Cream Legbars

[Thespoiledchicken]

As the blue color in the shell is derived from bile it would seem reasonable that it could be changed with diet.

This is very true! My blue egg color has just changed from diet alone.

My feed store recently started carrying Purina feeds so I decided to switch to their Layena pellets to try them and within a few days I noticed my eggs were all getting bluer- both in my Legbars and Ameraucanas. Nothing else has changed except diet. I was feeding Agways hearty hen before this which I liked and the girls seemed to enjoy but I figured a switch up could be good for them.

Hearty Hen has 18% protein and Layena only has 16% protein so I was planning on going back to Hearty Hen but now I'm not so sure...

Here are the labels side by side for comparison. The only thing I see that's a huge difference besides protein is Layena has a lot of plant protein listed and also has Diatomaceous Earth

 

[KPenley]

I thin Layena has a lot of marigold, which would cover the carotenoids, right?

 

[Thespoiledchicken]

I thin Layena has a lot of marigold, which would cover the carotenoids, right?

Yes I think that must be it! They both have Marigold listed under the ingredients but Layena has it listed much higher up and therefore should have more of it in the feed.

This is what I found on marigold with a quick google search


Carotenoid Composition of Marigold (Tagetes erecta) Flower Extract Used as Nutritional Supplement

W. Leigh Hadden ,† Ruth H. Watkins ,‡ Luis W. Levy ,§ Edmundo Regalado ,§ Diana M. Rivadeneira ,§ Richard B. van Breemen ,‖ and Steven J. Schwartz *⊥
Department of Food Science, Box 7624, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7624; The Pillsbury Company, Häagen-Dazs, 5219 West 73rd Street, Edina, Minnesota 55431; INEXA C.A., Box 17-03-4581, Quito, Ecuador; Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612-7231; and Department of Food Science and Technology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210-1097
J. Agric. Food Chem., 1999, 47 (10), pp 4189–4194
DOI: 10.1021/jf990096k
Publication Date (Web): September 15, 1999
Copyright

1999 American Chemical Society

Abstract

Commercially prepared marigold flower (Tagetes erecta) extract was saponified and analyzed for carotenoid composition. HPLC analyses were performed on two normal-phase columns (β-Cyclobond and silica) and on a C30 reversed-phase column. The extract contained 93% utilizable pigments (detected at 450 nm), consisting of all-trans and cis isomers of zeaxanthin (5%), all-trans and cis isomers of lutein, and lutein esters (88%). All were identified by chromatographic retention, UV−visible spectra, and positive ion electrospray mass spectrometry in comparison to authentic standards. Contrary to previous findings, insignificant levels (<0.3%) of lutein oxidation products were detected in the saponified extract. This compositional determination is important for the application of marigold extract in nutritional supplements and increases its value as a poultry feed colorant because it contains more biologically useful lutein compounds than previously believed.
Keywords: Lutein; marigold (Tagetes erecta); poultry; feed colorant

 

[KendyF]

In the picture that blue egg is so vibrant, very pretty. Do you have more pics of your blue Legbar eggs.

Like everyone else, I have trouble capturing the "Blue" in photographs. I took this picture in a dark corner of my coop where the broody is sitting. I have considered taking eggs out there again to photograph them.

In the picture the egg looks almost wet and glossy, but I find my eggs are a nice blue, but not quite as awesome as that egg shows in the picture.

There were no color filters or any special effects added though. I should try taking eggs out there to see if I can capture the blue.

 

[chicken pickin]

My Broody only ended up hatching 2 cute little male CL chicks. Unfortunately it looks as though she squashed one

So she has one cute little male CL chick to tend to. I was really hoping for a pullet or 2 from that pairing of CL eggs *sigh* But I guess one is better than none.

My broody surprised me this morn, I found she indeed has 2 little male chicks under her! So she hatch 3 males total(lost one).

 

[ChicKat]

My broody surprised me this morn, I found she indeed has 2 little male chicks under her! So she hatch 3 males total(lost one).

Loveable photo - and such pretty chicks...Priceless the mother & son eye contact. Congrats!

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

OK, I'm new to this, and it's only 4 weeks along, but I'm worried one of my "sex-linked" cream legbar pullets, Paula, is actually a roo. It's a little harder to compare her to my other two pullets, as she is a week older than them, but...

Purchased from My Pet Chicken/Meyer, sexed. She has always had unusual head markings (interrupted V), and was "blonder" than the other pullets, but no clear white spot. Her back had a very well defined center stripe and two very clear side stripes. (She looked like a little bumble bee when she was tiny). Eyeliner. Her feathers coming in (so far) are rounded (not pointy). AND she was supposed to be vent sexed.

