Egg colors for Cream Legbar and Rhode Island Red mix?

[DavidReaves]

I hatched chicks from both blue and brown eggs from a farm down the road. The free-ranging flock has both a Cream Legbar rooster and a Rhode Island Red rooster. I hatched four blue eggs, two of which I'm certain were pure Cream Legbar. The other two appear to be mixes, so their sex is undetermined as yet. All the others were mostly light brown eggs, with a couple of dark brown eggs. Some of those are also mixes. Most of the chicks have not developed sufficiently to tell if they are pure RIR or mixed. I have been able to tell on one cockerel that is developing quickly-- he's definitely a Cream Legbar and Rhode Island Red mix. He's going to be pretty, but I don't know why I would need a mixed rooster. I included a photo at 5 weeks just because.

So, my real question, will the mixed pullets that are RIR/CL crosses be Easter Eggers with a light green egg, or are they considered Olive Eggers? Other genetic questions are: Is the Legbar crest dominant or recessive? My two pureblood CL are already showing small crests at 4 weeks. Will the mixes also have crests? Finally, is there anything in pure Cream Legbar or Rhode Island Red genetics that would produce partially white chicks? I have two young cockerels with different white and orange/brown feathers. Is that possible, or did I get eggs from an unknown chicken in the flock? The egg farmer only told me that he had two types already mentioned in the free-ranging flock. The photo of the chicks with white is at 2 weeks and again at 3 weeks.

 

[NatJ]

So, my real question, will the mixed pullets that are RIR/CL crosses be Easter Eggers with a light green egg, or are they considered Olive Eggers?

Green eggs, probably not dark enough to be considered "olive."

Other genetic questions are: Is the Legbar crest dominant or recessive?

The crest gene is dominant.

My two pureblood CL are already showing small crests at 4 weeks. Will the mixes also have crests?

They should, but the crests on the mixes might be smaller than the crests on the purebreds.

Finally, is there anything in pure Cream Legbar or Rhode Island Red genetics that would produce partially white chicks? I have two young cockerels with different white and orange/brown feathers. Is that possible, or did I get eggs from an unknown chicken in the flock? The egg farmer only told me that he had two types already mentioned in the free-ranging flock. The photo of the chicks with white is at 2 weeks and again at 3 weeks.

Other than white barring, there should not be anything in Cream Legbars or Rhode Island Reds to cause white.

But red sexlinks usually have Dominant White (turns black to white). I strongly suspect the farmer has some sexlink hens, and either he thinks they are Rhode Island Reds, or he does know what they are and simply did not mention that he has them.

 

[DavidReaves]

NatJ, thanks for the detailed answer! The dominate white would explain the colors. It's a shame that both the white mixes are roos, since they would be an interesting pattern to keep. One of the white cockerels looks almost like the CL/RIR cross, except no dark. Would light barring still be visible on his feathers as different than the area that is Dominant White?

If there are traces of crests on any of the pullets, that will tell me that they are Cream Legbar crosses and will produce green eggs. I really want at least a couple of green egg hens, just so I can serve "Green eggs and Ham". (I'm old enough--barely-- to know that green eggs and ham were really Army meals, either in a C-Ration can or mermites from the field kitchen)

I'll have pictures of some of the others later, to ask about their status. I'll wait a little longer to give them a little more growth. Thanks again.

 

[luckycluk]

I hatched chicks from both blue and brown eggs from a farm down the road. The free-ranging flock has both a Cream Legbar rooster and a Rhode Island Red rooster. I hatched four blue eggs, two of which I'm certain were pure Cream Legbar. The other two appear to be mixes, so their sex is undetermined as yet. All the others were mostly light brown eggs, with a couple of dark brown eggs. Some of those are also mixes. Most of the chicks have not developed sufficiently to tell if they are pure RIR or mixed. I have been able to tell on one cockerel that is developing quickly-- he's definitely a Cream Legbar and Rhode Island Red mix. He's going to be pretty, but I don't know why I would need a mixed rooster. I included a photo at 5 weeks just because.

So, my real question, will the mixed pullets that are RIR/CL crosses be Easter Eggers with a light green egg, or are they considered Olive Eggers? Other genetic questions are: Is the Legbar crest dominant or recessive? My two pureblood CL are already showing small crests at 4 weeks. Will the mixes also have crests? Finally, is there anything in pure Cream Legbar or Rhode Island Red genetics that would produce partially white chicks? I have two young cockerels with different white and orange/brown feathers. Is that possible, or did I get eggs from an unknown chicken in the flock? The egg farmer only told me that he had two types already mentioned in the free-ranging flock. The photo of the chicks with white is at 2 weeks and again at 3 weeks.

