Cream Legbars

[nicalandia]

Quote:
I say..Pics or never happened

 

[dretd]

I have heard that comment several times by judges as I clerked for them. Cream Legbars have a lot of work to go before they are ready to be put into the APA. The APA is slow to move on new breeds and have revamped the system because of how the Marans railroaded their way through to get accepted by the APA. There are some good Marans out there so don't take it wrong just a fact and comment that many of the APA judges have made.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/882541/apa-aba-culture-for-newcomers/10 Post #13 pretty much sums up many of the APA member's views rather directly. That being said I have found most APA folks I have talked to very helpful and informative even if the post comes of fairly hostile to new breeds. It is simply disheartening to work very hard to improve a breed that the majority is dismissing without a second glance for the reasons enumerated in that post, yet I soldier on for the love of the breed.

 

[dretd]

I have some Rees cream legbar cockerels from GFF. Most have large crests and tortuous combs.

As far as coloring does anyone know if darker or lighter is better to keep? They are about 8 weeks old now.

Hello Phage, I hope you had a lovely holiday! I would love to see pictures of your boys. For me, I think 8 weeks is far too young to be able to see how they will turn out. Around 14 weeks I think I can get a better handle on how they will look as they mature, but 5 months is even better. By then you can tell their structure better and just fill it out as they will bulk up. I think their color is more obvious as well.

I have one roo with a very bad 'wickle' S-comb. I like his color very much and has decent type otherwise. All of his sons have better combs than he does. Part of it is the size of his comb which is large, but some seems to be also where on the skull the crest is and how far back the comb attaches to the head as well. I decided that it was not as important to breed away from initially and that he has good enough other features to continue along and work on combs in the coming years.




Is this what your fellows look like?

As for color, I personally like contrast between the upper and lower parts and prefer to see cream (instead of white or gold) in the hackles (see my 'melanized' youngster from my last post who incidentally is the son if the above rooster--his comb is much improved). I recommend reading the Standard over while looking at a rooster and see how you think he compares section by section.

Here is the winning male from England' Nationals this year (from Facebook breeders group) reposted again


Though not without flaws, I think he is a reasonable likeness to what I personally envision as a good color for a cockerel though others may disagree of course. In that FB discussion, both Jill Rees and Emily de Grey, who's opinions I value very much, commented:
Jill Rees ..."This bird was a fine example of a cockerel, and deserved the trophy of best Cream Legbar, but I think this photo makes him appear much darker than he really is ..."

Emily de Gray "....I used to prefer the lighter coloured cockerels but that isn't what the breed standard says, dark grey for chest colour is correct. This bird is not perfect, perfect isn't possible but he is a really good example of the breed and the rightful winner...."

I hope this helps!

 

[chicken pickin]

I also like to see defined separation in the color going from hackle to chest, and also with dark barring on the chest it helps to make for more defined barring. I agree that a "darker" male is more towards standard, that said pics of your young cockerels will help us to see the light vs dark males you have and understand better.

@dretd makes good points. At 8 weeks it is still very hard to make any decisions on type color comb even barring. They still have so much changing to do.

I have a Rees male that was a little light from the start but as he ages Im very happy to see he is darkening up a bit. His chest went from more of a light gray and white mixed, and now at 5monthd old his chest is getting a darker gray and I hoping will get a little more defined.

Also @dretd I have 2 cockerels with that same comb(one is my Rees male) not my favorite to see but I do plan to use the Rees in breeding, the other though very nice looking is waiting to be culled.

 

[ChicKat]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/882541/apa-aba-culture-for-newcomers/10 Post #13 pretty much sums up many of the APA member's views rather directly. That being said I have found most APA folks I have talked to very helpful and informative even if the post comes of fairly hostile to new breeds. It is simply disheartening to work very hard to improve a breed that the majority is dismissing without a second glance for the reasons enumerated in that post, yet I soldier on for the love of the breed.

Thanks for the link dretd. I have very mixed feelings about this type of attitude, but I am glad that we can be aware of it. I think due to your questions and points that you made there was a later post in that thread by poster number 13 that was a far softened attitude. Sort of - "yes, you can raise an rare breed but only if you raise another heritage breed to establish your street cred. with the APA/ABA folks." -- The space, time and expense of hatching hundreds of birds I don't particularly want in the first place, because they don't meet my needs in the least is not logical. I would rather devote that time, that space, that cost of feed to raising a breed that resonates with me -- regardless of outside opinions. Add to that - CLs change so much over their lifetimes - that you really should hang on to the cockerels for a fairly long time - at least the ones that have promise....to truly know what you have.

Somehow into my mind creeps the idea of a flock of chickens and 1 new chicken seeking to be incorporated to an existing flock. A few feathers will be ruffled, the new comer will get picked on - and perhaps eventually the flock will combine successfully. LOL I guess in 10-years or so if we keep working toward the goal we will know if the newcomer gets incorporated.

In all honesty, I see greater and more rewarding challenge in working with a breed that 'needs a lot of work' - than with some slight tweaks that could perhaps very slightly improve a heritage breed.

That being said - I wasn't aware that the Maran's forced their way in -- I guess they met the criteria - and that the APA split between production and show categories.

Thanks for keeping us up to date on the views of the outside world.....

 

[badflash]

I bought crested cream legbar chicks from 2 breeders this summer. Most of the hens show crest and the boys and the girls were easy to tell apart from day 1. They started to lay a few weeks ago and the eggs started off at 35 grams. About half the eggs I'm getting are brown. Is the egg color passed from the rooster, the hen, or both? I'd like to figure out how to clean up my flock to I end up with just blue eggs.

Obviously I will just be hatching blue eggs, but what else should I watch for?

 

[Phage]

Badflash- You should not be getting brown eggs at all if the birds are pure bred. Do you have pictures?

 

[chicken pickin]

Badflash- You should not be getting brown eggs at all if the birds are pure bred. Do you have pictures?

X2 on this.

Cream Legbars should lay blue eggs only (sometimes they have a slight greenish tint). The blue egg gene will come from both the male and female. But Cream Legbars do not lay brown eggs or carry brown egg genes. Do you have any other breeds of chickens that may be the culprit of these brown eggs even if they are younger and your not expecting them to lay?

I agree with Phage that posting pictures of your Legbars will help. Is it possible that one of the breeders sold you Legbar hybrids? Did you see the parent birds?

Also @badflash another tip when breeding, not egg related, you should try to avoid breeding the uncrested Cream Legbar. Uncrested is not desirable and you want all your Legbars in your flock to have and express the crest gene. Breed crested to crested.

 

[estamets]

I've got a mixed flock facing its first sustained rain. My CL is the only one who manages to stay dry ALL the time. Furthermore, she's the only one to have enough sense to hop into my lap or onto my shoulder for a quick, warm nap in the midst of the wet.

 

[badflash]

I'll get some pictures soon. This is a pure legbar flock, or at least should be. They have their own penned in area. All other roosters are isolated. Is the egg color changed by the rooster that fertilizes the egg, or just the parentage? I would think that only parentage would count.

I have no birds I hatched myself at this point. These are all from other breeders and I have no way to know how careful they were or were not on their breeding. These look to be legbars from all the pictures I've seen, but I will post soon.

I also have no way at this point to tell what bird is laying the egg as these are free range, within their fenced in area.