The Legbar Thread!

[lonnyandrinda]

I have not heard of it; can you elaborate on this "Culling by Headpoints" method?

 

[GaryDean26]

I have not heard of it; can you elaborate on this "Culling by Headpoints" method?

Here is the culling by head points.

http://archive.org/stream/BreedingA.../BreedingCullingByHeadPoints#page/n1/mode/2up

I look for the set of the eyes. They should be set far back (around the middle of the comb, not the front of the comb), from the top of the head you should be able to see the eye protruding (not sunken in the skull like all the genetically depressed inbred hens), the beak should be short and level with the ground (not downward slanting or really long and curved). So basically your are looking for a strong balanced head.

Their is also something called that I think is caled the Hogan Method of Culling that involves measuring the width of the pelvic bones, the distance between the pelvic bones, and the distance from the end of the keel bone to the pelvic bones. It also can help you identify which hens have the potential to be better layers.

http://albc-usa.org/documents/ALBCchicken_assessment-2.pdf

The traditional culling involved cheching all the hens once a month starting the beginning of July untill the end of September to see who is laying and who is molting and how long everyones molt is .

http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/historicpublications/Pubs/SC216.pdf

 

[harriedhomemaker]

I'd like some input on crooked toes. When I received my CLs from GFF, they all had normal, healthy toes. As they have developed, more and more of my birds have gotten crooked toes. My best (and only true cream) pullet has two very crooked toes.





Hopefully the photo is good enough that you can see poor Galadriel's crooked toes. She can get around fine, it just isn't pretty.

Anyway, what are your thoughts about this? Is it likely to be hereditary? I will not sell hatching eggs (they are only 7 weeks old, so I have a while anyway!) until I have hatched out my own chicks and grow them out to see.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Here is the culling by head points. I look for the set of the eyes. They should be set far back (around the middle of the comb, not the front of the comb), from the top of the head you shuld be able to see the eye protruding (not sunken in the skull like all the genetically depesses inbread hens), the beak should be short and level with the ground (not downward slanting or really long and curved). So bacically your are looking for a strong balanced head.

http://archive.org/stream/BreedingA.../BreedingCullingByHeadPoints#page/n1/mode/2up

Their is also something called that I think is caled the Hogan Method of Culling that involves measuring the width of the pelvic bones, the distance between the pelvic bones, and the distance from the end of the keel bone to the pelvic bones. It also can help you identify which hens have the potential to be better layers.

http://albc-usa.org/documents/ALBCchicken_assessment-2.pdf

The traditional culling involved cheching all the hens once a month starting the beginning of July untill the end of September to see who is laying and who is molting and how long everyones molt is .

http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/historicpublications/Pubs/SC216.pdf

Thanks- I have bookmarked those for later reading! Very interesting!

I'd like some input on crooked toes. When I received my CLs from GFF, they all had normal, healthy toes. As they have developed, more and more of my birds have gotten crooked toes. My best (and only true cream) pullet has two very crooked toes.





Hopefully the photo is good enough that you can see poor Galadriel's crooked toes. She can get around fine, it just isn't pretty.

Anyway, what are your thoughts about this? Is it likely to be hereditary? I will not sell hatching eggs (they are only 7 weeks old, so I have a while anyway!) until I have hatched out my own chicks and grow them out to see.

From what I know, most people would say this is a genetic defect and will be hereditary, and would not breed from a bird with crooked toes. As small as our gene pool is though here in the US, personally I would probably go with your plan of breeding and raising offspring in the hopes to get some good offspring with straight toes.

 

[harriedhomemaker]

From what I know, most people would say this is a genetic defect and will be hereditary, and would not breed from a bird with crooked toes. As small as our gene pool is though here in the US, personally I would probably go with your plan of breeding and raising offspring in the hopes to get some good offspring with straight toes.

Nuts! So much for my plan to get rich quick from selling Cream Legbars!

