The Legbar Thread!

[ChicKat]

This may not be the appropriate place to display these pictures as this is a project bird. But I was interested how closely his conformation is to the Legbar. The second picture is extremely flattering to him. From the front, he usually stands so that his legs look like they came out of the came place-- no space between the legs as the photo suggests. He has no chest. Will he fill out? He is 5 1/2 mos old and crazy and a tick. I'm debating whether to keep this bird or get a Legbar rooster to further my project. My inclination is to get a Legbar rooster as this one is incredibly wild. Thoughts? And yes, I want as much color as I can possibly get. Thanks.

Hi gootziecat,
you may want to also post in the hybrid thread, for more views-- but folks who hang out in this thread can give you some good ideas.

Age is a real factor. Nice yellow legs and beak. His coloration is what I consider Cream Legbar colored - and that is a topic that is discussable. I see a long back and long legs. When I have had that in cockerels here -- they turn out to be BIG guys. They go through the leggy phase and then they fill out and get really nice. I guess a bit like kids that go through a gawky period as teen-agers. The knock-kneed stance is sometimes tied to the growing -- and when they fill out their hocks naturally move farther apart. He had beard and muff right? The flighty, crazy, wild aspect would be something that you may want to keep out of your flock. I have one that had a crazy father -- that I used to say was evil I think I called him "Mr. Ugly" because of his disposition and crooked comb-- but his son here - this guy is actually not aggressive in the least. he is however nervous... I think that the chest will fill out with age....

Do you have access to CL roosters that would meet your goal? If they are readily available--- pick one up -- and wait another month or so with both of them around and decide then (nothing like putting off til tomorrow that which you could do today). I will be very interested in what others will have to say about him.

 

[gootziecat]

Thank you, ChickKat. I wasn't sure I was conveying well and you understood what sort of answers I was looking for. You know, it is so easy to judge a bird you have no connection to. It can be simple, cut and dry. But when you own it, you have all these things cluttering up your thoughts. Yes, he has a muff and beard and a b-I-g peacomb. The whole point of the project is a peacomb and small wattles, and of course, retain a large, blue colored egg on a auto sex bird. As to the wild temperament, I know better. I got wrapped around the autosex thing, not having a replacement. But a nice Legbar will work just fine, provided they have better temperaments. Is nervousness and flightiness often a trait of the Legbar breed?

 

[ChicKat]

Thank you, ChickKat. I wasn't sure I was conveying well and you understood what sort of answers I was looking for. You know, it is so easy to judge a bird you have no connection to. It can be simple, cut and dry. But when you own it, you have all these things cluttering up your thoughts. Yes, he has a muff and beard and a b-I-g peacomb. The whole point of the project is a peacomb and small wattles, and of course, retain a large, blue colored egg on a auto sex bird. As to the wild temperament, I know better. I got wrapped around the autosex thing, not having a replacement. But a nice Legbar will work just fine, provided they have better temperaments. Is nervousness and flightiness often a trait of the Legbar breed?

Know what? I rather wish that Punnett had kept Pea Comb in the breed rather than parse pea comb and blue egg gene apart.

first off -- I come from a perspective of livestock with registered Beefmaster cattle -- and I don't trust any breeding male....to my mind they are still beasts and they are unpredictable. (that includes chickens) -- so they can range from sweet to over protective to whacked out - I just don't trust them. My Isbar BTW, I do trust.... It could be different lines have different experiences, since all my males trace back to one male. Of them all there is one that is not friendly --but he is non-agressive.

Your project sounds so cool though - autosexing and pea comb and blue eggs!

 

[jerryse]

This may not be the appropriate place to display these pictures as this is a project bird. But I was interested how closely his conformation is to the Legbar. The second picture is extremely flattering to him. From the front, he usually stands so that his legs look like they came out of the came place-- no space between the legs as the photo suggests. He has no chest. Will he fill out? He is 5 1/2 mos old and crazy and a tick. I'm debating whether to keep this bird or get a Legbar rooster to further my project. My inclination is to get a Legbar rooster as this one is incredibly wild. Thoughts? And yes, I want as much color as I can possibly get. Thanks.

 

[ChicKat]

Not to hyjack the thread - but are the two of you working on the same thing?

 

[jerryse]

Not to hyjack the thread - but are the two of you working on the same thing?

Not really . This is just a starting point for me . I like the auto sexing but do not like frozen combs or crooked combs from the crest . I do not want to fuss with fellow Ameraucana breeders over leg color and the barring gene . So no silver crele Ameraucana . I feel any comb change on Legbar other than rose will not be well received . So I want a cushion or walnut comb on a crested and bearded yellow leg blue layer that is auto sexing . I want it based on Leghorn type for ease of adding Leghorn production when needed . Just a EE type . Not wanting to start a new breed just a production bred blue layer for the backyard layer flocks .

 

[henless]

I will say one thing about these Legbars, they sure do like to fly!



I noticed yesterday the older ones where having fun flying/jumping all over the roost. I guess they look at it like their jungle gym! LOL

 

[ChicKat]

 

[RobG7aChattTN]

My roo used to be cream...


They he turned a bit darker and some folks said that you never know their true coloring until they are over a year (but he was a bit over a year old).






But they he turned REALLY yellow...





But someone told me that they thought that it was just sun damage. It was still white under the gold.
Well, today I noticed that he is molting his neck feathers...




Unfortunately he's also getting a ton of white tail feathers, but I was worried that he wasn't really "cream" and now I guess he must really be cream after all.

 

[ChicKat]

My roo used to be cream...


They he turned a bit darker and some folks said that you never know their true coloring until they are over a year (but he was a bit over a year old).






But they he turned REALLY yellow...





But someone told me that they thought that it was just sun damage. It was still white under the gold.
Well, today I noticed that he is molting his neck feathers...




Unfortunately he's also getting a ton of white tail feathers, but I was worried that he wasn't really "cream" and now I guess he must really be cream after all.

Hi Rob,
Your story cracks me up -- because when I have told people that my CL (one of them) is like a kaleidoscope (as in always changing colors) -- they didn't 'get' it. Your photos are super examples. 18-months is when most chickens have their first molt.. So that is part of the story. It would be my surmise that the sun also has had a lot to do with his color changes....

Thanks for posting the great photos. ETA nice long back and tail angle in the second picture..nice comb and crest and nice yellow legs and beak. Immature CLs don't get the white tail feathers, and the mature ones loose them fairly regularly from my experience.