Cream legbar
- Thread starter Lil'Pammy
- Start date
I can't tell you the difference between Rees and Production, Greenfire should have that info. (I can guess that Rees is more show quality while Production is less pretty but better for eggs.)
What I do want to say is really watch out where you get your Cream Legbars. Go to a reputable breeder and check their reputation. There are a lot of people who sell "Cream Legbars" when in fact they are mixed breed birds or very poor standard.
It has to do with the designer fad of blue-green layers right now.
Going with Greenfire assures you true Cream Legbar (at a designer price...ouch!)
LofMc
What I do want to say is really watch out where you get your Cream Legbars. Go to a reputable breeder and check their reputation. There are a lot of people who sell "Cream Legbars" when in fact they are mixed breed birds or very poor standard.
It has to do with the designer fad of blue-green layers right now.
Going with Greenfire assures you true Cream Legbar (at a designer price...ouch!)
LofMc
- Thread starter
- #3
I splurged on 2 CLs last year and eagerly looked forward to beautiful blue eggs. Gah, when they finally laid the eggs were no bluer then my Easter eggers, for 6 times the price 
Maybe that is what I get for getting them from a hatchery...
Maybe that is what I get for getting them from a hatchery...- Thread starter
- #5
Totally...and then a fox ate them not long after ...double bummer. I guess I'll stick to cheap chickens!
What did you expect? A darker blue or something?I splurged on 2 CLs last year and eagerly looked forward to beautiful blue eggs. Gah, when they finally laid the eggs were no bluer then my Easter eggers, for 6 times the price
I always thought the legbars I had laid a prettier blue then Ameraucana or EEs that I've had.
Like a pretty pastel blue...when I put the two eggs side by side there was no difference from the EE, whose eggs I would call more green than blue...Maybe I was just confused what "blue" really meant. For $30 per day old chick, I thought it would be more striking...
Greenfire Farm imported Two lines of Legbars in 2010 to start this flock. They slected these birds backed on product because their mark research concluded that the Creeam Legbar would never be a popular breed in the USA unless it could compete with the America in production of Blue Eggs. The original lines were healthy robust birds but they did not come even close to the breed standard. They were hybird mixes and NOT pure bred. In 2011 they imported a "Show line" but they turned out to be very poor examples of the breed and did not meet the breed Standard. Many people worked with the 2010-2011 imports to breed to the standard and those that were successfull were 10 times higher demand than the mixed lot of legbars. When Greenfire say the demand for Breed standard birds over the high production blue egg layers they decided to double down and imported birds from Jill Rees in 2013 and 2016. Jill Rees is the breeder that wind best of Breed at most of the Nation meets in the UK with her Cream legbars. The Rees line are closer to the standard (but not perfect) but they lay tend to lay and olive or gree colored egg as opposed to the blue egg color of the original lines that are now listed as the Production lines.
So if you want to get birds for a 4H project to show at the fair or for an FFA project to show at poultry shows you will want the Rees line. IF you want backyard layers you will want the production line.
If you are going to look elsewhere the most important thing to know is how long the breeder has been working with Cream Legbars. If they haven't been working with the breed for at least 3 years they do not have an establish flock. Then if you are looking for layer ask if they have laying records (ask to see them). If they don't then they aren't doing anything to maintain or improve laying ability. If you are looking for show birds ask if they show birds (and for results from their shows to verify this). Ask questions about the egg color, egg size, how many weeks to the first pullet egg, the mature weigh of the hens, production rates, etc. You can get a feel pretty quick if they are work on improving their flock or if they just are collecting eggs to put in an incubator with no type of poultry knowledge to guide what they are doing. If feel they are honest I are usually willing to give them a pass on experience or knowledge. If I don't feel they are being honest and open by not telling how long they have had their flock, where they got their flock from, how they care for them, breed them, etc. then I keep looking for another source.
If you have more questions PM me. I can help you valid a source of Legbars.
So if you want to get birds for a 4H project to show at the fair or for an FFA project to show at poultry shows you will want the Rees line. IF you want backyard layers you will want the production line.
If you are going to look elsewhere the most important thing to know is how long the breeder has been working with Cream Legbars. If they haven't been working with the breed for at least 3 years they do not have an establish flock. Then if you are looking for layer ask if they have laying records (ask to see them). If they don't then they aren't doing anything to maintain or improve laying ability. If you are looking for show birds ask if they show birds (and for results from their shows to verify this). Ask questions about the egg color, egg size, how many weeks to the first pullet egg, the mature weigh of the hens, production rates, etc. You can get a feel pretty quick if they are work on improving their flock or if they just are collecting eggs to put in an incubator with no type of poultry knowledge to guide what they are doing. If feel they are honest I are usually willing to give them a pass on experience or knowledge. If I don't feel they are being honest and open by not telling how long they have had their flock, where they got their flock from, how they care for them, breed them, etc. then I keep looking for another source.
If you have more questions PM me. I can help you valid a source of Legbars.
The high price is due to the $5000 price tage per bird in import birds from the UK. My Dad got "Aurcana" in the early 60's and blue/green eggs have been on the Family Farm in Wyoming ever since. I remember collect these eggs when I was 3-4 years old. When We moved to the country and got chickens in 2010 I told my wife I wanted Auracana. Grandpas flock was full of mixrd breed and I didn't know what a True Auracana was. The ear tuffs and runpless tail were not what I was wanting. So we looked at Americana and the ear muffs and pea comb weren't what I wanted either. I wanted a classic sing combed looking bird. When I learned about the Legbar I knew they were the breed I wanted. They had a fascinating History which fuels my analytical side as well as complex genetic which fueled my genetics interest. I started working out a breeding plan to recreat my own Cream Legbars but when I later discovered that Greenfire had imported them from the UK I abandoned my plans and took the $100 per day old chick hit and got my foundation birds. We have had Legbars for 6 years now so it has work out for us. We have focused on big eggs, healthy birds, and the breed standards. It hasn't been cheap. Easter Egger would have done it if we wanted cheap. We put a lot into our flock and it is our hobby.
Similar threads
New posts New threads Active threads
-
Latest threads
-
-
-
-
-
Want to replace plexiglass window in plastic coop with mesh, but how??- Started by Tracyree
- Replies: 2
-
-
Threads with more replies in the last 15 days
-
-
-
How intense is your pecking order?
- Started by thecatumbrella
- Replies: 96
-
I know I’m probably going to upset some ppl, but I’m genuinely confused..- Started by z3lda3
- Replies: 91
-
-
