Hey yall im breeding Opal legbar chickens

[paintedChix]

hi guys i just picked up the only 3 Opal legbars pure breed which are auto sexing and a gorgeous opal color there extremly rare hybrid got the last batch they were 6 and total and i got the last 3 2 pullets 1 rooster they also lay green eggs because there hybrid bewteen the cream legbar X lavender orpinton it was the person i got from biggest project yet i got some from him they will be comming soon and excited any advices form this breed.

I am confused. Opal Legbars are a project bird that was started many chicken generations ago by Candace Waldon. In 2017, she was on her 5th generation of chicks. If you read how she created them, she didn't use Orpingtons directly but used Isabella Leghorns (which can be created by crossing brown leghorn with lavender Orpington - forget how many generations it takes to get from the 2 mixed breeds to Isabella leghorns). I'm not sure why anyone would cross an Opal Legbar back to the Lavender Orpington? Are you saying that you've got chicks that are a cross between Lavender Orpingtons and Opal Legbars? Or did I totally misunderstand your above post?

Candace's Opal Legbars are beautiful. Opallegbar dot com. Not sure if she's completely bred out the white egg gene yet or what generation she's actually on now (should be 8 or 9?). A friend of mine got some of her hatching eggs last year - they were all a blue (some greenish tone) color. She should have Opal Legbar chicks this year. There are now a few Opal Legbar breeders who can ship chicks or eggs through the mail and are NPIP.

Opal Legbars also have a HUGE following on FB. You can get information from Candace's website directly or through the FB page. There is the Opal Legbar Fan Club on FB. There is also a project on Blue Legbars - PJ @ The Big R Ranch. Big contributor to the Cream Legbar FB page as well. Been breeding Legbars since 2016. Here's a writeup that was done via the CLC - The Blue Legbar Project

I recommend you check out the Cream Legbar Club, as well. There are 3 accepted varieties at this time - Cream, Creole & White.

Would love to see pics of your chicks!!

I have Cream Legbars. Want to get some Creole, Blue project and Opal project birds.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

I am confused. Opal Legbars are a project bird that was started many chicken generations ago by Candace Waldon. In 2017, she was on her 5th generation of chicks. If you read how she created them, she didn't use Orpingtons directly but used Isabella Leghorns (which can be created by crossing brown leghorn with lavender Orpington - forget how many generations it takes to get from the 2 mixed breeds to Isabella leghorns). I'm not sure why anyone would cross an Opal Legbar back to the Lavender Orpington? Are you saying that you've got chicks that are a cross between Lavender Orpingtons and Opal Legbars? Or did I totally misunderstand your above post?

Candace's Opal Legbars are beautiful. Opallegbar dot com. Not sure if she's completely bred out the white egg gene yet or what generation she's actually on now (should be 8 or 9?). A friend of mine got some of her hatching eggs last year - they were all a blue (some greenish tone) color. She should have Opal Legbar chicks this year. There are now a few Opal Legbar breeders who can ship chicks or eggs through the mail and are NPIP.

Opal Legbars also have a HUGE following on FB. You can get information from Candace's website directly or through the FB page. There is the Opal Legbar Fan Club on FB. There is also a project on Blue Legbars - PJ @ The Big R Ranch. Big contributor to the Cream Legbar FB page as well. Been breeding Legbars since 2016. Here's a writeup that was done via the CLC - The Blue Legbar Project

I recommend you check out the Cream Legbar Club, as well. There are 3 accepted varieties at this time - Cream, Creole & White.

Would love to see pics of your chicks!!

I have Cream Legbars. Want to get some Creole, Blue project and Opal project birds.

Yeah, I was gonna say! @HFFFluvmychicksandchicken I'm afraid you will be very disappointed if these chicks are actually the result of a Legbar x Orpington cross, that is NOT an opal legbar. I hope that's not the case! Where did you find these chickadees?

 

[SweetLittleChicks]

Yeah, I was gonna say! @HFFFluvmychicksandchicken I'm afraid you will be very disappointed if these chicks are actually the result of a Legbar x Orpington cross, that is NOT an opal legbar. I hope that's not the case! Where did you find these chickadees?

