Cream Legbars

[DCchicken]

There is one case where I will use the original breeder's name: Often I will buy 15+ of a breed directly from a top level breeder, either eggs or day old chicks. Chicks just seem to do better when you ship a lot at a time. I may only want to keep say half of those and will sell the rest. It would be a lie to say that these are my line. So I will state that they were direct from the original breeder.

But once I raise them, spoil them with corn, and select my breeders, I will only call them my line. If someone asks where my original stock came from, I will absolutely tell them. But I do not use the breeder's name unless they want me to do so. Often I will even refer people back to purchase from the original breeder if I do not have any available or if they have a specific request.

 

[WHmarans]

There is one case where I will use the original breeder's name:  Often I will buy 15+ of a breed directly from a top level breeder, either eggs or day old chicks.  Chicks just seem to do better when you ship a lot at a time.  I may only want to keep say half of those and will sell the rest.  It would be a lie to say that these are my line.  So I will state that they were direct from the original breeder.

But once I raise them, spoil them with corn, and select my breeders, I will only call them my line.  

That actually makes a lot of sense. The first time you make your picks and raise them you're taking the group in the direction you chose not the original breeder chose. But I guess it depends a little on the breed and line and how much variation there was in that group you picked from.

 

[DCchicken]

That actually makes a lot of sense. The first time you make your picks and raise them you're taking the group in the direction you chose not the original breeder chose. But I guess it depends a little on the breed and line and how much variation there was in that group you picked from.

I actually breed for behavior and adaptability to the local environment, something the original breeder may or may not be doing. For example, it gets really cold and wet here in Maryland so I made a note of which Cream Legbar boys had little or no frostbite. Then I culled out the mean ones and selected for color. Color came last for me because no one wants a pretty bird with an attitude, especially one that bites.

 

[WHmarans]

I actually breed for behavior and adaptability to the local environment, something the original breeder may or may not be doing.  For example, it gets really cold and wet here in Maryland so I made a note of which Cream Legbar boys had little or no frostbite.  Then I culled out the mean ones and selected for color.  Color came last for me because no one wants a pretty bird with an attitude, especially one that bites.

Well a lot of people would put up with a mean pretty bird. I've heard the mean ones taste better. Lol.

Are you interested in the rose comb CL efforts going on? Don't those do better in cold weather?

 

[DCchicken]

Well a lot of people would put up with a mean pretty bird. I've heard the mean ones taste better. Lol.

Are you interested in the rose comb CL efforts going on? Don't those do better in cold weather?

I already have a rose comb breed (Marsh Daisy). They were too young to be outside so I will get back to you next winter. I don't actually think it is the shape or size of the comb that matters. I believe this because neither my Bresse nor my Birchen Marans which have larger combs suffered frostbite. In my notes I have that the combs that were oilier (for lack of a proper definition) combs had almost no damage.

It's not the cold or snow that it is the problem. Our winter storms rotate between rain and snow even during the same storm. Maryland (including D.C.) is basically a big swamp. So I also note which ones don't mind wet or snow covered ground.

 

[blackbirds13]

Quote:
I've heard it's 5 generations before you can call them your own so I can do that next year with my current Legbars. I don't go by the lines anymore I've found it not to be as consistent as some say they are. I know a guy here who's been selling Cottage Hill Marans for years now even though his breeders are several generations past that now.

I'm still contemplating a few Rees birds.... just too curious I think and I may have a few extra $$ I can toss that way but we'll see. Maybe one day I may break even on costs going forward but I don't think I'll ever catch up.

 

[Laingcroft]

GaryDean:

I started with 18 Basque eggs from Skyline (16 hatched) and 5 chicks from GFF. None of them had willow legs. Guess I just got lucky. I had millefleur, white legs, blondies and a heterozygous barred rooster. Out of all those chickens I ended up with a breeding trio.

Ashdoes:

There is nothing wrong with raising chickens for fun but if you want to standardize, show and/or improve a breed you have to do the numbers. A master breeder told me the average # of chicks you have to raise to get one good one is a dozen. So to get a decent trio you may need to raise 36 or more chicks and cull the rest (either move to a layer flock, sell and/or slaughter.) That is also assuming you start with good foundation stock.

DCchicken:

There are people who do make money at chickens simply because there are people with more money than sense. While I understand that GFF invests quite a bit of money and effort in importing rare breeds that can justify what they charge, they only get it because there are folks willing to pay it. Then there are the Martha Stewart and P. Allen Smith types whom people follow. I'm sure you've seen people willing to pay high prices for "rare" (unrecognized) colors or English, German or French lines of one breed or another too. I don't know how some sellers can sleep at night. Personally, I don't believe I'll ever do more than make enough money to support my chicken habit

(feed, pens, dues and the occasional show) at least that's my goal.

The rest of us have our limits which vary. While I was willing to shell out $99 per chick for a pair of CLs in late 2011 it was because I liked the breed and it was a Christmas present (as crazy as the hubby thought I was). GFF was nice enough to send an extra pullet chick so it didn't turn out to be quite so much, but there is no way I would pay $2K or more for a pair of chickens! Obviously there are those who will and have. As for my earlier comment, there are plenty of PT Barnum type folks out there who are willing to make an investment early on and ride the wave of supply/demand to make a quick buck. Just look at Alpacas. No one eats them, there really isn't a significant market for the fleeces, you can't ride them and they need a guardian (llamma or LGD) but for awhile everyone was spending tens of thousands of dollars for each just to breed and sell to others down the line. The "market" eventually bottomed out but those who got in early made ridiculous amounts of money.

Generally:

As for bloodlines, I'm of two minds on this. The bloodline i.e. genetics are the same as long as no outcrossing occurs so in that sense it is one line. However, I also agree that the breeding decisions made down the line skew the type/color/production qualities in one direction or another with may or may not match those of the original breeder. I generally tell people where my foundation stock came from and if lines have been crossed. Five years seems to be the point at which one continues as serious breeder or quits the field. If I am still working with a line at that point and my stock is different from it's foundation, then it is my line.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[sweetdreaming]

...

A greenish cast to the yellow skin.   Don't know where it comes from but they will mature completely yellow.

I had one of the very first females I hatched from shipped eggs (from CA?) develop green patches on her legs as she matured. The green got darker as she grew, not lighter. I gave her away (and she was gorgeous other than that, I was sad!!) and haven't had one since.

 

[Laingcroft]

The willow tone on CL chicks, at least the ones I have, all matured as deep yellow. I thought it may have something to do with the blue egg gene as EEs and Ameraucanas all have deep willow legs at maturity but GaryDean's research indicates that isn't the case. A melanizer makes sense as all of my CL pullets/hens are dark headed instead of the nice light heads of the correct type. Since Heathcliff (cockerel) has correct color I am hoping this will pass on and I will see it in either this first generation of offspring or the next...particularly if melanizers are recessive. Hoping to see more of his cream come through too. It's going to be a long haul, but worth it I think.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Gosh darn it this puppy is pushing his luck with me. He pulled a Cream Legbar pullet out of a pen somehow this evening (I have not idea where I can't find a gap in the pen) and broke her wing. It's one of my banded pullets I've been tracking and she is looking so nice. I reset the bone as best I could now we give antibiotics and aspirin and wait... @dretd it's one of the ones I was showing you this morning! So frustrating!

Don't click if you don't want to see the photo. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203420519011614&set=p.10203420519011614&type=1&theater