Cream Legbars

[ChicKat]

Are you process Cream Legbar at 10weeks? I am going to process some at 14 weeks.

in this particular case, I was very much out of room for these little ones to grow any longer - and although they were good at putting on weight fast - they had some faults I wasn't going to use them for breeding, didn't need anymore layers and was just getting ready to travel to North Carolina - so it was kind of between a rock and a hard place with no one to look after them while I was gone and needing their pen space. Interesting comment from GearyDean26!! And it really WAS very succulent meat as he said -- and mine were pretty heavy for their age. A bit larger than the Cornish Games you buy in the market - a bit leaner, and less round shaped, but equally or more flavorful.

Poussin which is also called Spring Chicken, Cornish Game Hen (even if there is no Cornish or Game Fowl in the bird), etc. is processed at about a month old (they should be about 1 pound). It is the succulent meat and there is a good demand for it. You really can process chickens at ANY age. Commercial processing ages really don't apply if you are not trying to maximize the yield of meat to food consumption ratio.

Good info!!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I have 1 adult rooster and a handful of young pullets with one more young rooster of the CCL breed.
My question is about the roosters. What kind of temperament is the normal for these guys and about how big should the grown rooster be? I think my adult roo is on the small / mean side. I'm hoping he is more of the exception and not the standard.

 

[enola]

I happen to own a young rooster that is on the mean side. After a few attitude adjustments, however, he seems to have come around in his thinking. I will not use him for breeding until I am sure his attitude problems were nothing more than a surge of testosterone.

Most people here report that their roosters are mellow and sweet.

 

[ChicKat]

I have 1 adult rooster and a handful of young pullets with one more young rooster of the CCL breed.
My question is about the roosters. What kind of temperament is the normal for these guys and about how big should the grown rooster be? I think my adult roo is on the small / mean side. I'm hoping he is more of the exception and not the standard.

I'm beginning to think at 2-years old, CL roosters turn into grouchy old men.

As youngsters they are so engaging and charming - As adults they are vigilant to keep their eyes open while the hens forage...they are very serious about their rooster duties and protective of their hens...When they get old - they are cranky---and jealous. So maybe that is when it is time to plan for their replacement for a flock.

So funny I have one hatched at Easter -- and he is so like a little boy---zooming around the run and so full of himself. I have one three weeks younger -- and he comes up to get petted - There were only 2-males this spring and the second hatch had so many that it is like they are kids from a big family and they line up to get attention...... The "little" boys are endearing. - Reminds me it is time to go put in some weights.

 

[DCchicken]

I have 1 adult rooster and a handful of young pullets with one more young rooster of the CCL breed. 

My question is about the roosters.  What kind of temperament is the normal for these guys and about how big should the grown rooster be?  I think my adult roo is on the small / mean side.  I'm hoping he is more of the exception and not the standard.

I hust culled all but one of my CL Roos because of human aggressive behavior. So yes they can be very mean. If you want a gentle Roo get a Bielefelder. Unlike the Cream Legbars they have zero aggression. And before anyone says that it was just my line than it's everyone's line because the roosters that were aggressive were purchased directly from Greenfire's 2013 line as replacements for my Cream Legbars Roos. Hopefully the Jill Rees Roos are less aggressive.

 

[blackbirds13]

I have had not a single aggressive rooster in my Legbar flock since I got them in October 2010. Not even when I had 11 roosters growing out in the same pen and coop over-winter. My oldest is over 2 years old and he has never charged at me. I had one younger one charge at me a couple times but I charged him back and no issues after. I do switch them around a bit so they are not in one pen permanently so maybe that has helped..... but I can't say I've seen any aggressive tendencies towards humans in my Legbars. No real agression at all unless it's towards eachother occasionally when I dump 2 of them in the same pen when they have been separted for a bit they may get into a bit of a fowl-brawl but they get over it and things go swimingly after that. I even now have all 4 of them back together again and they tolerate one another pretty well. I even put 3 of them along with my Marans Splash rooster together for about 3 weeks in a separate pen to 'clear out' the girls for a bit earlier this spring with no ill effect to any of them or myself. However when I tried this with my Jubilee Orpington it would not work last year - he was the most aggressive of my roosters in my 4 years of keeping chickens. I don't baby or keep them as pets so there's not real cuddling going on. I cull too much for that to really work for me long term. If they are human-aggressive as a breed I have not seen it.

 

[ChicKat]

Regarding salmon feathers on CL hen's breast----->

Thought that this site was pretty cool

http://www.edwardtufte.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0000XT​

The SalmoFan - and it even has a Pantone counter-part for those who prefer Pantone...​

Most popular (appetizing) with 2/3 of people for salmon is 33. I suppose it would be really difficult to get colors that clear - but hmmm 34? Well it could be something to shoot towards.​

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote: I have nice roosters in my RIR line (heritage line from Fogle). Giant roosters that act like puppies. While I like the nice roosters I was looking for the blue eggs and the easy gender sorting at hatch.
It is good to know though that these legbars can be a bit on the aggressive side. It changes when i can let them free range in the summer as I won't un-pen a rooster if there is a chance of him attacking me or my children. But to let one escape when DH is out and about is quite comical.

 

[Rancher3535]

Blackbird you are lucky. Man mine are flighty, and are aggressive. Out of the three breeders I used this year all of them have been aggressive at least once or twice and one was just about every time I walked into the pen. I have had a male here and there in different breeds flogged me usually because they thought I was after their females but never have I had a male fly at my face and sometime more than once and I am over 6 foot tall. I have had raised chickens for well over 30 years. I have a line that I purchased out of CA and one locally and it is the same for both lines. My birds are not babied in that I do not handle them daily like some people do. Some people only have one male on the place which could make a difference. All of my birds are separated by sex male birds together from all breeds and females in another pen. My male pen right now has about 40 in it. I have to say my CL males run the bunch of them but they seem to be way more aggressive toward each other than towards the other breeds. There are two things I hate in a breed...flighty birds and aggressive birds. I have not seen the aggression in the females so wonder if it is a male thing.

 

[sol2go]

Blackbird you are lucky. Man mine are flighty, and are aggressive. Out of the three breeders I used this year all of them have been aggressive at least once or twice and one was just about every time I walked into the pen. I have had a male here and there in different breeds flogged me usually because they thought I was after their females but never have I had a male fly at my face and sometime more than once and I am over 6 foot tall. I have had raised chickens for well over 30 years. I have a line that I purchased out of CA and one locally and it is the same for both lines. My birds are not babied in that I do not handle them daily like some people do. Some people only have one male on the place which could make a difference. All of my birds are separated by sex male birds together from all breeds and females in another pen. My male pen right now has about 40 in it. I have to say my CL males run the bunch of them but they seem to be way more aggressive toward each other than towards the other breeds. There are two things I hate in a breed...flighty birds and aggressive birds. I have not seen the aggression in the females so wonder if it is a male thing.

adding to Blackbird's comments, I have not seen any aggression from my CL roosters whether from ones I've bred or eggs I've hatched from other people. Mine get handled more than Blackbird's, but I think her lack of human interaction may be a stronger indication of how pleasant they are. In my case, some roosters come looking for attention and wait to be picked up, others simply tolerate it. They may be quite chatty or more stoic, but none are aggressive. I do have a CL rooster that is over 2 years old and he has had a consistent nature (see ChicKat's comment).

I have seen a much wider variety of behavior in my Marans roosters including aggression and unpredictability. I have only kept 2 that are real sweet hearts.

While I'm on this thought, BLRW roos seem to be exceptionally trainable and attentive to people. They also make lovely parents, more interested in feeding the babies than eating the treats themselves.