The Legbar Thread!

[KPenley]

No, I'd guess egg color and size are a line thing. My oldest girls lay the biggest eggs like you'd expect. The large eggs are the lightest, like you'd expect. Most of my greenest eggs happen at the start of the laying cycle, like pullet eggs, then as the brown is used up they get bluer and bluer. I have saved eggs, so hopefully I can keep track of egg colors and shapes as I define my lines.

 

[RobG7aChattTN]

Luckily I do have 6 other pullets from another source. They are Greenfire also but these are a mix of lines. Their crests are all over the map from almost zero to full bonnet. I would have been more than willing to keep to a more uniform look but I've never understood breeding beautiful birds that are practically infertile. Ultimately I feel that a chicken should be fertile first and egg/meat production should factor in at least as much as form. I have a friend that breeds beautiful Rhode Island Reds that are practically infertile and I have no interest in going down that road...at least not that far anyway.

 

[chicken pickin]

No, I'd guess egg color and size are a line thing. My oldest girls lay the biggest eggs like you'd expect. The large eggs are the lightest, like you'd expect. Most of my greenest eggs happen at the start of the laying cycle, like pullet eggs, then as the brown is used up they get bluer and bluer. I have saved eggs, so hopefully I can keep track of egg colors and shapes as I define my lines.

That is a good plan, to save the egg as reference for later. Im sure you blow them out but how do you store them to keep them intact? Also how often do you collect and save an egg from an individual hen?


Off topic sorry lol
Im thinking of banding all my legbars individual colors. I think for this upcoming year I will band each group one specific color. I plan on keeping 3 separate coops eventually to make 3 separate lines, each line will be a different color, and then their chicks will all be banded the same color during grow out. Im thinking my next plan once I start single mating is for each hen in that specific color group to get a second color band, all hens being a different color. So that way each chick can be marked the color of its father and the color of its mother. Im hoping I will be able to keep better record that way.

 

[KPenley]

Yes we blow the eggs out and write name, date first egg was laid, weight of egg, sometimes age of pullet right on the egg. I used to make them into ornaments but then some broke, so I'm rethinking storage options. I saved the first eggs of all breeders. It would be a good idea to save later eggs as well, even just as a comparison to how they change.

I like your banding thoughts. Toe web punching is easy too if you want a semi permanent way to mark lines. So far I've banded and mostly tracked by the roosters, but I think I want to add a quick glance hen reference too this year. Like rooster by toe punch, band on one foot for hen, and other foot for individual. By 24 weeks I don't need individual ID bands anymore because I've gotten to know the birds and done first culls by then. Hope your banding works well for you!

 

[KPenley]

BTW, before anyone thinks anything I do is the right way or anything, I'm learning just like the rest of us! I kind of feel like I'm doing things backwards. I can prep a bird for show. I can hatch and grow a bird to their best potential. But on the breeding side of things I'm still a newbie and have lots to learn! Please learn about the many different methods out there and do what works for you and your birds! Best wishes everybody!

 

[ChicKat]

BTW, before anyone thinks anything I do is the right way or anything, I'm learning just like the rest of us! I kind of feel like I'm doing things backwards. I can prep a bird for show. I can hatch and grow a bird to their best potential. But on the breeding side of things I'm still a newbie and have lots to learn! Please learn about the many different methods out there and do what works for you and your birds! Best wishes everybody!

Well I think everything you do is probably the right way. ;O)

Besides that it works for you.

I agree with both you and cp about banding....I guess as you get more serious you get more tools..... (need more too)

 

[ChicKat]

Luckily I do have 6 other pullets from another source. They are Greenfire also but these are a mix of lines. Their crests are all over the map from almost zero to full bonnet. I would have been more than willing to keep to a more uniform look but I've never understood breeding beautiful birds that are practically infertile. Ultimately I feel that a chicken should be fertile first and egg/meat production should factor in at least as much as form. I have a friend that breeds beautiful Rhode Island Reds that are practically infertile and I have no interest in going down that road...at least not that far anyway.

