Cream Legbars

The two I want to sell are also very gold, and seem to be smaller then my other three.
I have one beautiful cream girl, and I really hope she gives me some better cream males. My other two are nicely sized, and perfect blue eggs, so I'll be using them as well.
I'm not sure which male to use. All the reading I've done has been a little more confusing. I have one with darker black barring, and one with less distinct barring...if that makes sense.
Do chicks get size from the males or females?

If I recall correctly, type from Mom and size from Dad - mostly, although genes combine in unexpected ways sometimes. The first few years while you are building your breeding base, it would probably make sense to use what you have, in multiple combinations if at all possible, and see what you like best. Breeders talk about putting pressure on traits you want, so in your case you would put pressure on size, crest, and cream - cream is probably something all breeders are putting pressure on; size and crest are also commonly pressured traits.

Overall, you want to work with your birds to move toward what you feel most closely resembles SOP, and once you have produced several chicks with similar appearance that are closer than the others, you use those chicks and breed back to their respective parents to stamp in the traits you have that you are trying to keep.

For what you describe above, if it was me, I would use the male with less distinct barring over all three hens for at least the first 6-8 weeks while you hatch as many as you can. Then switch the males and again hatch as many as you can. Mark all the chicks based on known parentage - so during the "crossover" period you can sell the eggs or chicks for a few weeks while the new male takes over siring chicks. There is no cut and dried period of time but typically two to three weeks after adding the new male you can be fairly sure the chicks will be sired by the second male. Hatch, hatch hatch, keep and raise as many chicks as you have room for.

I know others will add their own take on what you have to work with, this is just what popped into my head after reading your query :)
 
The legbar/flock guardian team is getting almost ready to start protecting. A few more months and coyotes dont stand a chance. They are already showing defense to unknown humans too. They think their giant poop vacums. Buddie cant get his attention off the new kids, hes a trip.
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The legbar/flock guardian team is getting almost ready to start protecting. A few more months and coyotes dont stand a chance. They are already showing defense to unknown humans too. They think their giant poop vacums. Buddie cant get his attention off the new kids, hes a trip.

Love these pictures!
 
I have 2 CCL roos 1 has a floppy comb the other is better but big can I breed them to a hen with small combs and get males with a smaller comb ?
 
I have 2 CCL roos 1 has a floppy comb the other is better but big can I breed them to a hen with small combs and get males with a smaller comb ?

I have the big comb issue. I hope the next generation is a little smaller, for the males at least. I actually like the females with the bigger crest and flopped comb.
 
The legbar/flock guardian team is getting almost ready to start protecting. A few more months and coyotes dont stand a chance. They are already showing defense to unknown humans too. They think their giant poop vacums. Buddie cant get his attention off the new kids, hes a trip.
I love the photos. The pups look like they are turning our wonderful.
I have a kid that loves to lay in the snow also. Being from the Caribbean I cringe every time he goes out and just belly flops in the snow.
I'm going to try getting our Cattle Dog to be better with the birds this summer. So far it's been horrid as he will eat them alive. LITERALLY!
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We had a rough time with our Great Dane puppy, he's killed three...thankfully they were just our own mixed chicks and not the creams. But I still felt awful every time. We got him a static shock collar, so it's not an awful shock, just like a static electricity shock you get from rubbing your socks on the carpet. We trained him to stay out of the barn and run completely and that really helped. Now that he's older, ten months, he likes to lay outside the run when I'm in the barn. We still do not leave him out when the chickens are out, even though our Boston's are fine with the chickens. If I have to leave for the day, the chickens stay in their run, while the dogs are outside. Eventually I hope to have them all out together again.
 
I have 2 CCL roos 1 has a floppy comb the other is better but big can I breed them to a hen with small combs and get males with a smaller comb ?


I have the big comb issue. I hope the next generation is a little smaller, for the males at least. I actually like the females with the bigger crest and flopped comb.
A while back, there was a theory that to lessen the size of the comb (In addition to selection, of course) the more light and the earlier exposure to cold weather the smaller the comb. As I recall it was someone from Netherlands that first posited the theory. Remember that a lot of us said -- Okay-- hatch all the males in winter. Have just hatched some and there are two boys... they will get to go outdoors real soon - (well once they are feathered....) So in 5-6 months, I will know if there is something to it.
 
I love the photos. The pups look like they are turning our wonderful.
I have a kid that loves to lay in the snow also. Being from the Caribbean I cringe every time he goes out and just belly flops in the snow.
I'm going to try getting our Cattle Dog to be better with the birds this summer. So far it's been horrid as he will eat them alive. LITERALLY!
Good luck with it.... since Cattle Dogs are so smart you are heads and shoulders ahead of the game. Here is a video that gave me faith that our heelers would be good with chickens, and they have turned out to be.. thank goodness.

http://canterlc.com/StopChickenKillerDogs/site/pages/home/

Brian Pulliam is a gem.
 

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