The Legbar Thread!

[tobit]

Sad to hear about the environmental problems you have over there, I cannot begin to imagine what it's like

Thought I'd let you guys know that at least one (if not both) of my little guys has started crowing

I was surprised it was as early as this; they're only 6 weeks old!!
By crowing, I mean that little squeaky rasping sound that they start off doing

How are everyone's cream legbars doing?

 

[JakesMama]

Hi everyone! I'm new to this thread and have a question about my cream legbar cockerel and pullet. Both birds have pinkish legs and I hear that's a fault. I'm not into showing birds nor am I breeding to exact SOP. I really just wanted a blue egg layer and the roo to create some interesting EEs with my other breeds. Would it be a bad idea if I bred the 2 legbars to sell the eggs/chicks? A friend of mine who drove to the next state to get his, said he heard people tried to create their own legbars, thus creating the pink legs. Anybody else hear of this?

 

[tobit]

Hi everyone! I'm new to this thread and have a question about my cream legbar cockerel and pullet. Both birds have pinkish legs and I hear that's a fault. I'm not into showing birds nor am I breeding to exact SOP. I really just wanted a blue egg layer and the roo to create some interesting EEs with my other breeds. Would it be a bad idea if I bred the 2 legbars to sell the eggs/chicks? A friend of mine who drove to the next state to get his, said he heard people tried to create their own legbars, thus creating the pink legs. Anybody else hear of this?

Are the cockerel and pullet related?

I guess you could sell the offspring as pet quality/non-show quality and stress that their legs are the wrong colour? I've bought mine (in the UK) from a breeder, who "says" his stock are top quality (didn't ask which lines, probably should have done) and his birds did look good, apart from the rooster's floppy comb...anyway, i have 2 pullets and 2 cockerels, both pullets have yellow legs, one cockerel pretty much white legs, and one cockerel in between (- at 6 weeks)! I was told that leg colour can change - the more grass they ate the yellower, although i do have my doubts about this! All my chicks are at least half siblings. Just my experience with them!

 

[ChicKat]

Sad to hear about the environmental problems you have over there, I cannot begin to imagine what it's like

Thought I'd let you guys know that at least one (if not both) of my little guys has started crowing

I was surprised it was as early as this; they're only 6 weeks old!!
By crowing, I mean that little squeaky rasping sound that they start off doing

How are everyone's cream legbars doing?

So so cute when they first crow--- I have had crowing in the brooder-box (thus less than 4-weeks old) -- I thought someone was hurt or in pain -- but no -- it is that squeak.

 

[ChicKat]

Hi everyone! I'm new to this thread and have a question about my cream legbar cockerel and pullet. Both birds have pinkish legs and I hear that's a fault. I'm not into showing birds nor am I breeding to exact SOP. I really just wanted a blue egg layer and the roo to create some interesting EEs with my other breeds. Would it be a bad idea if I bred the 2 legbars to sell the eggs/chicks? A friend of mine who drove to the next state to get his, said he heard people tried to create their own legbars, thus creating the pink legs. Anybody else hear of this?

welcome to the thread. Your chook is pretty. Of course, you may do what ever you wish with your chickens. You may want to get to the bottom of if they are able to trace back to GFF or if they were someone's creation. The breed is very complex. Autosexing is the most important trait according to a survey we did a few years back, and you would want to be sure that your chicks are easy to autosex. That being said, you could sell them as Cream Legbars providing you give full disclosure, maybe even if your buyer doesn't ask. For pet quality blue-egg layers, people wouldn't care so much about yellow legs. But they should, as the ideal have yellow legs. :O) I have an Australian Cattle Dog (called Blue Heelers often) - and the breed standard is brown eyes. My dog has blue--- but she is so stellar -- that people would love to have her or a replica -- despite the non-standard eyes.

 

[tobit]

So so cute when they first crow--- I have had crowing in the brooder-box (thus less than 4-weeks old) -- I thought someone was hurt or in pain -- but no -- it is that squeak.  

Oh that is young!! At what age does their crow usually become a proper "crow"? Sadly I've not had the pleasure to see them crow - I've only heard them out of the bathroom window!

 

[ChicKat]

Oh that is young!! At what age does their crow usually become a proper "crow"? Sadly I've not had the pleasure to see them crow - I've only heard them out of the bathroom window!

You know what? By the time they have a big crow -- they are already outdoors for awhile -- and with quite a few males out there -- I haven't paid attention to that part of their growth.

 

[tobit]

You know what? By the time they have a big crow -- they are already outdoors for awhile -- and with quite a few males out there -- I haven't paid attention to that part of their growth.

