barring in the hackles. The description above, with mostly cream and grey seems more like a cuckoo colored bird to me, with some autosomal red leakage (chestnut smudges permissible and some salmon in the breast.)

Maybe these pretty birds from Avalon Poultry in UK


ad from the UK

Is this guy, owned by Judy Bartkowiac, from the UK close?


I love these colors at Huckleberry Farms

 

[Phage]

A couple general suggestions,

1. Try to format the Brit standard to mimic standards/wording found in the APA standard of perfection.

2. See what the Maran breeders did to incorporate the French standard to an APA one.

3. Try to find a guide/sponser who is well placed in the APA. Certain things will raise their hackles such as calling a color by a new name when it already is recognized by another name like the Lavender/Self-Blue fight. I'm not saying this is a CL problem, but tradition is a big deal with the APA/ABA.

Thanks Dak, Awesome suggestions, and you know what you are talking about with the APA/ABA and getting new breeds/colours accepted.

Do you have any suggestions re a guide/sponsor?

 

[dak]

I would seek suggestions from the Maran breeders there.

I think it is also important the CL breeders develop thick skin because show quality birds are hard to come by in any breed, and there will need to be sufficient numbers of these shown to gain acceptance. It will take a well coordinated effort among CL breeders. It will take years, but learning the ins and outs of showing birds at an APA level will make it easier. It is important to separate this effort from the "new breed" fad.

 

[fowlman01]

I would seek suggestions from the Maran breeders there.

I think it is also important the CL breeders develop thick skin because show quality birds are hard to come by in any breed, and there will need to be sufficient numbers of these shown to gain acceptance. It will take a well coordinated effort among CL breeders. It will take years, but learning the ins and outs of showing birds at an APA level will make it easier. It is important to separate this effort from the "new breed" fad.

I can help with the APA admission requirements etc. It will take at least 5 years to get them in the SOP and probably longer as the breed is so new. I was in on the Marans qualifications and all other new breeds or variety for the last 25 years.

Walt Leonard
Chairman of the APA Standard Committee.

 

[omaeve]

I think we should pm you with real name, byc name, add, phone,e-mail, and number of chickens and source of chickens to have all this info in one place for now.

 

[omaeve]

I would love to participate, but will not be getting my eggs/chicks until Spring. In the meantime can I help in any other ways? I kind of like research I love a project, and come March will have incubator space

should anyone like to see if the offspring of their stock breeds true

.
Quote: Jordan Farms another Rare Breed Farm is also offering CLB's just started for Oct, 2012.
So maybe we should check with them . Did they import them from UK?

 

[normanack]

Normanack, Would you be interested in writing up a background history for the cream legbar?  and/or let us know what other base information breed clubs have on their sites?  Let me know if either idea works for you.

Can do.
Time frame?

 

[omaeve]

4). Collect preferences. You need to indicate if you feel the standard should be adapted in full, provisionally, or modified, and in what areas. If need be I will break the standard apart and we will discuss from head to toe, point by point.

I lost one of my chicks that I just got Sept 17, the dark one.

My ? is this , I know for Sure we have Light IE gray birds, chestnut birds IE dark birds and White birds. All coming from the lines of Green
Fire Farms Are there any other Colors out there? Also both mine were showing crests , Is the reason the British dropped the (Crested) Cream Legbar from the name because some do not have crests?

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Walt I am so glad you found this thread! I have read A LOT on all your help with the marans, so I am pleased we have you here to help us along.

@omaeve my understanding is in Britain it is understood ALL cream legbars are meant to be crested, so they often drop the word "crested."

I believe that Jordan Farms got his parent stock from GFF. Hopefully Richard will get on soon and see this new thread, I know he would be interested at least.

I also heard that River Rock imported their own line but their flock is CLOSED at this time. Hopefully sometime next year they will be ready to open up again and we will have access to fresh bloodlines!

Rinda

 

[emptynesterMom]

I would love to participate but am still a newbie and unsure of how to be of use. I have 2 pol hens and 3 roos,(2 of whom will be culled soon due to faults). I'll be following this thread and hoping to learn alot. Thanks for starting this.