The Legbar Thread!

[ChicKat]

GaryDean!!

Really nice example of the difference in dark and lighter color for hens/pullets. EXCELLENT!

I love the pictures of them as babies. I think that the chick on the right is such a beautiful* and well lit photo that it should be submitted for the 2013 BYC calendar. (but I know you have a lot of good picts). EVERYONE with good photos-- please submit some for the calendar. I would sure like to see a nice showing of cream legbar(s) for 2013. :O)

*That chick has an aura...know what I mean?

 

[ChicKat]

FMP-

It is an interesting project. I'm also wondering the egg color that you will get, I guess it will be blue for certain depending upon what shade from the color chart your cockerel will pass to the babies. Good luck with it.

 

[redchicken9]

Flyingmonkey, Just to throw it out why cream legbarhorn? Why not something with "rose" denoting the comb?

 

[normanack]

Flyingmonkey, Just to throw it out why cream legbarhorn?  Why not something with "rose" denoting the comb?

Ooh! Ooh! How about Rose Cream Legbar?

And by the way, flyingmonkeypoop, why do you live way out in Washington? What if I want to come over and buy a few chicks or eggs? (My mail is rough.) Consider Michigan. We have four beautiful seasons: cold, stinkin' cold, muddy and cold, and stiflingly humid.

 

[redchicken9]

Normanack, you are too funny! The sub-days between those seasons are beautiful! You know, crisp scarlet Fall, baby-leaf green Spring, enchanted white icicle winter, well, what do I say about summer, now I'm spoiled by dry heat, I guess it's the sounds of summer, crickets and frogs at night, and are you where there are loons, no, not you're neighbors, the sounds of wild winged loons? The upper midwest is awesome.

 

[GaryDean26]

I found a good post on slow feathers and the barring gene and want to see if anyone working on Legbars has paid any attention to this gene. See link.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/273471/plymouth-rock-thread/2950#post_9530183


What are your thoughts on barring in the Cream Legbar? Should slow feathering be selected, or does it really matter?

What are you thoughts on the idea that lines that produces less eggs in a season or start laying later (26 weeks as opposed to 21 weeks) are going to have slower feather growth. I didn't quite follow the logic on that, but though the observation on the difference between production and heritage birds was interesting.

Okay here is another post.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/273471/plymouth-rock-thread/1270#post_5494590

 

[lonnyandrinda]

GaryDean very interesting observations from those threads, I have wondered about that myself. Hm...

 

[Laingcroft]

For those that haven't known about my project- these are what I am calling legbarhorns since they are a cross. They are all light brown but carry cream gene so the plan is to breed them back to a legbar rooster and I should get all cream legbars, most of them will have rose combs and a few will have single combs based on the cross. I used a rose combed light brown leghorn hen bred to my legbar rooster. I don't like how late they (legbars) start laying, mine started around 6 months old. The leghorn I used started laying around 19/20 weeks old. I also don't like the blocky body, the huge single combs, and pinched and awkward tails the legbars have so I set out to make my own line of legbars that will be rose combed and have a better flow (in my eyes) to their body. Once these little ladies start laying, I will fire up the incubator and start hatching my first 'pure' rose combed cream legbars. By this time next year, I hope to have my second generation of them hatching out and breeding well enough to sell birds/eggs

Just goes to show how much personal preferences influence a breed My preferences are kind of opposite to yours. I prefer the bulkier girl, like wyandottes, not so much the less substantial leghorn type. I also don't like the flightiness of the leghorns we've had in the past. Way too neurotic for me. Love the big straight comb on the boy and his arching tail. Then again, I live in VA where this probably helps keep the roo cooler during our hot, humid summers.

My trio are from Greenfire's non-crested birds; you might want to check those out. Their hatch was March 18, 2012 and the girls started laying in mid-June. A pen buddy went broody in mid-July and by the end of July one of the Legbar hens went broody too. They hatched out six chicks --- two didn't make it the first night (unheated coop). I just hatched five more in the incubator and I've been getting an egg a day consistently between the two girls.

I prefer the crested hens, but love the performance of these girls. I'm hoping to hatch out some crested girls if mine carry it recessively and definitely from eggs I've ordered.

I think I have some pictures posted further back, but here's one of our roo again along with one of the broody hen.

 

[ChicKat]

Just goes to show how much personal preferences influence a breed My preferences are kind of opposite to yours. I prefer the bulkier girl, like wyandottes, not so much the less substantial leghorn type. I also don't like the flightiness of the leghorns we've had in the past. Way too neurotic for me. Love the big straight comb on the boy and his arching tail. Then again, I live in VA where this probably helps keep the roo cooler during our hot, humid summers.

My trio are from Greenfire's non-crested birds; you might want to check those out. Their hatch was March 18, 2012 and the girls started laying in mid-June. A pen buddy went broody in mid-July and by the end of July one of the Legbar hens went broody too. They hatched out six chicks --- two didn't make it the first night (unheated coop). I just hatched five more in the incubator and I've been getting an egg a day consistently between the two girls.

I prefer the crested hens, but love the performance of these girls. I'm hoping to hatch out some crested girls if mine carry it recessively and definitely from eggs I've ordered.

I think I have some pictures posted further back, but here's one of our roo again along with one of the broody hen.

Beautiful birds!!!

I think a broody hen is a sort of treasure. Mine is working with the chicks all day to forage. Their life sure beats the ones that had to spend their chick-hood in a box. HOpe they all grow up...but the hen is a wonderful caretaker.

 

[ChicKat]

"What if I want to come over and buy a few chicks or eggs? (My mail is rough.) Consider Michigan. We have four beautiful seasons: cold, stinkin' cold, muddy and cold, and stiflingly humid"

So funny normanack - we have seasons in Texas too....sometimes they are called 'two browns and two greens.' Anyway for any fellow Texans we are forecasted for 100% chance of rain tomorrow. I hear SA is cancelling some outdoor volunteer activities due to the possibility of flash floods.

Redchicken9 - sounds poetic. ;O) .