Uh no it was from these farmer but How do you know they won’t turn out as what you think was I scammed 30 bucks ): pls tell me

 

[SweetLittleChicks]

I am confused. Opal Legbars are a project bird that was started many chicken generations ago by Candace Waldon. In 2017, she was on her 5th generation of chicks. If you read how she created them, she didn't use Orpingtons directly but used Isabella Leghorns (which can be created by crossing brown leghorn with lavender Orpington - forget how many generations it takes to get from the 2 mixed breeds to Isabella leghorns). I'm not sure why anyone would cross an Opal Legbar back to the Lavender Orpington? Are you saying that you've got chicks that are a cross between Lavender Orpingtons and Opal Legbars? Or did I totally misunderstand your above post?

Candace's Opal Legbars are beautiful. Opallegbar dot com. Not sure if she's completely bred out the white egg gene yet or what generation she's actually on now (should be 8 or 9?). A friend of mine got some of her hatching eggs last year - they were all a blue (some greenish tone) color. She should have Opal Legbar chicks this year. There are now a few Opal Legbar breeders who can ship chicks or eggs through the mail and are NPIP.

Opal Legbars also have a HUGE following on FB. You can get information from Candace's website directly or through the FB page. There is the Opal Legbar Fan Club on FB. There is also a project on Blue Legbars - PJ @ The Big R Ranch. Big contributor to the Cream Legbar FB page as well. Been breeding Legbars since 2016. Here's a writeup that was done via the CLC - The Blue Legbar Project

I recommend you check out the Cream Legbar Club, as well. There are 3 accepted varieties at this time - Cream, Creole & White.

Would love to see pics of your chicks!!

I have Cream Legbars. Want to get some Creole, Blue project and Opal project birds.

what that’s so confusing because a local farmer sold me those and he said he had them I’m so confused right now ?

 

[SweetLittleChicks]

I am confused. Opal Legbars are a project bird that was started many chicken generations ago by Candace Waldon. In 2017, she was on her 5th generation of chicks. If you read how she created them, she didn't use Orpingtons directly but used Isabella Leghorns (which can be created by crossing brown leghorn with lavender Orpington - forget how many generations it takes to get from the 2 mixed breeds to Isabella leghorns). I'm not sure why anyone would cross an Opal Legbar back to the Lavender Orpington? Are you saying that you've got chicks that are a cross between Lavender Orpingtons and Opal Legbars? Or did I totally misunderstand your above post?

Candace's Opal Legbars are beautiful. Opallegbar dot com. Not sure if she's completely bred out the white egg gene yet or what generation she's actually on now (should be 8 or 9?). A friend of mine got some of her hatching eggs last year - they were all a blue (some greenish tone) color. She should have Opal Legbar chicks this year. There are now a few Opal Legbar breeders who can ship chicks or eggs through the mail and are NPIP.

Opal Legbars also have a HUGE following on FB. You can get information from Candace's website directly or through the FB page. There is the Opal Legbar Fan Club on FB. There is also a project on Blue Legbars - PJ @ The Big R Ranch. Big contributor to the Cream Legbar FB page as well. Been breeding Legbars since 2016. Here's a writeup that was done via the CLC - The Blue Legbar Project

I recommend you check out the Cream Legbar Club, as well. There are 3 accepted varieties at this time - Cream, Creole & White.

Would love to see pics of your chicks!!

I have Cream Legbars. Want to get some Creole, Blue project and Opal project birds.

I’m very confused cause each chick from the order cost 30 dollars have I been scammed tell me I hope there real tho

 

[EmmaRainboe]

I’m very confused cause each chick from the order cost 30 dollars have I been scammed tell me I hope there real tho

I don't know much about Opal Legbars. But I hope you weren't scammed!

$30 is a lot to pay for a single chick. Best of luck!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

If they're a cross made to lay green eggs like you said, they're not real opal legbars.

 

[paintedChix]

I’m very confused cause each chick from the order cost 30 dollars have I been scammed tell me I hope there real tho

I gave you the ORIGINAL Opal Legbar website as well as the OFFICIAL Cream Legbar Club website in my first post... Along with several other links for information about Cream Legbars and some other "project" varieties (how new colors are made - takes years to introduce a new color that brings in the body color but then you have to breed back to the Legbar body type and back to getting BLUE eggs).

If someone was crossing 2 brown egg layers, that may be similar in body type (using Blue Orpingtons to Black Australorps will start you on the path to Blue Australorps -but it still takes a couple generations to get fully back to the Australorp body type and good blue coloring, too. But you don't have to worry about that egg color. Orpingtons were used to help create the Australorps, so it's a bit easier with that one).

Did you get chicks? Can you post pics of them?

