Cream Legbars

[sol2go]

For people with Cream Legbars -- my question is specifically about the hackles and the effect of UV rays on the chickens.

I have two that darken in the sun -- and it seems like most of the rest bleach. If you have one that you think is gold or golden, does the sun lighten the hackles? Does the sun turn cream to white-looking? Anyone else experience a darkening of the hackles or is it just my chooks?

Thanks!

Hi ChicKat,
I was just thinking about you and this very question recently, so it's timely to see your thoughts on this again.
I have not seen any that are specifically changed by the sun, obviously lighter or darker.

If the roosters are colorful, they stay colorful (the hackle and saddle feathers are mismatched). If the roosters are more creamy, the hackles and saddle feathers stay creamy - they do not turn yellow or white.

If the hens have a dark crest, their hackle feathers seem to darken with age, but that's in the first year or so. By that I mean the cream or even gold hackles become obscured by the black pattern in the hackles (melanization at work?).

 

[sol2go]

Yes...my cockerels have been getting yellowing of the hackles in the sun. I just check the photos of the three that I bred this spring. The photos were taken in early March, One cockerel was hatched in 2012, one in 2013, and one in 2014 and all three of them showed a fairly light (nearly white) color, but I have noticed significant yellowing over time so they either have yellowed since the beginning of March, or the camera is failing to capture the changes I am seeing.

P.S. I culled my entire flock and moved to Oklahoma this spring. I did get one hatch of eggs set in March to bring with me though and will be rebuilding my flock from that hatch group. We only got about 35 chicks from the hatch, but If we can get 1-2 good cockerel and 1-2 good pullets from the group to work with we be back on track with our flock before long. We are in the wait and see phase right now as they grow out.

Quite the undertaking!
What did you do with your Marans?

 

[ChicKat]

Hi ChicKat,
I was just thinking about you and this very question recently, so it's timely to see your thoughts on this again.
I have not seen any that are specifically changed by the sun, obviously lighter or darker.

If the roosters are colorful, they stay colorful (the hackle and saddle feathers are mismatched). If the roosters are more creamy, the hackles and saddle feathers stay creamy - they do not turn yellow or white.

If the hens have a dark crest, their hackle feathers seem to darken with age, but that's in the first year or so. By that I mean the cream or even gold hackles become obscured by the black pattern in the hackles (melanization at work?).

Thanks for the info.... I do have one here that lightens with the effects of sun.... and 4 that seem not to change and the one shown of course that darkens -- and littler one that hasn't gotten adult feathers yet anyway. Very entertaining. LOL

 

[GaryDean26]

Quite the undertaking!
What did you do with your Marans?

We have 8 Marans pullets in with the batch of 35 Cream Legbars chicks, but culled all the Marans cockerels so that we wouldn't be tempted to try to keep multiple breeds going. The more I learned about traditional poultry keeping the more I was convinced that I would get further with my breeding (and simplify the flock management) if I would just keep one breed. So the plan is to just rebuild the Cream Legbar flock. If we get any breeding quality hens we may source a cockerel in 3-4 years for a side project, but for now we are cutting back and sticking to the one breed plan.

 

[dekel18042]

We have 8 Marans pullets in with the batch of 35 Cream Legbars chicks, but culled all the Marans cockerels so that we wouldn't be tempted to try to keep multiple breeds going. The more I learned about traditional poultry keeping the more I was convinced that I would get further with my breeding (and simplify the flock management) if I would just keep one breed. So the plan is to just rebuild the Cream Legbar flock. If we get any breeding quality hens we may source a cockerel in 3-4 years for a side project, but for now we are cutting back and sticking to the one breed plan.

As long as you have the marans hens, if you breed them to your legbar cockerels you can get olive eggers to add color to your egg basket, plus they should lay better than their marans mothers.

 

[GaryDean26]

As long as you have the marans hens, if you breed them to your legbar cockerels you can get olive eggers to add color to your egg basket, plus they should lay better than their marans mothers.

I guess we should have culled the Marans pullets too then so we wouldn't be tempted. I may have some Marans Hens for sale this fall.

 

[chrissyr]

A friend hatched some white cream legbars from me. Can anyone help me with determining sex? I'm thinking male

 

[Bean789]

A friend hatched some white cream legbars from me. Can anyone help me with determining sex? I'm thinking male

Interested in the response to this question. I purchased a white sports and awaiting his/her arrival tomorrow. Don't know if male or female as the seller wasn't able to determine this at hatch either.

 

[Bean789]

Yes, it's best to catch toe/leg problems as chicks but I was informed that as long as a chick is still growing there's always the chance to fix the toes although as a day or 2 old is the best. Don't stop trying and GL! I know the Pavies are pretty mellow as I've received 3 owner feedbacks on them but no one's pullets have started laying or have a year-long count yet. No one has confirmed an egg color yet either. PM me info when you start getting eggs and the number per week. Maybe Pavies are good layers in short bursts and then like Silkies will take long breaks in-between.

Perhaps we should start or find a Pavlovskaya thread here. LOL I recently purchased 4 Pavie eggs from the same friend who has the whites. She has the beautiful orange/brown birds as well. Those eggs were more white/cream and shaped more pointy on one end like the Sultan eggs. They are a little larger though.

If you are interested in some hatching eggs from the Orange/browns let me know. Her white pavies won't be ready to lay for quite a while now.

 

[sol2go]

We have 8 Marans pullets in with the batch of 35 Cream Legbars chicks, but culled all the Marans cockerels so that we wouldn't be tempted to try to keep multiple breeds going. The more I learned about traditional poultry keeping the more I was convinced that I would get further with my breeding (and simplify the flock management) if I would just keep one breed. So the plan is to just rebuild the Cream Legbar flock. If we get any breeding quality hens we may source a cockerel in 3-4 years for a side project, but for now we are cutting back and sticking to the one breed plan.

That was my strategy, which I failed to adhere to. I've resigned myself to a "full house" for awhile, working towards smaller numbers in the future.

You had such beautiful Marans. The offspring I hatched from your flock lay wonderfully dark eggs. I hope you found homes for some of your Marans roosters?