The Legbar Thread!

[ChicKat]

What do you think of this guy as a breeding rooster? Hatched July 1.Give me the good bad and the ugly. I can take it. To me hes quite smart looking but I still do not understand if more chesnut coloring is good or bad.Thanks I'm advance to the CL gurus!

What a nice cockerel. I love it when they are that age. Outstanding leg and beak color - comb looks straight. For the rest it's a bit early to tell....looks like he has a nice long back. So he is about 12-weeks?

Regarding the 'how-much-is-too-much" for chestnut, in general the favor leans toward very light cockerels. Lots of us don't want to go over the rim and have pure white-and-barred coloration on the cockerels and a number of others think of that as the ideal. I remember someplace where Punnett was quoted as saying that the cockerel was really a stunning bird - and I don't think that description (color-wise) would apply to the farthest end of the spectrum on light birds.. again that's my view - and you will certainly hear other viewpoints.

What we should be doing now, is paying a lot of attention to type, weight and disposition, health, vigor, fecundity and fertility -- color can be the icing on the cake.... Are you planning to put Cream Legbars in the show ring, or are you working to get the best birds that you can for your own satisfaction? That may determine what your highest priorities will be in your breeding program... Oh, and I still want to know how you got the picture of the horse in your avatar. :O)

 

[dretd]

Anyone have advice for introducing a post broody hen back to the flock?

Oh, I am so sorry to hear this. I hope she makes a full recovery!

I have had to re integrate hens before after pulling them for treatment when they were sick. I found it least stressful when I pulled out two of the hens from my flock and caged them to disrupt the pecking order when I put the convalescent one back with flock. You could alternatively put her back in that adjoining run (after she recovers) with one easy-going friend to build her self confidence. If she is fearful she will be picked on and she needs to stand up for herself.

I have a Salmon Faverolles who is socially awkward and prone to bullying. She panics when the other hens brush against her or peck her which only makes them pick on her more. She does better in a larger non-confined area but we we go on vacation I am forced to close the flock in. I put up lots of visual barriers that she can hide behind and get out of sight from the others. I use a hay bale and large pots (14 to 20 inch size or more) I pre-plant with treats, grouped together as a screen. It seems to help.

Good luck!

 

[Trish44]

What a nice cockerel. I love it when they are that age. Outstanding leg and beak color - comb looks straight. For the rest it's a bit early to tell....looks like he has a nice long back. So he is about 12-weeks?

Regarding the 'how-much-is-too-much" for chestnut, in general the favor leans toward very light cockerels. Lots of us don't want to go over the rim and have pure white-and-barred coloration on the cockerels and a number of others think of that as the ideal. I remember someplace where Punnett was quoted as saying that the cockerel was really a stunning bird - and I don't think that description (color-wise) would apply to the farthest end of the spectrum on light birds.. again that's my view - and you will certainly hear other viewpoints.

What we should be doing now, is paying a lot of attention to type, weight and disposition, health, vigor, fecundity and fertility -- color can be the icing on the cake.... Are you planning to put Cream Legbars in the show ring, or are you working to get the best birds that you can for your own satisfaction? That may determine what your highest priorities will be in your breeding program... Oh, and I still want to know how you got the picture of the horse in your avatar. :O)

I agree with you ChicKat on the coloring, I personally don't want to see us all breeding out all the coloring on the roosters that makes them special to their breed. Otherwise we just have a bird like any old Barred Rock or other barred bird. I think we can work on other characteristics in our breeding stock to improve them without taking away the only thing that makes them different & gives them character. I know others don't agree & that's fine, I think we all are entitled to our opinions.

On another note I just hatched a little male Cream Legbar chick the other day from some eggs I had shipped in, he was the only survivor. He's more on the silver range right now as a chick, he sure is pretty & I can't wait to see how he feathers out. I will have to get pics of him when I get time & the one in the growout pen also & see what you all think.

 

[horsedirt]

I plan for the shows. However I'm a total newbie. I don't know much about chicken s as I do horses but his leg color is the first positive I noticed even with my ignorance as far as chickens go. And just overall balance etc. Thanks so much!

 

[ChicKat]

horsedirt-- that is so great -- One of the things that the CL breed needs is to have participation in shows.

I forgot exactly what the requirements ARE -- but they are listed on one of the pages in the Club's website. (with a count-down to January of 2017--which is the earliest date that the Club can apply for APA acceptance...and I am so hoping that we can get lined up for that in advance....)

okay, I see you do dressage, so the horse is doing "airs above ground'. Link to the website is in my sig...and navigation bar is in cream at the upper left.

Everyone else -- any shows or county fairs etc. you are participating IN? Any insights, or remarks. Can't wait until people can give us feedback on that subject too.

