Cream Legbars

[BuffyBugSlayer]

Yes, I will take other shots... yesterday I was looking at him and his new whitish feathers were wrapped in that shaft - like porcupine quills -- poor guy he must feel just about awful. I have heard it is painful to the chicken when you handle them during molt. I suspect that he will be totally light-colored - (silverish) when he is done with the neck hackles. But they were entirely 'golden' (I HATE to use that term - because there is a Gold Legbar in the states now - and because it is so confusing because gold in chickens-talk to me is gold like the gold-laced wyandotte and he isn't THAT gold LOL -- but the effect of the sun - is also what I think caused your hen to molt from the more brown to the more gray. My Blue Isbars too are molting in a very different coloration from their old plumage hue.



After last year's molt - I think it was spring because Live Oak trees loose their leaves in spring and those are Live Oak leaves on the ground




In his younger days--- Probably about 7-9 months old...

He is really handsome! In his younger picture his coloration reminds me a lot of my guy.Hopefully that isn't an insult.

I can attest to molting being painful...yesterday two of my non legbar hens are going through a horrible hard molt and wanted nothing to do with being picked up. The poor girls are all porcupine quills. They picked a really bad time of the year to lose all of their feathers as I am not sure how I am going to keep them warm with this next system moving through.

 

[BuffyBugSlayer]

I agree that it is So difficult to hold and photograph them without assistance. :O(

Great weights IMO. I have to say I am a great fan of a little hen that lays big eggs. My Isbars started laying this spring and now they are up to size Large eggs-- and they are little chickens -- It kind of depends upon what a person wants. for practicality - small hen will consume less feed, and if she produces large eggs - you have a very good feed conversion ratio. We were talking I think at the Cream Legbar Club meeting Curtis was explaining how the larger the chicken the more likely to win a prize in a show. -- And it is in my 1938 APA SOP to advise judges to use age and weight as a tie breaker - if two chickens score the same - the heavier, the older gets the nod. So if one wants chickens for showing the bigger the better. LOL

I am glad to hear that you think their weights are good. I felt like his weight was good but I was a little surprised by the girls. I guess I am just use to my Barred Rocks and Orpingtons. The look really healthy though so I am going with that.

I have been thinking about showing but I have never shown chickens before and I am little concerned about starting off the process with an unrecognized breed. I guess I am concerned that people might be upset or not take me seriously since I am new to showing. Maybe this is just a totally unfounded feeling. I also have some really nice Salmon Favorelles that are coming along and I may start with them just to get a feel for it.

 

[Scatterknit]

Dang! My Roo "McDreamy" has a crooked comb. A cowlick!!

. It's like his little feathered top knot has pushed it off course. Hair gel? Bobby pins? Super glue? Or soup pot? I was hoping to breed with him.

ETA - well, not WITH him, with him. LOL

 

[BuffyBugSlayer]

Dang! My Roo "McDreamy" has a crooked comb. A cowlick!!. It's like his little feathered top knot has pushed it off course. Hair gel? Bobby pins? Super glue? Or soup pot? I was hoping to breed with him.

Well I would wait but that is mainly because I don't have a lot of access to the breed and you never know what might happen as he ages. Those of you with lots of options may have other opinions. I love his name!

 

[Kathyb2]

I am very new to legbars and breeding. I purchased some Rees line from the rarebreed site. I received 4 boys and 9 girls. I also have 1 boy and 1 girl that I hatched from purchased eggs that I believe are the C line. Three of the five boys have really floppy looking combs. My original plan was to sell half of them but I am hesitant to sell boys with such floppy combs. Is there a chance they will straighten out? The are 8 weeks old. The pullets on the other hand look very nice. Big difference in coloring between the Rees and the one I hatched.

 

[ChicKat]

I am glad to hear that you think their weights are good. I felt like his weight was good but I was a little surprised by the girls. I guess I am just use to my Barred Rocks and Orpingtons. The look really healthy though so I am going with that.

