Cream Legbars

[fowlman01]

For people with Cream Legbars -- my question is specifically about the hackles and the effect of UV rays on the chickens.  

I have two that darken in the sun -- and it seems like most of the rest bleach.  If you have one that you think is gold or golden, does the sun lighten the hackles?  Does the sun turn cream to white-looking?  Anyone else experience a darkening of the hackles or is it just my chooks?

Thanks!

It would seem unlikely that sun would change chicken color to white. But...it can change white hackles and saddle feathers to a yellow shade . This is something that should be checked out. Do CL saddle and hackles change color in the sun? If the do, how does that affect the male color over time? Or...does it stay the same color in full sun. This will be determined by the genes the males carry but it could cause problems when trying to determine the color of the hackle and saddle in males and could be different from young birds to old.

Walt

 

[ChicKat]

So far in 2.5 years haven't noticed any noticeable changes in my CLs hackles due to sun exposure. Though my entire chicken yard is shaded by trees but they do free range daily.

Maybe there are changes that i just haven't caught yet?

No I don't think that there are changes that you haven't caught -- it would especially show up at molting time -- when the new feathers are very different from the old ones in color. I'm thinking that it could be that the sun here is harsher than up north -- but I think that there is an underlying component in my flock specifically..... (you'd be surprised with my theory!!)

Perhaps that is one reason I have been saying how much my chickens change colors -- and others with non-kaleidoscopically colored chickens have not seen the same phenomena....LOL
Thanks for the insight.

 

[GaryDean26]

It would seem unlikely that sun would change chicken color to white. But...it can change white hackles and saddle feathers to a yellow shade . This is something that should be checked out. Do CL saddle and hackles change color in the sun? If the do, how does that affect the male color over time? Or...does it stay the same color in full sun. This will be determined by the genes the males carry but it could cause problems when trying to determine the color of the hackle and saddle in males and could be different from young birds to old.

Walt

Yes...my cockerels have been getting yellowing of the hackles in the sun. I just check the photos of the three that I bred this spring. The photos were taken in early March, One cockerel was hatched in 2012, one in 2013, and one in 2014 and all three of them showed a fairly light (nearly white) color, but I have noticed significant yellowing over time so they either have yellowed since the beginning of March, or the camera is failing to capture the changes I am seeing.

P.S. I culled my entire flock and moved to Oklahoma this spring. I did get one hatch of eggs set in March to bring with me though and will be rebuilding my flock from that hatch group. We only got about 35 chicks from the hatch, but If we can get 1-2 good cockerel and 1-2 good pullets from the group to work with we be back on track with our flock before long. We are in the wait and see phase right now as they grow out.

 

[ChicKat]

Yes...my cockerels have been getting yellowing of the hackles in the sun. I just check the photos of the three that I bred this spring. The photos were taken in early March, One cockerel was hatched in 2012, one in 2013, and one in 2014 and all three of them showed a fairly light (nearly white) color, but I have noticed significant yellowing over time so they either have yellowed since the beginning of March, or the camera is failing to capture the changes I am seeing.

P.S. I culled my entire flock and moved to Oklahoma this spring. I did get one hatch of eggs set in March to bring with me though and will be rebuilding my flock from that hatch group. We only got about 35 chicks from the hatch, but If we can get 1-2 good cockerel and 1-2 good pullets from the group to work with we be back on track with our flock before long. We are in the wait and see phase right now as they grow out.

Good luck with your hatches!

 

[ChicKat]

It would seem unlikely that sun would change chicken color to white. But...it can change white hackles and saddle feathers to a yellow shade . This is something that should be checked out. Do CL saddle and hackles change color in the sun? If the do, how does that affect the male color over time? Or...does it stay the same color in full sun. This will be determined by the genes the males carry but it could cause problems when trying to determine the color of the hackle and saddle in males and could be different from young birds to old.

Walt

Yes, I think it is definitely sun-related. It is the brassy-color that the sun makes on very light feathers. I have to say though that the sun in TX is very intense.... My first chickens were BPR and they were black & white at one point -- and then by end of summer were mahogany and tan-looking -- Sun can be brutal here.



same bird different timing - lighting different etc. but still there is a visible diffeence

His neck hackles during his last molt:





The light ones are the new feathers.

