Cream Legbars

[BuffyBugSlayer]

What the two of you have done is take the idea of a pedigree database out of the dormancy it has been in -- but in a bit different way. and a bit back our resident CL Club VP and vet Dr. Teel-Duggan had suggested (maybe it was never on the boards-- ) What would it take to have pages on the Website for members to post what they have, representatives of their flock, what their evaluation of their flock is - and what they are working on. -- so Scatterknit could go and look at photos of someone's flock with straight combs - and contact they for let's say hatching eggs. And BuffyBugSlayer -- could post and say -- it's possible (eventually when you know your stats.) that x% of my stock could be crestless, or have only 1 cresting gene etc. -- and anyone getting chicks or eggs etc. from you would know that.

I purchased a crestless hen from Craigs list years ago as a group of three -- and I thought that she could be an insurance policy for not getting crests too big - since bouffants are not to my taste. Fortunately, she, although her size and type and color was beautiful, was not successful in producing eggs with good solid shells, started eating her eggs - and became agressive toward others females in my flock - and even drew blood with a comb peck on one of my other chickens...... My idea at the time I thought was good.

Now I see how keeping heterozygous (only 1 cresting gene) CLs - will have a good appearance but pass along the possibility of hatchlings with no crests. At the TX state fair last year -- one of the 4H kids just got a remark from the judge on the show card saying "crest ?' And who ever they were, I felt sorry for them because they put in as much work as the other kids....

As Walt has said in another thread too, as long as there is full disclosure about a flock - it is all good. -- Probably BBS has straight combs - and SK could get hatching eggs there to straighten out combs - and get neat crests (I like the tufts on males and the trim look on females for example)-- Since BBS is working on good type and we all need to work on that since it is the top priority (way up there anyway after autosexing and blue eggs - which won't appear at Poultry show time) -- it could be that seeing that flock would be the answer.

I don't think it is a bad idea to have a data base that highlights specific traits. Especially with a breed in its infancy. I know for myself I have a lot of things to work on. Considering how slow things are going right now I might have a decent looking bird in another 10 yrs

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My little cockerels all have perfectly straight combs at the moment. Though they may or may not develop crests. My male has a pretty straight comb but because it is overly large it flops slightly. I am not sure anyone would want eggs from me regardless of straightness of the comb lol.

 

[BuffyBugSlayer]

Yes, but for our climate, they must be hatched between October and March. Otherwise the heat promotes huge floppy growth in order to cool the bird down ( during their growing period).

I don't have the same climate as you but next year I am going to try to hatch as early in the new year as I can. Hatching in the fall here is tough because our weather can get really cold, really fast and I worry about their ability as youngsters to stay warm. Actually now that I think about it I might try for an October hatch this year. That should give them enough growth to make it through the winter. I don't know...I will have to give that more thought.

 

[Scatterknit]

That's interesting!

Yes, but for our climate, they must be hatched between October and March. Otherwise the heat promotes huge floppy growth in order to cool the bird down ( during their growing period).

That's interesting! And I guess it does seem to hold true for me - my first Roo was hatched in Florida in September and my last 2 were hatched in early March and the weather has been pretty warm since then. But how much of the floppy comb is it nature v. nurture? Do we know? If chicks from a floppy combed roo were hatched in November, could they avoid their Dad's bad hairdo? My little ones showed a crooked comb really early - I could look at the little nub (or whatever you call it in a chick) and early on, I was thinking "Uh Oh".

 

[Scatterknit]

I don't think it is a bad idea to have a data base that highlights specific traits. Especially with a breed in its infancy. I know for myself I have a lot of things to work on. Considering how slow things are going right now I might have a decent looking bird in another 10 yrs

.

My little cockerels all have perfectly straight combs at the moment. Though they may or may not develop crests. My male has a pretty straight comb but because it is overly large it flops slightly. I am not sure anyone would want eggs from me regardless of straightness of the comb lol.

Some of my March pullets from GFF seems to have pretty big crests already. Wonder how they'd mix with your straight combs? With a Georgia winter hatch?

 

[BuffyBugSlayer]

Some of my March pullets from GFF seems to have pretty big crests already.  Wonder how they'd mix with your straight combs?  With a Georgia winter hatch?  

Well I would be happy to send you eggs for a test run but I am not NPIP certified and can't ship. It is possible I may still do it this year.

 

[KPenley]

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

That's interesting!  


That's interesting!  And I guess it does seem to hold true for me - my first Roo was hatched in Florida in September and my last 2 were hatched in early March  and the weather has been pretty warm since then.   But how much of the floppy comb is it nature v. nurture?  Do we know? If chicks from a floppy combed roo were hatched in November, could they avoid their Dad's bad hairdo?  My little ones showed a crooked comb really early - I could look at the little nub (or whatever you call it in a chick) and early on, I was thinking "Uh Oh".  

Oh, there is definitely a nature and inheritance factor too! But I have found that flop can be improved by giving a rooster more space and cooler temps...ie shade during the hottest part of the day etc, and size can be greatly decreased in a generation by hatching during cooler months and giving the birds as much full sun as possible.

this huge comb was flopped in a small space, and straightened in a large pen.

 

[Scatterknit]

I'm not either. One more thing on my to do list.

 

[Scatterknit]

Wow - gorgeous KP!

 

[Debs55]

So today I had someone contact me wanting to buy two of my leg bar pullets, as most of you know ALL of my birds are crestless. Anyway, I told the buyer everything that I knew etc and she was really interested in the breed. I mentioned I had a couple males from @ChicKat birds and she said she would like to start breeding leg bars so I sold her my two pullets and gave her one of the males and she was so excited just thought I would share that tidbit with y'all

 

[ChicKat]

So today I had someone contact me wanting to buy two of my leg bar pullets, as most of you know ALL of my birds are crestless. Anyway, I told the buyer everything that I knew etc and she was really interested in the breed. I mentioned I had a couple males from @ChicKat birds and she said she would like to start breeding leg bars so I sold her my two pullets and gave her one of the males and she was so excited just thought I would share that tidbit with y'all

Thanks Deb for updating us and for helping another person get started in CLs-

In retrospect, I hope that the male wasn't from an egg from the 'Sherry' - hen.... she could possibly have one cresting gene only -- but until her son here is old enough to breed - I won't be able to verify that......

It seems that there is a lot of interest now in Cream Legbars around the country - and I'm glad that people are able to find local sources. Good for you!