I have been thinking about showing but I have never shown chickens before and I am little concerned about starting off the process with an unrecognized breed. I guess I am concerned that people might be upset or not take me seriously since I am new to showing. Maybe this is just a totally unfounded feeling. I also have some really nice Salmon Favorelles that are coming along and I may start with them just to get a feel for it.

You aren't alone in beginning showing - but it is an important step to get the 'word out' about Cream Legbars and begin to have the breed recognized.

 

[ChicKat]

I am very new to legbars and breeding. I purchased some Rees line from the rarebreed site. I received 4 boys and 9 girls. I also have 1 boy and 1 girl that I hatched from purchased eggs that I believe are the C line. Three of the five boys have really floppy looking combs. My original plan was to sell half of them but I am hesitant to sell boys with such floppy combs. Is there a chance they will straighten out? The are 8 weeks old. The pullets on the other hand look very nice. Big difference in coloring between the Rees and the one I hatched.

If you are new - then welcome!!!!

Combs can straighten out. Infact I had one that flopped over then straightened up almost perfectly, but the base traversed his head diagonally. Then I had one that was straight - had a bout of illness and flopped, recovered from that and straightened. There are influencing factors -- I even think perhaps how much spare weight he is carrying can make it straighten out or fall over a bit.

You can always give them a pep talk too - straighten out or face the alternative. :O)

 

[ChicKat]

He is really handsome! In his younger picture his coloration reminds me a lot of my guy.Hopefully that isn't an insult.

I can attest to molting being painful...yesterday two of my non legbar hens are going through a horrible hard molt and wanted nothing to do with being picked up. The poor girls are all porcupine quills. They picked a really bad time of the year to lose all of their feathers as I am not sure how I am going to keep them warm with this next system moving through.

Hi BBS -
never an insult IMO--- One of the things that is important is a recognition of the breed...like instant recognition -- Oh - that looks like a Cream Legbar. ;O) I think that this pattern does look like a Cream Legbar.

 

[ChicKat]

Dang! My Roo "McDreamy" has a crooked comb. A cowlick!!. It's like his little feathered top knot has pushed it off course. Hair gel? Bobby pins? Super glue? Or soup pot? I was hoping to breed with him.

ETA - well, not WITH him, with him. LOL

That is such a shame about the crooked comb. Interestingly, I have a breed here that is rare and has no standard....(Blue Isbars) -- when I think about breeding them - I am just looking for good healthy chickens - that is the first basis--- If your guy has other good features, you may still consider breeding him --

Interesting thing about the crest - in can tend to distort the comb. That is one reason that the very small, yet still definite crest on the male is a great asset. To get there -- small crested females are a good breeding choice. Also small combed females - and females with a straight comb. Our females can have either a straight or a gracefully folded comb - correct in either expression unless it obstructs the vision. Something to look for.

 

[chicken pickin]

I am very new to legbars and breeding. I purchased some Rees line from the rarebreed site. I received 4 boys and 9 girls. I also have 1 boy and 1 girl that I hatched from purchased eggs that I believe are the C line. Three of the five boys have really floppy looking combs. My original plan was to sell half of them but I am hesitant to sell boys with such floppy combs. Is there a chance they will straighten out? The are 8 weeks old. The pullets on the other hand look very nice. Big difference in coloring between the Rees and the one I hatched.

I have a few Rees birds also, a trio. The cockerel has a VERY floppy comb. I do plan to breed him forward with the 2 pullets and will cull however necessary after that. You may get lucky and get a nice cockerel from him with a straighter comb that you can use.

Here is my Rees boy







As for selling them that is up to you, and it may be worth it also as long as you feel they aren't too bad of quality. Try to price them according to the quality you feel they posses, tell the potential customer about all the good qualities each bird has to breed forward and be honest with the faults you see or the not so likeable qualities if they were to be breeding them forward. The fact that they are Rees line that in its self if a major selling point, not because they are the new "IT" CL to buy but because the separate bloodline can possibly be valuable to other CL breeders.


If you get a chance post some pics of your CL we love to see pics