The UK style leghorns look nothing like the Livorno (the original leghorns from Italy), the livorno, Dutch bred leghorns, and American bred leghorns all look similar, the UK birds have a pinched tail which is not desirable in any breeds here in the US other than cornish, modern games, and a couple of the other oriental/fighting style breeds. To me, birds with the pinched tails look sickly. While we were closing up at the show, I was able to talk to some old time breeders and judges and we all agreed on the tail issue. 2 of them have been to the big national show in the UK to see the real deal legbars and gave commentary on the whole thing. Plymouth rocks are also supposed to have more of a spread tail too and who knows what the original blue egg laying hen had. If I remember correctly, didn't they use Danish leghorns to make a line of legbars? Also, leghorns went to the UK from the US way back when, so to me it shows that the UK went way off on what they're supposed to look like when compared to all the other countries. If you look at it that way, the breeds that went into the legbar should have spread tails based on the country of origin. Since they didn't breed their breeds to have the tails like the country of origin, why should we breed for a pinched tail like they have when the judges I spoke with said they would prefer the spread tail?7-1/2 lbs...Wow, mine are around 4-1/2 lbs. The APA leghorn has a fanned-out tails, but have you looked at any of the Champion UK Leghorns? Their tail is NOT like the APA leghorn. They have a straight line from the tip of the tail down to the fluff of the hen.
Take a look. http://www.theleghornclub.com/
That is what some people in the UK tell me the Cream Legbar shape should be. This is another point that American Legbar breeders have to consider. Should the APA Cream Legbar have the Tail of an APA Leghorn, or the Tail of the PCGB Leghorn.
Not trying to start an argument or anything, just sharing my point of view on the whole thing.
