The Legbar Thread!

[australorp]

sorry to hear that monkeypoop

 

[ChicKat]

One thing I have noticed about legbars, is that they eat less then my leghorns. Which is a nice thing with the price of feed going through the roof.

THAT'S an interesting insight...it forces me to ask, do they lay reciprocally fewer eggs?

According to Gail Damerow in Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens p. 214 - "a good feed conversion rate is 4 pounds of feed per dozen eggs"

The formula is to divide total amount of feed eaten within a given period of time by the number of eggs that the hen(s) produced in that time period. -- Seems like we are new enough to clb's here in the states that we are having a lot of flocks just now coming into lay. If they eat less and produce nearly the same -- they are phenomenal... I'm kind of thinking that I have heard that blue egg layers have a generally lower annual egg total. Gail Damerow also says that breeds designed for commercial egg production will outlay other breeds -- (of course).

 

[1muttsfan]

Weren't CL's developed originally to be a commercial egg layer of blue eggs that was autosexing? I wonder how much effort has been made to keep egg laying as an important selection trait - as opposed to just looks

 

[KPenley]

Weren't CL's developed originally to be a commercial egg layer of blue eggs that was autosexing? I wonder how much effort has been made to keep egg laying as an important selection trait - as opposed to just looks

It seems that in England there were two groups, layers and show birds. Here we're trying for both all rolled into one

I think the goal is 200+ eggs a year which is pretty good.

 

[ChicKat]

It seems that in England there were two groups, layers and show birds. Here we're trying for both all rolled into one

I think the goal is 200+ eggs a year which is pretty good.

Yes, I saw on Emily de Gray's site that people were neglecting the egg side of the equation -- and they were aiming for 180 eggs a year. When I first read that, I thought that was pretty low-- like an egg every-other-day average...but I was comparing everything in the world to my prolific golden sex-link.

Fast forward...I had my Cream Legbar hen go broody, and she raised her chicks to be tougher, and smarter, and better foragers (than the incubator chicks who were raised in a brooder)---she wouldn't let them go to the feed trough...she said: "go dig up your own grub kids, I'll show you how"... it was really interesting to watch. And so much less work for me... but then, with hen-raised, you don't get to go scoop up a chick in the brooder every time you get a chance...trade offs I guess.

Wondering how the broodiness fits the eggs per year equation, -- Ideally have some other hen raise the chicks? Hope that she only goes broody once per year or twice? -- (and that would cut her egg average down to 180 as being good; and 200 as being outstanding...right? )

I guess I would almost rather have fewer eggs per year...and a hen that will raise chicks for me. Here is where everyone will choose their own preferences for their flock -- I think 'heritage' birds require no incubation to be considered in the group..... (Just seeing so much I have to learn about CLBs and chickens --- it will never end.)

Also I have heard that the hen who is laying when the others have stopped (e.g. winter, depths of summer) will be the one to select eggs from to hatch because she will be the better layer.

 

[chichichickapea]

Found my head rooster dead today when I got home (Cream Legbar)....killed by our family dog. Found a dead guinea the end of last week and could not figure out what happened. I was in the coop Saturday and he snuck in past me and killed a 6 week old blue English Orpington and I caught him and now this. We only let them free range in the afternoon when we are home.....no more.

 

[chichichickapea]

I had 2 that I had got from Richard Jordan and they were beautiful birds. Just gave the other one away a month ago because I had so many roosters. I now have a 8 week old that I hatched from some of Richard's eggs when trying for a pullet...and just got 3 pullets from Bryce 3 or 4 weeks ago.....

 

[Flowerbh]

My son's girlfriend just ordered me some hatching eggs from Jordan's Farm! Not sure how many, but do know that I am getting some Cream Legbars and some Isbars! Should be here next week! Can't wait! They are my Christmas present! Yea!

 

[lonnyandrinda]

My son's girlfriend just ordered me some hatching eggs from Jordan's Farm! Not sure how many, but do know that I am getting some Cream Legbars and some Isbars! Should be here next week! Can't wait! They are my Christmas present! Yea!

Hooray! Congrats and welcome to the thread!

chichichickapea, I am SO sorry, that's awful. We had to get rid of a dog that wouldn't quit killing chickens, too. She got ahold of our first CL pair back in July by ripping INTO the coop during a thunderstorm. Just couldn't break her of it. We even resorted to the old timer's method of tying the dead chicken to her neck- she just ate it.

Keeping the dog and the chickens apart (especially since she was ripping INTO the closed up coop) was just too much for us. Hope you can figure out what will work for your situation.

Rinda

 

[Flowerbh]

Hooray! Congrats and welcome to the thread!

chichichickapea, I am SO sorry, that's awful. We had to get rid of a dog that wouldn't quit killing chickens, too. She got ahold of our first CL pair back in July by ripping INTO the coop during a thunderstorm. Just couldn't break her of it. We even resorted to the old timer's method of tying the dead chicken to her neck- she just ate it.

Keeping the dog and the chickens apart (especially since she was ripping INTO the closed up coop) was just too much for us. Hope you can figure out what will work for your situation.

Rinda

My small dog doesn't bother the chickens who are bigger than he is, but he likes to stalk the smaller chicks. Not sure what he would do with them if he got one....he is 13 and only has 5 teeth left in his head. Maybe gum them to death??? But so far he hasn't gotten any. So sorry about your dog and chickens. I would hate to have to get rid of any of my dogs.