But wow, for that cost, you could have gotten your CLB chicks directly from the original importer down in Florida! Greenfire Farms - CLBs

If your chicks are a cross between CLBs and Orpingtons, and you are thinking that you have pure CLBs, then YES, you were scammed and that farmer might be laughing all the way to the bank. On the other hand, the resulting female chicks from that cross should lay a beautiful sage (?I think, since Orps lay a lighter, pinkish beige egg) colored egg. Have no idea what type of chicken you will have though in appearance. And crossing your females back to a male in same group - will probably produce a completely different looking bird. Crossing her back to a purebred CLB, might get you a similar look to CLBs but will take quite a lot of work to get back to a blue egg layer.

Here is another link for information. This is how one guy created the Isabella Leghorn. I don't know if this is the only way to create the color for the Isabella Leghorn. The Isabella Leghorn was what Candace used to create the Opal Legbar. Notice how many generations (years) it took to create the "lavender type colored" Leghorn (and bring it back to Leghorn type and a white egg layer) that was then crossed with CLBs to bring in the color (lavender w/ "leakage" ) that became her Opals. THEN look at how many generations Candace took to get her birds to where they are today... I want to say she did her first cross in 2011? or 2013? Can't remember!

Leghorns were ONE breed that was used to create the Cream Legbar. There were other crosses, too, many many years ago that brought the Legbar into "being"... I personally think crossing a Leghorn in, now and then, can improve the Legbar. But then it takes a while to get your Legbar type and blue egg color back.

Edit to add - The Opal coloring/variety designation was "coined" (or named) by Candace when she created her fabulous birds. It is not an accepted variety (YET) in the Cream Legbar Club. The Cream Legbar breed is not yet an accepted bird breed in the American Poultry Association. There are breeders working to get the CLB accepted into the APA - whom is the governing breed association with all the breed SOPs for shows.

Personally, if I'd known more when I joined the CLB, I'd have voted for a different name. The name of the club was being voted on when I joined. Knowing what I do now, I honestly think it should have been called the Crested Legbar Club - then allowing for the current 3 varieties (colors) of Cream, Golden Crele & White and the new project varieties (Blue & Opal). I think that would have been so much less confusing overall, but... All American Cream Legbars are supposed to be crested. Occasionally there is a non-crested bird that pops up. If that happens, it is recommended that that bird be culled from a breeding program and the parent bird (S) figured out to so as to not cross those two birds again. A non-crested bird has no gene for a crest. The light or small crested bird probably only carries one crested gene(not always!) and the big, "floofy" crests (I had one pullet like that, she was ADORABLE) most likely have 2 genes for the crest tuft. May not be that simple, may be some other genetics that tie into it... I have only studied the basics on that one.

Also - there are probably other breeder/creators dreaming of new colors to bring into the CLB!

Edit to correct variety spelling
3rd Edit - Sorry! - I'm not highlighting or capitizing to show anger but to highlight or emphasize a point or many points. Please don't think I'm angry as I'm not. It's actually refreshing to bring up all these points about a type/breed of bird I've fallen in love with as this helps me to remember those same points, LOL.

 

[paintedChix]

Was going to do this as another ... edit. But decided against it.

.......

The other thing about CLBs is that they are an auto sexing breed. When a CLB is crossed to another breed of chicken that is not an auto sexing breed (leghorn, orpington, ameraucana, others?), you will lose that trait. There is no guarantee that the chick created from this cross would carry a barring gene (what is used to "make" the auto sexing trait). Then when that chick is crossed again to what ever - you will won't even have a sex-linked color chick at hatch... Lots of ifs. When you out cross for color, one of the things you are working on bringing back is that auto-sexing trait, not just body type and egg color. I completely left that out of the equation above and it's important.

**********

I've been told that even doing an out-cross of 1 auto sexing breed to another auto sexing breed, you lose the gene. Not sure yet how that works, to me it would still be there. BUT it could be because the barring genes, used to create the auto sexing ability, is attached to different colors. I don't know and I haven't tried it. But it would be interesting!

Personally, I'd love to try crossing a Bielefelder (Xlarge lite brown egg) to a CLB (medium to sometimes large - blue egg). Goal - to produce an olive (or sage?) egger that is heavier framed (meaty) and might still retain the auto sexing trait... Some might have a crest, some might not. Along with having a larger frame than the CLB, hope it would have the SWEETNESS of the Bielefelder. My line of B's took FOREVER to start laying though (11 months) and that is something I definitely don't want to bring forward! I did have a B that had a small crest himself. Called him "Mo" - short for Mohawk, LOL.