But... She has always had that alert, tall stance and attitude, since the beginning (she's in my avatar). Her feathers have come in much more slowly than the younger pullets, esp. tail feathers. Her comb seems to be getting a bit big (though again, she's older, so I can't compare). She chest bumps and wing flaps a lot. All my chicks get one on one time with me, and while she enjoys her own time, she doesn't like it at all when I take one of the pullets out of the brooder and away from her. I figured, no way. But... I SWEAR, just now, she tried to crow - several times. She's 4 weeks old. Photos below at about 2 weeks and 4 weeks.

What do you guys think? Confirm my suspicions? Ease my mind?








- Ant Farm

 

[ChicKat]

OK, I'm new to this, and it's only 4 weeks along, but I'm worried one of my "sex-linked" cream legbar pullets, Paula, is actually a roo. It's a little harder to compare her to my other two pullets, as she is a week older than them, but...

Purchased from My Pet Chicken/Meyer, sexed. She has always had unusual head markings (interrupted V), and was "blonder" than the other pullets, but no clear white spot. Her back had a very well defined center stripe and two very clear side stripes. (She looked like a little bumble bee when she was tiny). Eyeliner. Her feathers coming in (so far) are rounded (not pointy). AND she was supposed to be vent sexed.

But... She has always had that alert, tall stance and attitude, since the beginning (she's in my avatar). Her feathers have come in much more slowly than the younger pullets, esp. tail feathers. Her comb seems to be getting a bit big (though again, she's older, so I can't compare). She chest bumps and wing flaps a lot. All my chicks get one on one time with me, and while she enjoys her own time, she doesn't like it at all when I take one of the pullets out of the brooder and away from her. I figured, no way. But... I SWEAR, just now, she tried to crow - several times. She's 4 weeks old. Photos below at about 2 weeks and 4 weeks.

What do you guys think? Confirm my suspicions? Ease my mind?








- Ant Farm

Oh Ant Farm,

what a dilemma. She has all the appearance of a female.....but if she is crowing then she is not IMO. It is possible. Wait a bit longer and see what happens. I have had CLs crow at that age -- and even younger although it sounds more as if someone was hurt and screaming when they do it VERY young...I go over to the brooder expecting to see someone caught the toe under a warmer and they are all nonchalantly doing their chick things and look up and say 'what's up?' (well they don't actually SAY it.) The crow (although there are some records of females crowing - it is a hormone thing I understand)- would be a give-away. As I go back and look at the top of the head, The broken dorsal stripe starting at the front of the head has white interrupting the dark stripe - and going out over the edge. Females with white keep it inside the dorsal V-stripe from my experience.

Hope if male is confirmed - they will at least refund your money.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Oh Ant Farm,

what a dilemma. She has all the appearance of a female.....but if she is crowing then she is not IMO. It is possible. Wait a bit longer and see what happens. I have had CLs crow at that age -- and even younger although it sounds more as if someone was hurt and screaming when they do it VERY young...I go over to the brooder expecting to see someone caught the toe under a warmer and they are all nonchalantly doing their chick things and look up and say 'what's up?' (well they don't actually SAY it.) The crow (although there are some records of females crowing - it is a hormone thing I understand)- would be a give-away. As I go back and look at the top of the head, The broken dorsal stripe starting at the front of the head has white interrupting the dark stripe - and going out over the edge. Females with white keep it inside the dorsal V-stripe from my experience.

Hope if male is confirmed - they will at least refund your money.

Thanks - Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. Well, she/he is sweet and already a favorite of mine. It's not like I'm not allowed to have roosters (and it seems all my neighbors have them) - I just didn't want to deal with one (and I wanted more eggs). We'll see - here's hoping I was wrong and she's just a big loudmouth (I did name her after Paula Deen for a reason). I had hoped to later add Black Copper Marans to my flock including a rooster, for some home-grown olive eggers, so not sure where this would fit in, as adding a second younger rooster would be... hard. (And I certainly wouldn't want to breed from Paul-a, even just for myself, if she turned out to be a he, since that's some pretty poor auto sexing...)

- Ant Farm

 

[BuffyBugSlayer]

Just wanted to show off some of my home growns. I hatched out 7 chicks and they are now 4 weeks old. I have 4 males and 2 females. One of the females has a crest developing the other does not. I have a question about crest inheritance: clearly it isn't an all or nothing sort of deal as there are lots of variations. The male and female I used both have small crests. So how exactly does it work? Can two small crested individuals create offspring with no crests?