 

[ChicKat]

I agree with you ChicKat on the coloring, I personally don't want to see us all breeding out all the coloring on the roosters that makes them special to their breed. Otherwise we just have a bird like any old Barred Rock or other barred bird. I think we can work on other characteristics in our breeding stock to improve them without taking away the only thing that makes them different & gives them character. I know others don't agree & that's fine, I think we all are entitled to our opinions.

On another note I just hatched a little male Cream Legbar chick the other day from some eggs I had shipped in, he was the only survivor. He's more on the silver range right now as a chick, he sure is pretty & I can't wait to see how he feathers out. I will have to get pics of him when I get time & the one in the growout pen also & see what you all think.

In the future, I picture this splendid bird with perfect type, nice feathering and etc. and plumage that is light - but highly distinctive with definite 'cream tips' or however Punnett stated it, on the hackles and saddles and a smidge of chestnut on the shoulders (the correct chicken term is not materializing in my brain at this moment) - and some teeeny tiny hints of chestnut at the very end of his crest feathers...but BEYOND that he will be such a beautiful, sassy, good tempered, glossy-feathered rooster-- that no one will even doubt that he won grandchampionship for his owner somewhere in the USA, one happy day.

Sometimes I see that in our cattle breed - and say: "Of course that one won grand champion!" --- No doubt. Of course too, that future day I see...it will be so difficult for the judges because there will be so many BEAUTIFUL roosters in the competition that they will really have to shave the points to find the best!

Overall, people on these forums are paying such close attention to, and working so diligently toward a high standard of roosters that I think that day will come -- at least in my lifetime....

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Anyone have advice for introducing a post broody hen back to the flock? I had Lucy right next to her original pen, in a broody/grow out pen for 6 weeks where everybody could see each other...so I thought it would be ok to put her right back in yesterday. Everyone was a little excited when she went in, but it seemed ok so I left her there after about 30 minutes. Last night I found her huddled behind the egg box like she was scared, and put her up on the roost. This morning she had almost decapitated herself trying to squeeze through a little fenced area, and her head and legs were bloody. I gently pulled her out, washed her up, and treated her wounds. She's in recovery now...but do you think she'll ever be able to go back to the pen? This is my first experience with a broody, but I have 2 others with eggs or chicks so I'm getting nervous about their reentry as well. TIA

Oh, I am so sorry to hear this. I hope she makes a full recovery!

I have had to re integrate hens before after pulling them for treatment when they were sick. I found it least stressful when I pulled out two of the hens from my flock and caged them to disrupt the pecking order when I put the convalescent one back with flock. You could alternatively put her back in that adjoining run (after she recovers) with one easy-going friend to build her self confidence. If she is fearful she will be picked on and she needs to stand up for herself.

I have a Salmon Faverolles who is socially awkward and prone to bullying. She panics when the other hens brush against her or peck her which only makes them pick on her more. She does better in a larger non-confined area but we we go on vacation I am forced to close the flock in. I put up lots of visual barriers that she can hide behind and get out of sight from the others. I use a hay bale and large pots (14 to 20 inch size or more) I pre-plant with treats, grouped together as a screen. It seems to help.

Good luck!

Good ideas dretd. I agree with removing one or two hens, preferably ones at the top of the pecking order if you know who they are. Also it sounds like you just popped her in one day. Not good. Always integrate/re-integrate at night while everyone is sleeping on the roost. Most often they wake up the next morning and are like, "Oh, hi, were you here last night? I guess so!" DEFINITELY let her recover and heal for a few days before you try again.

 

[Runawaylobster]

Quote:
ditto... I always mess with the pecking order and that seems to make things very flexible. things like, integrating a bunch of girls all at once, or putting everyone in a different pen, or taking some from the old pen and mixing them with the new girl and then putting all of them back.. Just this last week I took two batches of chicks one batch 6 weeks old, and one 8 weeks old and put them together in an entirely different pen, they are doing fine except for the odd squabble that is normal..

 

[KPenley]

Thanks for all of the advice. Yeah, I put her in by herself...but like I said they could see each other and "talk" for weeks, and Lucy used to be the top hen...so I didn't think there would be much of an issue. Lesson learned!

I've actually had great experience with sectioning off one area and using it as an introduction space...ie they can see each other but not attack. And then one day I just leave the door open and they intermix when ready. Usually Grey protects new girls, who have all been juvenile pullets until now, by running circles around them...but not this time. Thanks again everybody!

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

I'll be showing a legbar at a show in Montana next weekend. Thought I had a single comb bird ready but she doesn't look as good as I'd hoped so it looks like a rose combed pullet will take her place since she has better color and type. I figure I'll take a copy of the working standard but need to figure out wording for the rose comb...
The show on the coast I will take a pair of single comb legbars