Cream Legbars

[feliciadawn]

I have a tiny 6-week old legbar chick. She is just lovely, but I am wondering if you think she will grow to full size, or have full sized eggs. In the picture, she is next to her 2 week older Cream Legbar/Welsummer mix sister from the same breeder, so you can see the size comparison. She is super sweet.

 

[GaryDean26]

How much does she weigh?

The collaborated chick tracking sheet that was started by the Cream Legbar Club has records from multiple flocks from around the USA. It shows pullet weights at 6 weeks in the range of 10.1 oz - 16.0 oz at 6weeks old.

The Pullet that tracked at 10.1 oz at 6 weeks was recorded to be 3.2 lbs at 19 weeks.

The range on the 19 weeks entries are 2.75 lbs to 3.55 lbs. The 3.55 lbs pullet was 12.5 oz at 6 weeks and the 2.75 lbs pullet was 12.0 oz at 6 weeks.

So...if your Legbar pullet is less than about 10 oz at 6 weeks she has stunted growth. I couldn't tell you anything about here expected egg size or expected mature weight by her 6 weeks weigh in. I can tell you that I tried some experiments with grow-out feed. Birds that were grown out on a diet of about 12% protein developed very slowly and were around 35 weeks when they started to lay. Pullets grown out on 24% protein developed very quickly. Some started to lay as early as 18 weeks although they didn't lay regularly until about 21-23 weeks old. Some hen lay huge eggs and some lay tiny eggs. There is definitely a genetic component to that. To put it into perspective you can have a 3-1/2 lbs commercial Leghorn lay a 70 gram egg every day and you can have an 8 lbs Orping ton hen lay 50-gram eggs.

We have some hybrid Bantam hens that are only about 1-1/2 lbs that lay 45-gram eggs. They are limited somewhat by their size in that they would never be able to lay 70-gram eggs, but the size of the bird is not a good indication of the size egg they lay. We have had some Legbars lay single yolk eggs over 80 grams every 2-3 times a week and they were not the biggest hens in the flock.

Another factor in egg size in diet. The hens that are on a high protein diet are going to be able to produce larger eggs regardless of their body weight than they would be able to do on a lower protein diet.

 

[feliciadawn]

Thanks that is helpful information, even though I have no ability to weigh a chick. I have her on organic 22% feed (the best I have), but she wasn't on that until I got her 1.5 weeks ago from the breeder. She replaced a (much larger) cream legbar that was killed by my poodle (who is now disallowed from the yard, except on a leash.). I tried giving her scrambled eggs but she wouldn't eat it.

 

[GaryDean26]

Thanks that is helpful information, even though I have no ability to weigh a chick. I have her on organic 22% feed (the best I have), but she wasn't on that until I got her 1.5 weeks ago from the breeder. She replaced a (much larger) cream legbar that was killed by my poodle (who is now disallowed from the yard, except on a leash.). I tried giving her scrambled eggs but she wouldn't eat it.

Your disallowed Poodle won't eat scrambled eggs? Just kidding I know you mean the Legbar pullet. My adult chicken attack and scraps that we give to them. Our baby chicks usually don't know scraps are food. So hopefully she just hasn't figured out the treats thing yet.

The birds that we raised on the really low protein feed were about half the size of those grown on the high protein feed as juveniles, but when the fast-growing birds hit their mature weight and stopped growing they kept growing. After our experiment was over we put them on a high protein feed too and they eventually filled out to about the same size as the fast-developing birds.

We have seen a few stunted grown birds over the years. They usually are birds that struggle to hatch. Either that bleed a lot when they hatch or that get stuck in the shell and would die if left on their own, but that we go in and help after everyone else in the incubator has hatched. These stunted grown birds just don't grow. They may get to 1-2 pounds but them they stop. First, the back behind then will hatch up to them in size. Then two hatches behind with catch up, then three hatches behind hatch up, and when their own hatch gets to be 4-5 pounds they will still be 1-2 lbs. They are weak and do not thrive and we always cull them. some might think that they could use them to start a bantam flock, but they have no breeding value. The pullets never lay an egg and the cockerel never produce a fertile egg.

If yours is stunted she will be pet quality only. Hopefully, she just got a slow start and will catch up.

 

[feliciadawn]

Here's an update on my little runt legbar at 8 weeks. She is slowly catching up but is still smaller than the others. She also has crooked toes...

Next to 2nd smallest bird -- a Copper Marans who was also on lower protein feed until I got her at 5 weeks.

 

[WVBirdsAndBees]

Cute bird! Our legbar was a runt as well, so much so we weren't sure she'd make it. She has turned into a healthy pullet who has caught up nicely in size at 13 weeks.

Ours is not as close to cream as I'd like and has a dark crest. But her temperament and looks still have me looking for more cream legbars. Might just be the perfect chicken - for us, at least.

 

[feliciadawn]

Our legbar was a runt as well, so much so we weren't sure she'd make it. She has turned into a healthy pullet who has caught up nicely in size at 13 weeks.

She's adorable. I love how the little legbars look like they are wearing bad toupees. So endearing.

 

[WVBirdsAndBees]

She's a piece of work. We love the goofy crests too.

Becoming a big CL fan. There's a lot to like between those crests, the blue eggs, easy chick sexing, fun personalities etc.

 

[ManWithChicks]

So Ive learned that there is no way I have pure legbars.
Rooster has muffs and red ear lobes.
Some females have rose combs, they have a couple colors in the 5 I have, but most look overall like any variation of legbar Ive seen. a couple lay more greenish blue eggs, but I think that is common in legbars as well?

Weve hatched 10ish of their eggs and 2 babies hatched out pure yellow, and now that they have grown in feathers they are pure white, with a small crest.

Just for curiosity sake, any ideas what happened? These eggs are still being sold by the person I bought them from as cream legbar eggs, over a year later.... but I am pretty sure the yellow chicks should not be possible(from the 2nd generation) if they were pure legbar eggs correct?

 

[duluthralphie]

So Ive learned that there is no way I have pure legbars.
Rooster has muffs and red ear lobes.
Some females have rose combs, they have a couple colors in the 5 I have, but most look overall like any variation of legbar Ive seen. a couple lay more greenish blue eggs, but I think that is common in legbars as well?

Weve hatched 10ish of their eggs and 2 babies hatched out pure yellow, and now that they have grown in feathers they are pure white, with a small crest.

Just for curiosity sake, any ideas what happened? These eggs are still being sold by the person I bought them from as cream legbar eggs, over a year later.... but I am pretty sure the yellow chicks should not be possible(from the 2nd generation) if they were pure legbar eggs correct?

If they were “pure” legbars and their parents carried the gene for white, (simplification) you could have white leg bars. But the muffs wipes the chance of them being “pure” out.

Also green eggs is a no no, while some people see a slight greenish tint, blue is definitely their color.

Some Legbars will have red in their ear lobes, however more than 15% is a disqualification as I recall.

The thing to remember with chickens it’s not “pure” that counts it the SOPs.

While there is no SOP in the works for Rose comb legbars, I hope someday there is.