Ah fair enough, I guess I'll just have to wait and see

They're now the same height as their "mom" when both stretch upwards at something, they've also all had a smooth transition from piling in a corner (with their mommy) - to roosting at night

I was just wondering, one cockerel and one pullet will be joining a group of 3 large fowl hens (2 pullets i bought as 25 week olds in spring, and one hen of around 3 years), what age do you reckon i can introduce them at?

 

[ChicKat]

Ah fair enough, I guess I'll just have to wait and see

They're now the same height as their "mom" when both stretch upwards at something, they've also all had a smooth transition from piling in a corner (with their mommy) - to roosting at night

I was just wondering, one cockerel and one pullet will be joining a group of 3 large fowl hens (2 pullets i bought as 25 week olds in spring, and one hen of around 3 years), what age do you reckon i can introduce them at?

How neat that they are big and roosting!

What a good question-- I hope some others will weigh in !! There are a lot of variables - the size of their coop, if they have room to 'escape' from being pushed around should the need arise) -- The disposition of the birds being combined, ages etc.

• Most of what I have heard is to let the littlest ones be nearly equal the size of the larger ones. about 16-weeks

• Also if they know each other well and are familiar to each other -- it is all easier.

• Another thing is the numbers -- if there are several being introduced - there is no focus on just one new comer.

some of my chicken introduction experiences -- I had a little pullet that was in with 3 males that hatched at the same time. I don't let males harass pullets. They weren't harassing her -- but I had a feeling that their combs were getting red pretty fast. I took her out of that pen and she spent a couple of days in a pet carrier, while the brooder chicks that were two months younger finished their 4th week in the brooder. Then I put everyone in a coop together at night. So she was hatched the end of April, and they were hatched the end of June. about 8-weeks apart -- big difference in size. Three of them and one of her. They are all happily in one pen together now -- there was never a squabble. It has been a month now and the little ones are gaining on her in size.

Other chickens - I let them see each other through wire runs, and eventually let them free range together (while I keep an eye on them) -- before putting everyone in the same pen -- so I take it really slowly -- and over a 3-weeks or so period of time. If they have been successfully free ranging together -- then I feel pretty comfortable about combining.

Other times -- I have put a stray hen or pullet in with others -- when there is a rooster---but they still were familiar with eachother through wire runs.

 

[JakesMama]

Are the cockerel and pullet related?

I guess you could sell the offspring as pet quality/non-show quality and stress that their legs are the wrong colour? I've bought mine (in the UK) from a breeder, who "says" his stock are top quality (didn't ask which lines, probably should have done) and his birds did look good, apart from the rooster's floppy comb...anyway, i have 2 pullets and 2 cockerels, both pullets have yellow legs, one cockerel pretty much white legs, and one cockerel in between (- at 6 weeks)! I was told that leg colour can change - the more grass they ate the yellower, although i do have my doubts about this! All my chicks are at least half  siblings. Just my experience with them!

I'm not sure if they're related, but it's very likely they are at least half siblings. I'll be sure to ask the breeder when I see her again. Is breeding siblings a bad thing? A friend who raises black copper marans always breeds the girls back to her main rooster, but never to their sibling roosters. I never did find out why :-/

welcome to the thread.  Your chook is pretty.   Of course, you may do what ever you wish with your chickens.  You may want to get to the bottom of if they are able to trace back to GFF or if they were someone's creation.  The breed is very complex.  Autosexing is the most important trait according to a survey we did a few years back, and you would want to be sure that your chicks are easy to autosex.  That being said, you could sell them as Cream Legbars providing you give full disclosure, maybe even if your buyer doesn't ask.  For pet quality blue-egg layers, people wouldn't care so much about yellow legs.  But they should, as the ideal have yellow legs.  :O)  I have an Australian Cattle Dog (called Blue Heelers often) - and the breed standard is brown eyes.  My dog has blue--- but she is so stellar -- that people would love to have her or a replica -- despite the non-standard eyes.   

I know what you mean about the breed standards for dogs, lol! My late dachshund was black and tan but he had white on his chest and was told it's a pretty big fault. They even said if he were to have pups, they couldn't be registered with the AKC. I was ok with it, he was the best dog I've ever owned
Most of the people I've talked to say they're really only into the blue eggs, but I'll definitely stress about the leg color. Both my cockerel and pullet had really good marking when they were younger, although they weren't tiny chicks when I got them I'd say they were about 4 weeks but I could still see the eyeliner/chipmunk markings and the spot on the roo's head. I'm still a few months away from breeding them, but I'll do a test hatch with friends before selling any chicks, lol! ;-)