Another cross that could get interesting - Rhodebar (Xlarge darker brown egg) to CLB. That, I believe, would produce a more olive than sage colored egg. Also, larger bodied/heavier framed (think dual purpose or meat). My Rhodies were the first of the 4 auto sexing breeds I had to start laying (6 to 7 months). My Rhodie roosters all became very mean after turning 1 yr old. After being a feast for the eyes, they became a feast on the table. And they were TASTY!

I see no reason to cross either a 55 Flowery Hen (Xlg white egg) or a Smaaland (medium tinted - almost lite pink egg) back to the CLB. Why? Because I think you'd "muddy" the egg colors -w/ all more than likely going to white; you bring back in more "weird" leghorn type - smaller body frame. Our 55's are the wildest bird I've ever seen short of actual wild birds. The smaaland - you might lose her abilities to go broody and set her nest (I would like to get some smaalands next)... The 4 autosexing breeds I had - no nest sitters. Never went broody. Laid egg - then appeared to "run" away from the nest, LOL.

But for those who like crosses - I wonder if crossing a blue egg laying Ameraucana to a CLB would create an hen that lays a brighter blue egg? Then you also have a chance for those cute muff and beards along with the crests, LOL...

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

Was going to do this as another ... edit. But decided against it.

.......

The other thing about CLBs is that they are an auto sexing breed. When a CLB is crossed to another breed of chicken that is not an auto sexing breed (leghorn, orpington, ameraucana, others?), you will lose that trait. There is no guarantee that the chick created from this cross would carry a barring gene (what is used to "make" the auto sexing trait). Then when that chick is crossed again to what ever - you will won't even have a sex-linked color chick at hatch... Lots of ifs. When you out cross for color, one of the things you are working on bringing back is that auto-sexing trait, not just body type and egg color. I completely left that out of the equation above and it's important.

**********

I've been told that even doing an out-cross of 1 auto sexing breed to another auto sexing breed, you lose the gene. Not sure yet how that works, to me it would still be there. BUT it could be because the barring genes, used to create the auto sexing ability, is attached to different colors. I don't know and I haven't tried it. But it would be interesting!

Personally, I'd love to try crossing a Bielefelder (Xlarge lite brown egg) to a CLB (medium to sometimes large - blue egg). Goal - to produce an olive (or sage?) egger that is heavier framed (meaty) and might still retain the auto sexing trait... Some might have a crest, some might not. Along with having a larger frame than the CLB, hope it would have the SWEETNESS of the Bielefelder. My line of B's took FOREVER to start laying though (11 months) and that is something I definitely don't want to bring forward! I did have a B that had a small crest himself. Called him "Mo" - short for Mohawk, LOL.

Another cross that could get interesting - Rhodebar (Xlarge darker brown egg) to CLB. That, I believe, would produce a more olive than sage colored egg. Also, larger bodied/heavier framed (think dual purpose or meat). My Rhodies were the first of the 4 auto sexing breeds I had to start laying (6 to 7 months). My Rhodie roosters all became very mean after turning 1 yr old. After being a feast for the eyes, they became a feast on the table. And they were TASTY!

I see no reason to cross either a 55 Flowery Hen (Xlg white egg) or a Smaaland (medium tinted - almost lite pink egg) back to the CLB. Why? Because I think you'd "muddy" the egg colors -w/ all more than likely going to white; you bring back in more "weird" leghorn type - smaller body frame. Our 55's are the wildest bird I've ever seen short of actual wild birds. The smaaland - you might lose her abilities to go broody and set her nest (I would like to get some smaalands next)... The 4 autosexing breeds I had - no nest sitters. Never went broody. Laid egg - then appeared to "run" away from the nest, LOL.

But for those who like crosses - I wonder if crossing a blue egg laying Ameraucana to a CLB would create an hen that lays a brighter blue egg? Then you also have a chance for those cute muff and beards along with the crests, LOL...

You would enjoy this thread about Legbar hybrids. On page 278 there is an adorable flock of Legbar x Ameraucana hybrids from @jerryse. They're really very attractive birds! I like them a lot.

I've noticed the opal legbars seem to tend to have very light blue eggs, probably lingering effects from the white egg gene and yet another reason to breed back to cream or gold for a while more yet. My Isabella leghorns lay very large slightly tinted eggs so it's interesting to note that there seems to be no lingering brown in the opal lines to turn the eggs green. My Cream Legbars lay pretty richly pigmented blue eggs, a few with the slightest teal tinge.