The Legbar Thread!

[Trish44]

So why are our standards for the Cream Legbars different here than in the UK when the birds came from there? I'm wondering the same thing as you, are we just going to go a different direction with the breed? I think ours should be the same & that is what I was just told on the FB site since the birds came from the UK. Where are the standards for the US located where I could see them or are there any as of yet?

I was just told on the Cream Legbar Breeders Group on FB that our birds from Greenfire are all colored wrong.

 

[rc50]

they are... and for a standard there is NO standard in the USA for ANY Autosexing breed.. they simply are not in the Standard of Perfection in the USA....



Keith
SC
USA

 

[RachaelS]

Picked up my "Trio" today, she threw in an extra roo, seems no one wants them for some reason

They are 2 weeks old

 

[ChicKat]

RachelS -- what pretty chicks
Sheriff-- thanks for comparing the colors - and helping us all understand
Kevin - appreciate your digging to find links. Thanks.


Here is something I have heard about (not related to feathering at all I think---)

The blue in the shell comes from a pigment that is related to bile production called oocyanin. Only had to check that 4 times to be sure I spelled correctly. Brown pigments come from among others a derivative of hemoglobin.

In this scientific paper, (about blue footed boobies and not our back yard chickens...but bear with me.....) They talk about a bluer egg with an increase in carotine in the diet. The paper states that the production of the coloration is 'expensive' - which I think means takes a lot out of the chicken and thus the bluer the egg--the healthier the chicken to have enough excess capacity to produce the blue. (thinking I interpreted it correctly here, regarding the 'expensive' terminology. )

http://webs.uvigo.es/avelando/pdfs_archivos/moralesetal2011BESa.pdf

so, would my chickens eat carrots? (I haven't tried this) shredded carrots, cooked carrots, baby food puree carrots, carrot pudding? - thinking of a little kid here...who refuses veggies. Would too much beta carotine harm them?

Surfed the internet a little to get this far...and now have to leave...but the wheels are turning.

Also a woman in Canada has said that she has selected the bluest eggs for hatching and in generations obtained bluer eggshells--- (don't just say well duh..... here is some empirical rather than theoretical reinforcement)

Here are some links about eggshells.

http://poultry.allotment.org.uk/advice/eggs/egg-shell-colour
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/science/04qna.html?_r=1
http://www.blpbooks.co.uk/articles/egg_shell_colour/egg_shell_colour_chart.php

Regarding feather colors---- what we have to go on is the UK SOP right? -- and since the descriptions are verbal...I still think that our birds fit. Obviously, we would want to go for lighter...but that one from Germany that I posted....may be too light. (OR will the white variety of Cream Legbars here grow up to look more like that--getting some faintly visible barring as they reach full maturity. )

ETA - Johnn - I always think Mellow is so pretty and sweet.....how is the chick doing?

 

[The Sheriff]

Today's Cream Legbar hatch = 2 females, 1 male, 1 white

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Today's Cream Legbar hatch = 2 females, 1 male, 1 white

Congrats! They are oh so cute! Can't wait for my own in the bator now!

 

[RachaelS]

So cute!

 

[RyeRanch]

Congrats on your new cuties!

 

[blackbirds13]

So why are our standards for the Cream Legbars different here than in the UK when the birds came from there? I'm wondering the same thing as you, are we just going to go a different direction with the breed? I think ours should be the same & that is what I was just told on the FB site since the birds came from the UK. Where are the standards for the US located where I could see them or are there any as of yet?

I was just told on the Cream Legbar Breeders Group on FB that our birds from Greenfire are all colored wrong.

There is no US standard for the Cream Legbar. I assumed one would look to the UK standard and in the years ahead through experience a US standard would arise. I joined the UK forum ThePoultryKeeper and have been lurking on there for a while. I think that the issues with color here are no different than the ones there - the females look the same for good and bad color but I do think from what I've seen on there that our males are definitely more colored than is acceptable. The white sports seem to be very undesired. The correct female hackle has a cream/gray tone as opposed to the golden tone and they have to be crested in some way. The males are to have cream hackles and a small spikey type crest and though I read in the posts that they can have some chestnut color in the saddle it must be minimal as most that get good posted or reviewed well are the least color diverse. They recommend culling whites and the birds that breed them so to darker hens are to be culled as layers not breeders so my hen with the cream hackle is the standard as opposed to my hen with the more golden hackle. Since our birds genetics are all mixed having birds with creamier hackles may not guarantee they won't throw gold hackles and gold hackled females may throw cream hackles and all that is affected by the males hackle color also as there are posts of beautiful lightly colored cream males on there producing darker females. There is A LOT to consider breeding forward and when selling CLB's that it's mind-blowing so I'm concentrating on just a few things at first. They also talk about type and size (size is very important as they should not be a large bird). There is also talk about the yellow of the legs as being the 'correct' yellow, the floppy comb as a fault, the degree of the white earlobes...etc.
I'm looking forward to seeing what different breeding tactics are used and in comparing our outcomes. I don't want to tell anyone what to breed or not breed at this juncture as I personally don't think we need to solidify the UK standard as our own ( UK and US poultry standards do seem to diverge in some way or form). I for one would prefer a smaller comb on my boys and I do like a bit of color on the males...not a rainbow but I found the ones on the site lighter than I preferred...I like a bit of color on my roosters.
We've all been breeding and selling and increasing the number of birds out there and some have definitely not been to the UK standard so it'll be interesting to watch how this all works it's way out. Being on the ground floor has it's responsibilities I guess but it's also a bit open to our individual interpretations until there develops some form of consensus about what will work .....who knows.... this is all JMHO and I'm up way to late so goodnight.

 

[rc50]

I am very very glad more people here are taking a look at their CLBs.... I hate to say this I really do but....

Originally Posted by rc50
7/28/11


Do some research on Cream Legbars and what the British Standard is... then look at the birds at Greenfire Farms.... they are not close to being to standard....
if you want to see standard Cream Legbars.... take a look here...

http://www.cream-legbar.co.uk/index.html

Keith
SC
USA
Hambar breeder

I told you so almost a year ago... but was ignored...
have a great one