Opal Legbar

[MarcKlering]

Hi, I have Legbars that were advertised as Opal Legbars. I’m not super familiar with the breed but I recently hatched eggs from them and I’m getting lavender/pearl hens as well as crested hens. Does Opal Legbar sound like the right breed or is there maybe a cross breed as well?

 

[TaylorGlade]

Hi, I have Legbars that were advertised as Opal Legbars. I’m not super familiar with the breed but I recently hatched eggs from them and I’m getting lavender/pearl hens as well as crested hens. Does Opal Legbar sound like the right breed or is there maybe a cross breed as well?

Can you post some photos? That's usually a lot more helpful for us visual peeps

 

[The Moonshiner]

Ya idk what you mean by "lavender/pearl" but it sounds about right.
IMO they should all have crests but I've seen them without.
Opals were created from crossing CCLs with Isabel Leghorns. Since leghorns don't have crests they needed to be worked back in to breed true for them.
Many didn't do that.
CCL also have a dilute gene that the leghorns didn't. That was hard to see in the Isabel pattern so it's been hit or miss with whether it's present or not. It does cause a slightly different shade whether it's there or not so no huge deal but it does make the gold tone colors vary some from bird to bird.

 

[MarcKlering]

Can you post some photos? That's usually a lot more helpful for us visual peeps

 

[TaylorGlade]

The one in front looks like a Cream legbar to me. If you need the one on the back, can you see if you can get a full body photo? Leg color is breed depenedent.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Those both look like Legbars. Color/pattern is messy but I don't think they're mixed with anything.

 

[TaylorGlade]

Those both look like Legbars. Color/pattern is messy but I don't think they're mixed with anything.

I think it's possible they have a cream and opal legbar. I wonder if the person they got them from said they have an Amerecauna heritage? Which is true. But yeah - the legs on the cream look right - but cannot see the opal

 

[MarcKlering]

I think it's possible they have a cream and opal legbar. I wonder if the person they got them from said they have an Amerecauna heritage? Which is true. But yeah - the legs on the cream look right - but cannot see the opal

What color would indicate an opal legbar?

 

[TaylorGlade]

@

MarcKlering - here is a photo from Meyer Hatchery.​

https://meyerhatchery.com/products/Opal-Legbar-Day-Old-Chicks-p501796180

But it could also be a frost white legbar. It's hard to tell from your photo - but either way - both are pretty rare.:
https://meyerhatchery.com/products/Frost-White-Legbar-Day-Old-Chicks-p213429075

 

[GaryDean26]

Myers Hatchery has Opal Legbars? That is very sad to hear. They were created by a lady here on BYC and the one flock of them I have been in contact with were pretty nice birds. It seems you can’t have anything anymore without the factories mass producing low cost versions of the breed.