 

[Habibs Hens]

not really been following this thread sorry

but for those that are interested

6 chicks hatched from Sue

3 pullets 3 cockerels all growing well now 5 weeks old

and 3 pullets from Jill Reese all growing well now 4 weeks old

Jill has allowed to visit here and have a cockerel that is unrelated to all 6 of my pullets so I can have a 6 / 1 pen running

I'm very excited as they are growing to be fine specimens of Cream Legbar

in January I will be getting a VET to verify my flock and then from there will be looking at EXPORT Licences
as long as all goes well

 

[graciesmum]

Here is the culling by head points.  I look for the set of the eyes.  They should be set far back (around the middle of the comb, not the front of the comb), from the top of the head you shuld be able to see the eye protruding (not sunken in the skull like all the genetically depesses inbread hens), the beak should be short and level with the ground (not downward slanting or really long and curved).   So bacically your are looking for a strong balanced head.

http://archive.org/stream/BreedingA.../BreedingCullingByHeadPoints#page/n1/mode/2up

Their is also something called that I think is caled the Hogan Method of Culling that involves measuring the width of the pelvic bones, the distance between the pelvic bones, and the distance from the end of the keel bone to the pelvic bones.  It also can help you identify which hens have the potential to be better layers.

[COLOR=005CB1]http://albc-usa.org/documents/ALBCchicken_assessment-2.pdf[/COLOR]

The traditional culling involved cheching all the hens once a month starting the beginning of July untill the end of September to see who is laying and who is molting and how long everyones molt is .

http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/historicpublications/Pubs/SC216.pdf

so does that mean you kill the ones that don't "look" right????

 

[blackbirds13]

I'd like some input on crooked toes. When I received my CLs from GFF, they all had normal, healthy toes. As they have developed, more and more of my birds have gotten crooked toes. My best (and only true cream) pullet has two very crooked toes.





Hopefully the photo is good enough that you can see poor Galadriel's crooked toes. She can get around fine, it just isn't pretty.

Anyway, what are your thoughts about this? Is it likely to be hereditary? I will not sell hatching eggs (they are only 7 weeks old, so I have a while anyway!) until I have hatched out my own chicks and grow them out to see.

It could be hereditary but there are many reasons for crooked toes that have to do with diet, incubation issues and hatching issues. I'd do as you say you intend to and hatch for yourself first and see, especially if she is your best girl. I did that with my crooked comb rooster that folks advised I not breed forward and got nice straight combs as well as floppy ones. I've had Ameraucanas with crooked toes that hatched perfect feet 90+% of the time. Even chicks from birds with perfect toes can occasionally have crooked toes.

 

[harriedhomemaker]

It could be hereditary but there are many reasons for crooked toes that have to do with diet, incubation issues and hatching issues. I'd do as you say you intend to and hatch for yourself first and see, especially if she is your best girl. I did that with my crooked comb rooster that folks advised I not breed forward and got nice straight combs as well as floppy ones. I've had Ameraucanas with crooked toes that hatched perfect feet 90+% of the time. Even chicks from birds with perfect toes can occasionally have crooked toes.

Thank you! I find it strange that I have so many birds with a crooked toe or two and no one else has reported that problem (to my knowledge, anyway) from GFF birds. Maybe the issue is with me rather than their heredity.

They have been fed the same chick starter/grower I always use. They did not get nearly as many treats as my previous batches of chicks and ducklings; they completely snub the plates of mashed hardboiled eggs and chopped greens I tried to give them. The brooder floor was covered with pine shavings, not wire. Due to juggling too many baby birds for my current facilities, my Legbars have not had as much room to roam as I have given my chicks in the past. I wonder if crowding and being a bit too sedentary could have something to do with the crooked toes. I am hoping and praying that we will be able to get my chicken palace built this fall so I will not have that problem any more.

 

[harriedhomemaker]

so does that mean you kill the ones that don't "look" right????

Culling doesn't always mean killing. In this instance, it is simply the process of selecting breeders that have the best traits (ie. conformation to breed standard, number of eggs laid, etc). I am currently in the process of culling birds from my flock of ducks that do not meet my breeding goals for next year, but they are being re-homed, not killed.