The chicks in pic #2 and the one in the last pic are pretty. But I don’t have any knowledge that’s worth a toot about genetics. I just wanted to say they are pretty

 

[NatJ]

One of the white cockerels looks almost like the CL/RIR cross, except no dark. Would light barring still be visible on his feathers as different than the area that is Dominant White?

I think the white barring would be visible in at least some places, but I'm not entirely positive. To some extent, it will depend on where the Dominant White actually is.

I've also seen photos of some chickens that have white barring on white feathers, and it is a little bit visible if you look just white (different shades or textures or something.)

If there are traces of crests on any of the pullets, that will tell me that they are Cream Legbar crosses and will produce green eggs. I really want at least a couple of green egg hens, just so I can serve "Green eggs and Ham". (I'm old enough--barely-- to know that green eggs and ham were really Army meals, either in a C-Ration can or mermites from the field kitchen)

 

[NatJ]

Edited: Its my understanding that a pure crested cream legbar ROOSTER passes 2 copies of the blue egg gene down to ALL its chicks

It doesn't matter if it is a tooster or hen, if the bird has two copies of the blue egg gene, it will give one copy to each chick. Pure Crested Cream Legbars are supposed to have two copies of the blue egg gene (not saying whether every one actually does, just that they are "supposed to.")

A chick can only get 1 blue egg gene from each parent. So the only way a chick can have 2 blue egg genes is to have 2 parents with blue egg genes.

No, because it only takes 1 copy of the blue egg gene for the eggs to be blue. A cream legbar will still lay blue eggs whether they have 1 copy or 2 copies for the blue egg gene

A hen with only 1 blue egg gene crossed with a brown egg layer rooster will only have a 50% chance of resulting offspring laying green eggs. The other 50% would be for brown eggs.

You are perfectly correct that a hen can lay blue eggs if she only has 1 blue egg gene, and about what chicks will result from a hen that has only one copy of the blue egg gene (assuming the father is not giving a blue egg gene to those same chicks.)

I said that Cream Legbars are SUPPOSED to have 2 blue egg genes, and that my original answer was based on that. That is the way the breed is meant to be, the way the breed websites and the breeders themselves say it should be, the way the hatcheries advertise it. As best I can tell, the majority of Cream Legbars do have two blue egg genes.

Based on the chick photos and the information provided by the original poster, there must be some other kinds of chickens in the flock anyway, so what genes are in Cream Legbars is almost a moot point: there is no way to be sure that any specific chick has any specific breed of parent. Legbar-mix Easter Eggers are common enough that some of those could be in the flock passing on crests and barring to chicks but not having the right number of blue egg genes.

 

[McChooky]

Per

It doesn't matter if it is a tooster or hen, if the bird has two copies of the blue egg gene, it will give one copy to each chick. Pure Crested Cream Legbars are supposed to have two copies of the blue egg gene (not saying whether every one actually does, just that they are "supposed to.")

A chick can only get 1 blue egg gene from each parent. So the only way a chick can have 2 blue egg genes is to have 2 parents with blue egg genes.


You are perfectly correct that a hen can lay blue eggs if she only has 1 blue egg gene, and about what chicks will result from a hen that has only one copy of the blue egg gene (assuming the father is not giving a blue egg gene to those same chicks.)

I said that Cream Legbars are SUPPOSED to have 2 blue egg genes, and that my original answer was based on that. That is the way the breed is meant to be, the way the breed websites and the breeders themselves say it should be, the way the hatcheries advertise it. As best I can tell, the majority of Cream Legbars do have two blue egg genes.

Based on the chick photos and the information provided by the original poster, there must be some other kinds of chickens in the flock anyway, so what genes are in Cream Legbars is almost a moot point: there is no way to be sure that any specific chick has any specific breed of parent. Legbar-mix Easter Eggers are common enough that some of those could be in the flock passing on crests and barring to chicks but not having the right number of blue egg genes.

Because none of my white egg layers carry the blue egg gene crossing them with my legbar will only give me chicks that can lay a pale blue egg

 

[NatJ]

Hi what color eggs would a pullet from a Crested Cream Legbar rooster over a Rhode Island Red hen lay?

The pullet should lay blue or green eggs (probably light green, rather than dark green.)

