Cream Legbars

[nadrojsack]

Thankyou everyone, im getting a picture of the last chick left with the breeder, apparently alot darker with a tuft on head. Ill post when i get it to run it by you all, thankyou again.

Ive never kept cockerals, at what age will they no longer live together okay?

 

[nadrojsack]

Girls have definite (not faint or blurred) striping and eye liner, I would assume anything else is a boy unless it develops otherwise. If there is ever a question assume boy. There are few pleasant surprises but I would not breed those as the autosexing feature is weak.

even at 3 weeks old? I saw her younger chicks with very obvious differences, bit at thos age it seems a bit harder?

 

[ChicKat]

So is there one sign of a hen thats definative?

Dorsal stripe that is very defined is the halmark of a female chick - the head usually has a distinct V that is visible when you look down from above. Look for some residual stripes under the wings. it would be interesting if you had an exceptionally barred female. Do you have chick picturesduring the first week after hatch?

 

[ChicKat]

Males can have eyeliner also, just not as defined as the females. Just like Females can also have head spots, just not as large as the males.

Male in back female in front both showing eyeliner just varying degrees


These pics also show how male and female chicks feather in differently, even at this young age.
female left, male right

female left, male right

Superb photos and examples CP! Love the chick photos.

 

[ChicKat]

Thankyou everyone, im getting a picture of the last chick left with the breeder, apparently alot darker with a tuft on head. Ill post when i get it to run it by you all, thankyou again.

Ive never kept cockerals, at what age will they no longer live together okay?

A tuft on the chick's head -- seems it would indicate a crest. I have some cockerels in the brooder that will be 4-weeks by the end of this week and they definitely have the beginnings of their crests showing.

There are a number of variables for how long the cockerels and pullets can stay together. From the Cream Legbars I have raised, the males usually reach their sexual maturity before the females -- and I generally separate them at that time -- but in general - the males don't harass the females - and if your set up -- coop, run, space is right it is possible that you could leave them together continuously. If you have one male and a couple of females - you man not need to separate them at all.

even at 3 weeks old? I saw her younger chicks with very obvious differences, bit at thos age it seems a bit harder?

Hi nadrojsack,

I see you are in UK - and there are some differences in the lines of CLs on either side of the pond. Has the breeder you got your chick from been working with CLs for a fairly long while? Seems to me lately that some of the beginner's who's posts I see are getting the genders confused.

Although females often have more distinct eye-liner - as chicken pickin pointed out so expertly, the males can also have eye-liner--- it is part of the wild type chick down. Most of the time - the boy's eye-liner is more broken and the eye itself seems to be rimmed with light color while on the female it is rimmed with dark color (or colour if you prefer). Most of the research I have seen from back-in-the day doesn't mention eye-liner as a marker.

There also was some talk of Cream Legbars "loosing their autosexing" in the UK - so it is something to be watched for over there.

 

[nadrojsack]

Thanks chickcat, now im more confused.

this is the chick conformed as a cockeral. Notice the comb.

This is the second chick that also looks to be a cockeral, however it has a small comb and a tony tuft.

the next picture will come tomorrow.

This rooster is for.my flock of goldlines, the reason for having two is company until maturity.

 

[caychris]

Thanks chickcat, now im more confused. this is the chick conformed as a cockeral. Notice the comb.

This is the second chick that also looks to be a cockeral, however it has a small comb and a tony tuft. the next picture will come tomorrow.

This rooster is for.my flock of goldlines, the reason for having two is company until maturity.

I still think boy but maybe its not full CLB

 

[ChicKat]

I'm in agreement that they are both males....now that I enlarged the picts -- but it is pretty amazing how little the comb on the second one is compared to the first one -- if they are indeed the same age. They will be good company for each other. Keep us updated as you grow them out - if you end up keeping them....

 

[nadrojsack]

I'm in agreement that they are both males....now that I enlarged the picts -- but it is pretty amazing how little the comb on the second one is compared to the first one -- if they are indeed the same age.  They will be good company for each other. Keep us updated as you grow them out - if you end up keeping them....

So theres no chance this is a diluted cream legbar breed or the uk version? Lets hope tomorrows chick is a hen. They are the same age, same hatch

 

[ChicKat]

Very interesting..... Hope that your chick tomorrow looks a bit different...and of course we will be waiting for you to post.