Cream Legbars

[HenLeia]

I'm thinking that I will isolate the 2 hens I have and mate them with each of the males separately. I will color band the chicks. I'll choose the best of the offspring and mix next year. I'm new to this, so any advice would be welcome. Is it going to be a problem if there are 3 fathers but the same 2 mothers?

 

[HenLeia]

Yes, Ralph, if you will be selling hatching eggs or chicks, please let me know!

 

[duluthralphie]

I'm just not sure it's as simple as mixing baby blue on a paint canvas

Two things:

One, nice birds but I would not breed that hen/pullet. Her crest while big has too much wiggle in it.


As far as eggs go it is not hard to get the blue eggs, you just need to be very careful on which birds and eggs you keep. I only keep the bluest of eggs for myself. I am trying to further my line but keeping smaller combs on roosters and hens/pullets with no combs or very small ones, (AND the blue eggs)

It can be a pain to do, I have about 45-50 pullets and hens for next year. The Whites I will breed them all, the rest are going to a neighbor that just wants the egg color. If I get an egg that is too greenish I cage them and see what color their egg is. If it is not blue they move to my layer flock or go live elsewhere.

When you get the blue eggs Cement the blue by breeding them back to their brothers. Jerry can tell you more how it is done, He is my genetics chicken breeding Guru.

 

[bostick18]

Be patient. By The time those hens are laying and you hatch their eggs and those hens grow to lay eggs to see what color they are it'll be two years.play it by ear. I'm Sure yours will grow to lay the perfect sky blue egg anyways!!

 

[bostick18]

Hey ralphie I have noticed in just the couple hens I have there is a big difference in the chest markings. Is there a preference between more or less marking

 

[duluthralphie]

Yes, The black tips on the feathers as I understand are not desired. Which stinks because I have a lot of them.

BTW I am on my 4th generation (this coming spring) 4th generation is in incubator now, but only 6-8 eggs.hehehhee


There are three colors of Legbars now, Cream, Gold Crele and white. I am trying to isolate the cream and crele but am failing terribly at that...

I have a nice line of whites going. I got lucky and the pullets have very small or no comb.


Above is two cull whites. I do not like their combs, but otherwise they are not bad. They are in the back up pen to be opened incase of emergency.

This is my breeder before the trim. I have a brother of his in with a few other pullets.

And you can see how small the comb is here.

These pictures are about 2 months ago, they are at POL now.



Center is Legbar egg, no retouching or lightening of the photos, the other two are EE eggs for comparison.











One other thing, if I have to cut back on birds, I think I will keep the white line. I like their looks and white birds are judged higher than colored in shows. Jerry told me this and a judge confirmed it. It is easier to tell if a bird is white with all the colors on the crele or cream variations can occur and judges will gravitate towards white..... Besides look how beautiful those white legbars are!

 

[bostick18]

You keep mentioning small combs. Sees as my hens have relatively large single combs that lay over. that isn't desired? Tell me if I'm wrong. You want no spots on the chest small comb and medium crest for the hens. What about the rooster?

 

[HenLeia]

It sounds like it's going to be another year before I can do anything. I have to wait and see what kinda color my pullets give. Then I wait until I can collect hatching eggs, incubate, brood, and grow to pol. Then select based on egg color and breed back to brother? I need more space

!

 

[duluthralphie]

You keep mentioning small combs. Sees as my hens have relatively large single combs that lay over. that isn't desired? Tell me if I'm wrong. You want no spots on the chest small comb and medium crest for the hens. What about the rooster?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/509483/cream-legbars/11070#post_17730353

That is proposed SOP. As I understand it now.


I think the only color they are trying to get into the APA is cream right now, but they are working on the other 2 colors. I have showed them up here but not many know much about them. I am trying to get them more widely known. Of course, I try to get the eggs shown but the show people keep picking them up when they are laid.

The combs is suppose to be straight. I wish it was like leghorns where they start straight and then can flop. I believe it says medium sized comb.

So much of this is just guess work on my part until I can see others in shows and see how the judges interpret the SOP. I had one judge that was impressed with the legbars and one not so much, the others I never got to talk too.

 

[duluthralphie]

It sounds like it's going to be another year before I can do anything. I have to wait and see what kinda color my pullets give. Then I wait until I can collect hatching eggs, incubate, brood, and grow to pol. Then select based on egg color and breed back to brother? I need more space

!

I need to have global warming increase rapidly so I can get 2 generations in one year! I also need unlimited money so I can raise more and hire a judge to help me pick the best...

I have 3 legbar pens right now, one for each color. I also have the Boys that will not breed and those that are going to visit the nice Asian lady soon.