Female during molt with dark (extremely dark) and light hackles.

light ones are new feathers, dark ones are old......

My suspicion is that my male is split S/s+ -- and the sun changes the silver to brass... one reason why show silvers need to be protected from UV rays so they don't turn brassy as I understand it.

ETA - it's ironic that some folks were wishing for silver in the CL to lighten it -- but in sun it may have just the opposite effect.

 

[KPenley]

@Chickat, regarding the AI issues. I just had my birds tested a couple of weeks ago to gain AI clean status. As soon as I have my card I will let limited numbers of birds go out, but I am not taking anything in for a while. While I really hope the Dixie Classic will host our Special Meet in TN this December it may get cancelled. NC just cancelled their shows until January, so at least it looks like there is a time frame for the cancelations and Spring shows may still be open.

Best wishes with your birds Curtis!

 

[ChicKat]

@Chickat, regarding the AI issues. I just had my birds tested a couple of weeks ago to gain AI clean status. As soon as I have my card I will let limited numbers of birds go out, but I am not taking anything in for a while. While I really hope the Dixie Classic will host our Special Meet in TN this December it may get cancelled. NC just cancelled their shows until January, so at least it looks like there is a time frame for the cancelations and Spring shows may still be open.

Best wishes with your birds Curtis!

Thanks for the update -- congrats on AI clean status -- I would expect no less over there.... ;O)

If it keeps our flocks safe from the spread it may be worth it - however disruptive it is. I hear that sun kills the virus - so probably they are hoping that the summer will squelch it -- and the fall shows being cancelled are just a precaution.

 

[caychris]

I learned the don't help the chick out of the shell lesson the hard way again. I lost the girl chick from my hatch last night. We were worried about her because she wasnt keeping pace with her hatch mates she died in my hands last night. I just think she wasn't robust enough and might have sustained an injury from the larger chicks. I had helped her out of the shell because after a day pipped she was sticking her beak out of the large hole and couldnt seem to find purchase to zip the egg. She pushed free but had started the shrink wrap a bit. Everyone else seems fine and healthy. Im having the worst luck with this breed. I hope that one of the boys shows even better promise than the 2 older ones I have.

As soon as he gets old enough Im going to put my better of the 2 with my hen and see if I cant get some of my own. I know they will have faults but I have to start somewhere. If I cant make any progress from these birds. Ill have to bring in some more from somewhere.

 

[ChicKat]

I learned the don't help the chick out of the shell lesson the hard way again. I lost the girl chick from my hatch last night. We were worried about her because she wasnt keeping pace with her hatch mates she died in my hands last night. I just think she wasn't robust enough and might have sustained an injury from the larger chicks. I had helped her out of the shell because after a day pipped she was sticking her beak out of the large hole and couldnt seem to find purchase to zip the egg. She pushed free but had started the shrink wrap a bit. Everyone else seems fine and healthy. Im having the worst luck with this breed. I hope that one of the boys shows even better promise than the 2 older ones I have.

As soon as he gets old enough Im going to put my better of the 2 with my hen and see if I cant get some of my own. I know they will have faults but I have to start somewhere. If I cant make any progress from these birds. Ill have to bring in some more from somewhere.

Sorry for your loss. I'm glad that you have perseverance. to stick with the breed. And it looks like there are some nice things in the two you have up -- like straight comb, low tail angles and long backs on both of them -- Everyone has lots to work on -- so you won't be alone at all. Do you think that the source you are getting your hatching eggs from has very closely related birds, and that could be part of the difficulty you are having?

Good luck with the rest of the hatchlings.

 

[caychris]

Sorry for your loss. I'm glad that you have perseverance. to stick with the breed. And it looks like there are some nice things in the two you have up -- like straight comb, low tail angles and long backs on both of them -- Everyone has lots to work on -- so you won't be alone at all. Do you think that the source you are getting your hatching eggs from has very closely related birds, and that could be part of the difficulty you are having?

Good luck with the rest of the hatchlings.

Possibly but the girl and the boy are two different sources so should present its own problems