The Legbar Thread!

[ChicKat]

The lady that sold me the legbars said the hens are going on 2 years old and the rooster is 8 months. The are unrelated and came from different sources.
Here is a pic of him and a different hen. He is always very "upright" I think he feels threatened here by me, the cats, the livestock, etc. We've only had them for a month. They seem to be settling in nicely and I plan to move them into the coop with the flock next weekend. I'll get more pics of the hens after their feathers have grown back in.

Very nice hen in the picture too.... I think it is a trait of Legbar roosters to not be relaxed -- be sure to post your progress!!


Read in a book by Grant Brereton who is a UK poultry genetics expert that it is best to wait until the hens are 2-years old before using them for breeding (don't know any/many of us in the USA that could wait)--- one factor is that your hens will have longevity, and the other one is that they have gone through their first molt so you will know what they look like-- after molt -- both good factors.

 

[ochochicas]

Just yesterday I was reading about hatching eggs. Apparently the eggs from older hens are more difficult to hatch, but the resulting chicks will be stronger and hardier than chicks from younger hens. I stuck some eggs in the incubator from my 3 year old australorp. I didn't think they were fertile, but some of seem to be developing. I'll have to compare them to the other chicks (if they actually hatch) and see how the mature.

I have 3 Legbar hens, and they are all different. The rooster is about 5 pounds, and the largest hen is 4 pounds at the most. I should weigh them, but they are so skittish I think it would be hard for them to hold still long enough. Regardless of their size, they lay nice big eggs that average 68 grams in size. The hen in the pic is the lighter gray one, then there is a dark gray hen, and the last hen is medium gray but has lots of barring.

 

[ChicKat]

Just yesterday I was reading about hatching eggs. Apparently the eggs from older hens are more difficult to hatch, but the resulting chicks will be stronger and hardier than chicks from younger hens. I stuck some eggs in the incubator from my 3 year old australorp. I didn't think they were fertile, but some of seem to be developing. I'll have to compare them to the other chicks (if they actually hatch) and see how the mature.

I have 3 Legbar hens, and they are all different. The rooster is about 5 pounds, and the largest hen is 4 pounds at the most. I should weigh them, but they are so skittish I think it would be hard for them to hold still long enough. Regardless of their size, they lay nice big eggs that average 68 grams in size. The hen in the pic is the lighter gray one, then there is a dark gray hen, and the last hen is medium gray but has lots of barring.

Smallish hens that lay large eggs is a good thing to have too...... Can you tell from the eggs which hen lays which egg?

 

[ochochicas]

I do know which hen is laying the largest eggs; I put a leg band on her so I know who she is. The other two are molting (badly) and are not laying anymore. One of them laid a few eggs with no shell, but I'm not sure which of the two molting it was. In a few months we'll try to figure it out as they should be laying again after the first of the year.

Last weekend I set 8 legbar eggs in the incubator. Just candled them tonight and 6 of them are growing! I'm so excited!

On another note, my Legbar rooster may have redeemed himself today. (After coming at me twice he's been on the short list.) Two hawks came flying into the pasture today and he let off a warning call. All the hens and pullets went running for cover before the hawks even had a chance to get close to them. The hens are too big for a hawk to take, but the smaller pullets might be just the right size. Good Rooster!

 

[stryker]

On another note, my Legbar rooster may have redeemed himself today. (After coming at me twice he's been on the short list.) Two hawks came flying into the pasture today and he let off a warning call. All the hens and pullets went running for cover before the hawks even had a chance to get close to them. The hens are too big for a hawk to take, but the smaller pullets might be just the right size. Good Rooster!

That is good that he is protecting his hens...

 

[ChicKat]

I do know which hen is laying the largest eggs; I put a leg band on her so I know who she is. The other two are molting (badly) and are not laying anymore. One of them laid a few eggs with no shell, but I'm not sure which of the two molting it was. In a few months we'll try to figure it out as they should be laying again after the first of the year.

Last weekend I set 8 legbar eggs in the incubator. Just candled them tonight and 6 of them are growing! I'm so excited!

On another note, my Legbar rooster may have redeemed himself today. (After coming at me twice he's been on the short list.) Two hawks came flying into the pasture today and he let off a warning call. All the hens and pullets went running for cover before the hawks even had a chance to get close to them. The hens are too big for a hawk to take, but the smaller pullets might be just the right size. Good Rooster!

My rooster got - edgy and jumpy when there was a big predator -- one time it was a calf in the yard...it shouldn't have been inside the yard fence -- and somehow got out (and in) while we were away-- but left a calling card. I don't know that the rooster would know a calf would only be curious (and frankly scared of the chickens)--- but he was jumpy after that. Then when he passed 2-years old he became very attack prone.

SweetDreaming on here told us about how she used a squirt gun or a spray bottle. I kept a spray bottle -- just used plain water hooked on the fence just outside the door to the run. If he even looked at me funny, I would squirt him in the face--with plain water. At first it was so surprising to him -- and now - he really doesn't bother me -- or if he approaches me I just squirt the air or shake the bottle - and he changes his mind... I think it really has given him a total attitude adjustment - about approaching me. It isn't fun when - the rooster has the chicken keeper always on edge. -- Was just thinking about that the other day - how peaceful things are now-- and thinking I should thank SweetDreaming again.

 

[ChicKat]

Posted this one a long time ago and said I would update a picture when he was grown...

Quote:
Above My skinny Corrigan when he was all legs---(disproportionately so)-- I said I would post him as a grown up -- so here he is below at 1/2 year:




Tail still too high, wings tight, back longish--- comb fairly straight...his crest kind of splits and has some on the right side of the comb and some on the left side.... I am seeing this more in my flock -- maybe that is a way to keep a straight comb..... He ran away today into the woods...when he got away from me as I was weighing him - and luckily came back - or he would never be seen again...

Weighs 5.5 pounds ==after an illness that had him loosing a lot of weight...so I'm proud of his gain...lol.

 

[stryker]

It would be cool -- this was 30 legbars in an ordinary poultry show at the TX state fair in Dallas...... We all need to tote our chickens to shows - don't you think? LOL

I would agree because showing them is one way to get the breed out there and if we have birds that are "to standard" then we should show them instead of them never leaving the farm/coop.

 

[ChicKat]

I would agree because showing them is one way to get the breed out there and if we have birds that are "to standard" then we should show them instead of them never leaving the farm/coop.

Really true, if we wait until they are perfect it will be some time in the future before they are known.

 

[jfishdr]

I'd like to post some pictures of my start into crested cream legbars. Last year I bought some eggs locally and out of 6 hatched 1 rooster and one hen. Both made it to the 4 month mark and then died a day apart for unknown reasons.

I got eggs off e-bay this summer, one from marry-4-berry and the other set from warnerranch1. I hatched a total of 15: 9 roosters and 6 pullets. Here are some pictures. Several of the hens have huge crests so far. The roosters are all varied but 2 have small crests and straight combs so far so I am excited to grow them out and see how the color in.

One of the pullets has a very orange red neck, the others I am hoping are more cream. Comments appreciated.

Thanks, Reed


The bottom pullet looks more cream and the other more gold?

smaller crest, color?


gold vs cream?