Hopefully there will be a LOT of matches to your philosophy as we raise Legbars!!! Can't be said enough that there is a purpose beyond just the looks of a chicken for most folks.

quoted this article in another thread for the breeding chart - but I subsequently went back and read this:

This mistake usually arises from overlooking the difference between show and utility strains of the same breed. Birds bred for one purpose are almost invariably inferior for the other, and this with no blame attachable to the breeder. It is the breeder's point of view or idea which does not coincide with that of the purchaser. Most farmers raise poultry for eggs or meat, or both. But even so it will always be safe in writing a breeder to determine as nearly as possible how his ideas of poultry-breeding approach one's own and thus narrow down as nearly to the right birds as possible. It must be recognized also that while the general purpose fowl is a universal desire, yet it has not been secured. By trying to combine show points, egg laying and meat qualities in the one bird an aspirant is almost sure to be disappointed in each direction.

According to what he said it's sort of like the one-size-fits-all actually fits none. Either the bird is 'utility' or it is 'show' and one end of the continuum is sacrificed - a show bird will be less productive, a production bird will be less showy. It more or less proves true in your experience with the friend who has beautiful RIR, in the huge popularity of all the bantam breeds, and in other examples where looks outweigh results.

One thing about Cream Legbars is that they have a unique appearance, thanks to the unusual crest and single comb combination, the recognizable pattern, and then the novelty of blue eggs. I hope that we keep the high egg production that the breed was developed for, obviously the utility of the autosexing - and that we don't get to the point where we are so immersed in the importance of the show world that we have to have "pullet-breeding lines" and "cockerel-breeding lines"...which with a breed that has sexual dimorphism is going to be one of the challenges.

Maybe this breed will break the rule and get close to being "the general purpose fowl:" --- both showable and useful. Out shown only by the egg-laying hybrids, and the Grandchampions that are only used for showing and not much else...but taking a big swath of the middle for a place where they excel.

ETA here is the article if anyone is interested.
http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/ppp/ppp6.html

 

[A6chickenhome]

Hi A6chickenhome, It is great that GFF will be working with you. Everyone who has CLs in the US basically traces back to them. Every time I have been in contact with Paul Bradshaw or Jenny - I am impressed by Greenfire farms. One way to insure genetic diversity is to keep good records. Even different people having CLs from GFF could have brothers/sisters -- or maybe more back in the early days. There can only be just so many breeding pairs at any one location. I think that my originals from GFF were not related, because I have had great success from the offspring of that pair. Then I looked around for some that were unlike mine.--for genetic diversity and to work on some of the things that my flock needs improvement in. Here's an example....Both my originals tend to have very upright tails, and the correct tail-angle is 45-degrees from horizontal for the male and even flatter than that for the female....so I saw on Craig's list a pullet with a fairly flat tail and bought her. Together with my rooster her off spring have a lower tail angle....She has traits I don't like -- but thus far - those haven't shown up in the chicks from that pairing (she has a crest that is larger than I like....) To make a long story short--- if they have a different look - there are probably underlying genetics that are causing it. What is funny too is that She tends to have a non-flopped comb -folded comb is allowed in females if it doesn't block their vision - but an advantage from using her is that my males from her have a bit smaller comb. Partly common sense and partly beginners luck. :O) Another source of good quality Cream Legbars is the Cream Legbar Club's members list, right on the website. Lots of "full" members have their contact information there, (associate members - no contact information). Anyone in the CL Club would probably be more than happy to talk about their flock - what are the strong points and what needs work - and what the background of their chickens is and how they maintain diversity. Now--- that being said -- I am beginning to understand that 'line breeding' is an important way to establish your flock - so careful line breeding is of value --(with the inbreeding coefficient in mind-and the related possible egg reduction and lower hatch rate - as I understand it from the above)--- I have a hen I wish I had a dozen just like her, so I bred her to her son -- and these son/grandson cockerels when they are grown could breed her and the resulting chicks should have 7/8 the same genetics as she has...which is about as close as I will get to having more of her most likely. HTH -- more than you ever wanted to hear....;O)

Thanks ChicKat, I did check out that CL club website. Thanks for all that great information about breeding!

 

[ChicKat]

Thanks ChicKat,

I did check out that CL club website. Thanks for all that great information about breeding!

If each of us knows a bit, tries something and shows the results -- learns and passes it on we will all gain insights. IMO there are zillions of pieces of the puzzle and we are all trying to fit them together. you are welcome for anything in the links etc. and any ideas that will help your success!!

 

[A6chickenhome]

If each of us knows a bit, tries something and shows the results -- learns and passes it on we will all gain insights.  IMO there are zillions of pieces of the puzzle and we are all trying to fit them together.  you are welcome for anything in the links etc. and any ideas that will help your success!!  

Absolutely! I have learned so much from the folks on this site, so thanks y'all!