The Legbar Thread!

[normanack]

These are pretty common among the american line of cream legbar.  The crooked combs appear to genetic.

Perhaps we could view crooked combs as a feature, not a bug. . . .
;-)

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

Just thought I'd give an update. My cockerel I hatched from Mary is named Rupert, he is growing well but looks non-crested. I put some eggs from a hen that is with my legbar rooster in the incubator just to see if he is fertile, sure enough he is very fertile at only 4 months. Ingrid my pullet looks like she will be laying anytime now, her comb is getting huge and red.

Hey John I have 4 of Mary's eggs in lockdown and expect a hatch 4 July--Kathy--your future Deer Park neighbor (the 10 acres on Owens Rd) Also--I got 4 Peachicks yesterday--just hatched, in fact they are crying for me right now--nothing like choicks, they want me to hold them!

 

[cjwaldon]

What's not to love about this comb?

 

[ronott1]

What's not to love about this comb?

I have two pullets and two Cockerels. The pullets both have straight combs. One Cockerel has an outrageous crest and a twisted comb. Another has a nice crest with a bent comb. The third has a straight comb with the smallest crest.

I will get pictures later, but which is more important, Crest or comb?

Ron

 

[cjwaldon]

He probably has a twisted comb because of the outrageous crest. Would love to see pictures.

 

[anniesmom]

I did some reading a while back about crests and skull defect issues. Apparently, crests and crooked combs frequently go together. Swedish Flower Hens have the same issue.

 

[Phage]

Yup, the larger the crest the more crooked the comb is likely to be.

I believe the UK standard is a straight errect comb for roosters.

Just had a female chick hatch with an obvious crest!!!!

 

[GaryDean26]

Thanks for all the information. I am learning a lot about cresting.

The information sounds right in line with the three adult cockerels I currently have. The one with the smallest crest has had a perfectly straight comb all the way through. Of the other two, one has a slight twist (that probably only I even notice). The 3rd one has a very twisted comb along with the largest crest I have seen on any Cream Legbar Cockerel.

The twisted comb is listed as a defect is the UK legbar standards. "Defects" are almost always recessive genes that are hard to breed out and that pop up from birds that are carrying the gene, but don't manifest it. I have see the twisted comb both on the Cream Legbars in the USA and the photos of show lines in the UK. It seems to be something that will constantly have to be kept in check.

 

[GaryDean26]

I have two pullets and two Cockerels. The pullets both have straight combs. One Cockerel has an outrageous crest and a twisted comb. Another has a nice crest with a bent comb. The third has a straight comb with the smallest crest.

I will get pictures later, but which is more important, Crest or comb?

Ron

On the cocks the comb is more important than the crest. On the hens the crest is more important that the comb. I hope that a balance in the middle will produce good cresting on the girls and straight combs on the boys.

 

[ronott1]

Quote:
Thank you Gary!

I will post pictures tonight. They are very well behaved little guys.

Ron