Yeah I called around locally and our local supposed bird vet... The only one that would see chickens did not know much about it though it is certainly in flocks in the area so time for me to resort to Experts elsewhere ... Probably through the Internet. First thing to do us get back a necropsy to confirm.
Cream Legbars
- Thread starter jeremy
- Start date
- Nov 22, 2011
- 596
- 56
- 131
I don't have all of the documents Gary may have (which I would like to see cited in our Club web pages unless they are already posted on the Clubhouse site which I have yet to check out) but I see something quite different in Punnett;s paper on the Legbar. He chose Leghorns, specifically Brown Leghorns, to test the effect of barring on chipmunk down colors (e+) which are different from the Campine/bar chick down colors based on brown (eb). His main concern seems to be the type of plumage in the Leghorns as opposed to the physical type, but in always crossing back to the Leghorn instead of crossing siblings, he increased the percentage of Leghorn blood which would therefore have fixed the Legbar type very close to the standard Leghorn type, along with the barred and cream influence on plumage colors.
In Punnett's own words:
"More recently Fisher (1935) showed that the barring factor behaves similarly with regard to the brown striping down of Gallus bankiva, while Hagedorn (1935, 1936) has published briefly in connexion with the formation f auto-sexing breeds founded on Barnvelders and Leghorns. The general principle underlying the formation of such breeds has been discussed in more detail by Pease (1936). The present paper records some further experiments of a similar nature on the brown-striped down of hte Brown Leghorn." This clearly shows the Brown Leghorn was chosen to experiment with the brown striped chick down combined with the barring gene for autosexing.
A Danish strain of Leghorn was chosen "because in that country it is a favourite breed and has been brought to a high pitch of excellence both for hardiness and egg production."
And "As might be expected from a breed based upon the Brown Leghorn, the Legbar shows a marked sexual dimorphism in the plumage." Again, he was focused on the plumage not what a good layer should look like.
As for weights, the British SOP (can be found in the beginning of the Cream Legbar Working Standard of Perfection thread) acceptable weights range between 2.70-3.40kg (6-7lb) for males and 2-2.70kg (4-6lb) for females. We can always revise up or down from the 6 lb hens and 7 lb cocks within those parameters.
The weights for my hens, pullets and cockerel have been posted previously. My mature (non-crested GFF) hens weighed in around 6 lbs (5.80 and 5.93 lbs.) last weekend and they will be 2 YO in March. For Niclandia, their pictures are posted below. Sorry, they are not the best pictures. For reference, the top hen is standing on one of the 2x4 studs that frame the coop's chicken door
Last edited:
Quote:
she looks close to 5 pounds, I would need a pic showing the scale and weight before I could give you a cookie...
she looks close to 5 pounds, I would need a pic showing the scale and weight before I could give you a cookie...
I will tell you my experience with Marecks . I never had any survivors. I found that if you do not hatch any for 1 year the virus is gone from the environment . I have not had a case in about 15 + years. I do not vaccinate. I hope this is helpful info . For the MG question Mycoplasma Gallo spectrum and I may have misspelled that.
There are a lot of myths and suppositions about Marek's. Some time ago I started a BYC page with the objective of collecting facts/papers and also individual's approaches and experience with Marek's in their own flock.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/mareks-disease-fact-site
If you find some new research or get some new insights, it may be helpful to others if you put links there. The links to Ag sites and universities etc. are asked to be 'cited'.
For people's first-hand experiences and flock management approach - there is a place to enter your own first hand experience.
My belief is that Marek's is so in the air - that you cannot avoid it. The best approach is to raise chickens that are resistant. (That is better than vaccination for reasons you can find on that above link). My understanding of the incubation period is 12-weeks - not 4-weeks. It is possible to breed Marek's resistant chickens, there is no vertical transmission to the egg, and it would be nearly impossible to keep the air segregated from your flock.....
ETA Jerryse 15-years is a long time to go without it - so good for you. If you want to post your experience on that linked page, please do so there is space either at the bottom (click the pencil icon) or in the comments. And that goes for all who what to add their information to that Merek's page
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/mareks-disease-fact-site
If you find some new research or get some new insights, it may be helpful to others if you put links there. The links to Ag sites and universities etc. are asked to be 'cited'.
For people's first-hand experiences and flock management approach - there is a place to enter your own first hand experience.
My belief is that Marek's is so in the air - that you cannot avoid it. The best approach is to raise chickens that are resistant. (That is better than vaccination for reasons you can find on that above link). My understanding of the incubation period is 12-weeks - not 4-weeks. It is possible to breed Marek's resistant chickens, there is no vertical transmission to the egg, and it would be nearly impossible to keep the air segregated from your flock.....
ETA Jerryse 15-years is a long time to go without it - so good for you. If you want to post your experience on that linked page, please do so there is space either at the bottom (click the pencil icon) or in the comments. And that goes for all who what to add their information to that Merek's page
Last edited:
- Nov 22, 2011
- 596
- 56
- 131
Nuh-uh. I'm not posting our combined weight on the internet LOL. IF I can get her to stand still on a scale long enough to get a readable picture I will. If not, I'll just have to live without the cookie...
Wow nicalandia this cookie turned out to be just the right incentive to get more CL on the scale!
Thats right...
Thats right...
I can't get most of mine to stand on a scale they think my hands automatically dispense treats and will not leave me alone. So I put them in a canvas bag with handles and use a hanging fish scale as someone suggested to me. Then subtract the bag weight. They dont love it. The problem is photographic evidence is hard to produce that way. But it works.
When I first started hatching chicks last year, I vaccinated for Marek's. I was really concerned that they live and grow. But after doing a lot of reading about Marek's since then, I stopped vaccinating. The Marek's virus is everywhere in the environment. The exposure to it happens all the time. Usually, from what I have read, there usually is a breakdown in the resistance of a given chicken that opens the door for Marek's to become active in the weakened bird. In the case of chicks, usually they have not had sufficient time to develop their resistance.
If your chicks and chickens are healthy, eating well, and have not had an unusual stressor, you should be very unlikely to have a chicken come down with Marek's. Not that it cannot happen but it really should be unlikely. Remember they do need to get exposed to the environment. Using some garden soil, a piece of sod, or other natural environmental factor that a broody mama would expose the chicks to is good for them and helps them to develop the natural resistances they need to thrive. If I have a Marek's outbreak, I would cull the affected chickens, try to determine what caused their weakened condition, and make the necessary changes to minimize recurrence. Just my untrained two cents!
If your chicks and chickens are healthy, eating well, and have not had an unusual stressor, you should be very unlikely to have a chicken come down with Marek's. Not that it cannot happen but it really should be unlikely. Remember they do need to get exposed to the environment. Using some garden soil, a piece of sod, or other natural environmental factor that a broody mama would expose the chicks to is good for them and helps them to develop the natural resistances they need to thrive. If I have a Marek's outbreak, I would cull the affected chickens, try to determine what caused their weakened condition, and make the necessary changes to minimize recurrence. Just my untrained two cents!
Similar threads
New posts New threads Active threads
-
Threads with more replies in the last 15 days
-
-
-
-
-
Ended BYC Poultry Caption Contest 08-15-25 Pic by rural mouse- Started by TwoCrows
- Replies: 50
-
