Lavender-Based Leghorn Breeding & Improvement Discussion

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

Side note: do any of you working with large fowl lavender birds feel like you've truly broken the linkage between lavender and fray and/or wingpatch?

 

[ChicKat]

That is the road to exciting adventures and I hope you will have time to post LOTS of pictures. It sounds intriguing. Kudos to the Legbars --there's nothing quite like a good layer.

You lucky people with eggs due to hatch....."when winter comes, can spring be far behind?"

Can't wait to hear more about chicks and lavender experiments.

ETA
" working with large fowl lavender birds feel like you've truly broken the linkage between lavender and fray and/or wingpatch "

Around here, I've seen no feather damage for some years. You can/will do it by selecting away from it. I also think that once you leave behind pure lav and get other patterns IN as you are doing, then it's easier to ditch that bad gene.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

Unfortunately, the gold duckwing seems to have created MORE opportunities for lavender-related feather quality issues with the wing patch situation, but I definitely notice the barred birds seem to have fewer problems. I do still see some very frayed "opal" legbars out there, though, and I suspect that once folk quit breeding back to cream or gold the fray will show back up en force again.

I hope I'm wrong.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Side note: do any of you working with large fowl lavender birds feel like you've truly broken the linkage between lavender and fray and/or wingpatch?

Here's one of my lavender silver duckwings from this years hatch.

 

[Miami Leghorn]

 

[Miami Leghorn]

Here is one pair of Lavender Crele.
The lighting doesn't do the barring justice in these pics.

 

[Miami Leghorn]

Here's one of my lavender silver duckwings from this years hatch.
View attachment 2440592

Sweeeeeet

 

[Miami Leghorn]

Here is another young Lavender buck.
Brown Leghorn hens.Yes one hen is rumpless.
I separated a quarter acre,fenced the perimeter and then started to fence partitions inside to keep " families" separate.Baby steps.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

I don't see immediately obvious issue with my barred lavender legbar cockerel, but if I look carefully I do believe I still see indications of issues and I wonder if he's hiding things the way the lavender hens hide things.

 

[ChicKat]

Love the ideas and pictures youse guys. Fabulous.

Unfortunately, the gold duckwing seems to have created MORE opportunities for lavender-related feather quality issues with the wing patch situation, but I definitely notice the barred birds seem to have fewer problems. I do still see some very frayed "opal" legbars out there, though, and I suspect that once folk quit breeding back to cream or gold the fray will show back up en force again.

I hope I'm wrong.

Haiku---
so interesting and valuable for everyone to keep an eye on. I also wonder -- if the 'soft feathering' from the Legbars, can make the feathers look a bit messy compared with any 'hard feathered bird' -- Are Leghorns hard feathered? -- and thus the Legbar lines look a bit untidy or messy at times, but -- it is not actual damage or raggedy feathers. JMO This is the one of the big value-added to this thread too IMO because it gives us things to look for and compare.

Moonshiner---

lavender silver duckwings from this years hatch

AWESOME!!!

View attachment 2440675

What a nice pair. This is the first pict I've seen of your female as a adult. I'm SO SO SO SO impressed with the color on her breast feathers -- because it is a quite rosy hue. My gang is still throwing feathers everywhere -- I was noticing this morning that they are showing pale pink -- but paler than yours. Mine are ending their molt though -- and my roo has sickles now again....so there is that.