Cream Legbars

[ChicKat]

Yes! But I think much of it has to do with when they hatch. Lucy didn't lay until 31 weeks. Her daughter Rose laid at 26 weeks. While the rest are still a week or two away, Rose's daughter Cream Puff just laid her first egg at 18 weeks yesterday!

Congrats!

wow - that blows the theory away -- And it used to be so predictable. I wonder if as the health and well-being of a breed improves so does the performance. So my next generations of Isbars will not be such small chickens and wait to lay until they are old ladies. I wonder if there is enough early laying to bring the average down?

As you say too,--- hatch time-of-year is an influence. For your three...31+26+18=75 75/3=25-weeks on average; which doesn't quite blow the 24-weeks away, but it is interesting how much you have reduced the POL, to the degree that time of year doesn't have the total influence. And the trend is definitely downward with your flock.

 

[KPenley]

Lucy was a late summer/ fall hatch, so I think that's why she took so long laying. But the others have been winter/spring, so it was sunny they came to POL. I also started choosing for birds with large tail feathers, and the larger fans. there is still work to be done with the width of the tail, but I'm seeing that it really does make a productive difference to pick birds with strong bodies.

 

[enola]

Anne, the pullet I got from Kpenley, started laying at 19 weeks.

 

[sol2go]

Yes! But I think much of it has to do with when they hatch. Lucy didn't lay until 31 weeks. Her daughter Rose laid at 26 weeks. While the rest are still a week or two away, Rose's daughter Cream Puff just laid her first egg at 18 weeks yesterday!

Cream Puff?! That's a great Crested Cream Legbar name! Is she all that too?

 

[sol2go]

Congrats!

wow - that blows the theory away -- And it used to be so predictable. I wonder if as the health and well-being of a breed improves so does the performance. So my next generations of Isbars will not be such small chickens and wait to lay until they are old ladies. I wonder if there is enough early laying to bring the average down?

As you say too,--- hatch time-of-year is an influence. For your three...31+26+18=75 75/3=25-weeks on average; which doesn't quite blow the 24-weeks away, but it is interesting how much you have reduced the POL, to the degree that time of year doesn't have the total influence. And the trend is definitely downward with your flock.

This is slightly irrelevant...I hatched CL eggs as well as FBCM eggs from a Texas shipment =)
Half of the Marans started laying at 17 weeks, nothing yet from the CL.
Both breeds are the result of a multi-generational breeding program, but a new introduction to mine.

Within my existing flock, test hatches are producing lots of cockerels. My first pullet reached POL at 18 weeks; she was born in the fall. I finally hatched a few more girls, so now we wait and see.

 

[FridayYet]

FYI: I just posted my problem Legbar on the "animals in need of re-homing" thread. She's not SOP breeding material, but would be a good addition for someone wanting a blue egg in their basket - as long as you have space and can keep her from getting bored.

If you know anyone who wants to give her a chance, please PM me. Thanks!

 

[KPenley]

Cream Puff?!  That's a great Crested Cream Legbar name!  Is she all that too?

I hope so we'll see when she makes her first show appearance this Fall!
Btw, congratulations on everyone's early layers too!

 

[enola]

I hope so we'll see when she makes her first show appearance this Fall!
Btw, congratulations on everyone's early layers too!

Pictures! Pictures! Where is her picture?

 

[lonnyandrinda]

This is slightly irrelevant...I hatched CL eggs as well as FBCM eggs from a Texas shipment =)
Half of the Marans started laying at 17 weeks, nothing yet from the CL.
Both breeds are the result of a multi-generational breeding program, but a new introduction to mine.

Within my existing flock, test hatches are producing lots of cockerels. My first pullet reached POL at 18 weeks; she was born in the fall. I finally hatched a few more girls, so now we wait and see.

Interesting. I find my Black Copper Marans are super late to maturity- like 8 months to lay. This is more than likely a line tendency than a breed tendency. Most people I talk to say BCM are late to maturity.

Pictures! Pictures! Where is her picture?

X2!!

 

[chicken pickin]

So I have a question for those of you that are breeding with only one line of genetics if that makes sense. I currently have 2 hens, the mothers of my 2 cockerels that are now of breeding age, I also have the sisters to these cockerels(the daughters to the mothers). I had planned on keeping the sisters in the breeding pen but recently thought it might be better if I put the sisters in a separate pen to hold on to as extras or backup hens just incase something happens. I was thinking it might be better to mate my boys to their mothers and hatch out the daughters to these boys and use those to to pen with the boys in the main pen. That way the boys are mating mothers and daughters. Does that sound like something I should do or does it not matter if they mate brother and sister?