 

[luckycluk]

I hatched chicks from both blue and brown eggs from a farm down the road. The free-ranging flock has both a Cream Legbar rooster and a Rhode Island Red rooster. I hatched four blue eggs, two of which I'm certain were pure Cream Legbar. The other two appear to be mixes, so their sex is undetermined as yet. All the others were mostly light brown eggs, with a couple of dark brown eggs. Some of those are also mixes. Most of the chicks have not developed sufficiently to tell if they are pure RIR or mixed. I have been able to tell on one cockerel that is developing quickly-- he's definitely a Cream Legbar and Rhode Island Red mix. He's going to be pretty, but I don't know why I would need a mixed rooster. I included a photo at 5 weeks just because.

So, my real question, will the mixed pullets that are RIR/CL crosses be Easter Eggers with a light green egg, or are they considered Olive Eggers? Other genetic questions are: Is the Legbar crest dominant or recessive? My two pureblood CL are already showing small crests at 4 weeks. Will the mixes also have crests? Finally, is there anything in pure Cream Legbar or Rhode Island Red genetics that would produce partially white chicks? I have two young cockerels with different white and orange/brown feathers. Is that possible, or did I get eggs from an unknown chicken in the flock? The egg farmer only told me that he had two types already mentioned in the free-ranging flock. The photo of the chicks with white is at 2 weeks and again at 3 weeks.

I can’t answer your questions but your chicks are pretty

I hatched chicks from both blue and brown eggs from a farm down the road. The free-ranging flock has both a Cream Legbar rooster and a Rhode Island Red rooster. I hatched four blue eggs, two of which I'm certain were pure Cream Legbar. The other two appear to be mixes, so their sex is undetermined as yet. All the others were mostly light brown eggs, with a couple of dark brown eggs. Some of those are also mixes. Most of the chicks have not developed sufficiently to tell if they are pure RIR or mixed. I have been able to tell on one cockerel that is developing quickly-- he's definitely a Cream Legbar and Rhode Island Red mix. He's going to be pretty, but I don't know why I would need a mixed rooster. I included a photo at 5 weeks just because.

So, my real question, will the mixed pullets that are RIR/CL crosses be Easter Eggers with a light green egg, or are they considered Olive Eggers? Other genetic questions are: Is the Legbar crest dominant or recessive? My two pureblood CL are already showing small crests at 4 weeks. Will the mixes also have crests? Finally, is there anything in pure Cream Legbar or Rhode Island Red genetics that would produce partially white chicks? I have two young cockerels with different white and orange/brown feathers. Is that possible, or did I get eggs from an unknown chicken in the flock? The egg farmer only told me that he had two types already mentioned in the free-ranging flock. The photo of the chicks with white is at 2 weeks and again at 3 weeks.

I hatched chicks from both blue and brown eggs from a farm down the road. The free-ranging flock has both a Cream Legbar rooster and a Rhode Island Red rooster. I hatched four blue eggs, two of which I'm certain were pure Cream Legbar. The other two appear to be mixes, so their sex is undetermined as yet. All the others were mostly light brown eggs, with a couple of dark brown eggs. Some of those are also mixes. Most of the chicks have not developed sufficiently to tell if they are pure RIR or mixed. I have been able to tell on one cockerel that is developing quickly-- he's definitely a Cream Legbar and Rhode Island Red mix. He's going to be pretty, but I don't know why I would need a mixed rooster. I included a photo at 5 weeks just because.

So, my real question, will the mixed pullets that are RIR/CL crosses be Easter Eggers with a light green egg, or are they considered Olive Eggers? Other genetic questions are: Is the Legbar crest dominant or recessive? My two pureblood CL are already showing small crests at 4 weeks. Will the mixes also have crests? Finally, is there anything in pure Cream Legbar or Rhode Island Red genetics that would produce partially white chicks? I have two young cockerels with different white and orange/brown feathers. Is that possible, or did I get eggs from an unknown chicken in the flock? The egg farmer only told me that he had two types already mentioned in the free-ranging flock. The photo of the chicks with white is at 2 weeks and again at 3 weeks.

 

[paintedChix]

I differ on the white, the color of eggs & the crests.

Some legbars, (the accepted cream, crele & white varieties & the currently not accepted blue, pumpkin, opal & isabella), carry a white gene and will produce white legbars. Originally, they were considered sports. Now, they are an acepted variety & are bred for. I have gotten some from different breeders in NC.

They can have one or two genes for the crest. If the legbar only has one crest gene, & doesn't pass that one to offspring, no crest & won't produce chicks with crests (so crest gene dominate?).

Same for eggs. There are known CLBs w/ double genes (homozygous) for blue eggs (this can now be tested for & there are breeders that are working towards CLB flocks of double blue egg genes). The double blue genes means one blue gene will pass to chicks - every time. If only one blue gene, a white gene can be passed. The resulting CLB/RIR X might then lay lighter tan eggs instead of shades of green.