The Legbar Thread!

[ochochicas]

I moved them to a better pen for now. I did a count as I was moving them and found another couple bodies. I had 5 males but am left with the worst 2. For females I had 14 legbars but am down to 10, one is unable to use a leg so she may be culled and a couple others have cuts on the backs so I might just be left with 7 usable females. I also lost a pullet from my ambar x marans. I still have Ingrid my original hen and a couple of the best pullets but the males are not ideal. A local guy who got some of my stock last year has a nice looking cockerel available so I plan to get him.

Hopefully the hen with the injured leg is able to recover. I have a couple of hens that had serious leg injuries and couldn't walk. One learned how to walk and can even run now. She isn't as fast as the others, but she sticks close to the rooster and he seems to protect her from any "danger". The other hen was injured by our juvenile rooster and is still rehabilitating in the house. She couldn't walk at all for over a week, but is now standing and walking a bit on her own. Chickens can be pretty tough as long as the damage isn't too severe. Fingers are crossed for the injured girls.

 

[ochochicas]

Legbar question!

I have a huge flock that free ranges. 60+ birds. All different breeds. Bantam and LF. No aggression problems. Lately I've noticed 2 of my 3 Legbar pullets are being way over bred. I have a good roo/hen ratio, but there are a few girls my younger cockerels are favoring. Has anyone had this experience with their girls? Are they just a super submissive breed for the most part which is making them a target for the young boys to "practice"

on? My oldest Legbar hen looks totally fine, the two younger girls (6-7 months) are pretty much bald now and have been pulled to an all girl pen. I have a ton of pullets right now so they aren't the youngest or easiest targets. The cockerels are apparently doing the most damage to the two Legbars, two bantam Faverolles, and a mutt. I've tried hen vests, but most girls can't keep them on longer than a few days.

In my experience, it is an age thing. The older hens are larger and more confident fighting off the advances of the cockerels/roosters. The younger pullets don't have the know-how to defend themselves. My legbar hens are going on 2 years old and are quite aggressive. They will chase the roosters away and only let their favorite come close to them. Your two younger girls probably are easy targets for the boys. Maybe it is their size or their temperament. My legbars are the smallest hens in my pen (the smallest one is only 3 pounds).

 

[kmollyhughes]

In my experience, it is an age thing.  The older hens are larger and more confident fighting off the advances of the cockerels/roosters.  The younger pullets don't have the know-how to defend themselves.  My legbar hens are going on 2 years old and are quite aggressive.  They will chase the roosters away and only let their favorite come close to them.  Your two younger girls probably are easy targets for the boys.  Maybe it is their size or their temperament.  My legbars are the smallest hens in my pen (the smallest one is only 3 pounds).  

I was thinking that, but they aren't the youngest in my flock. I have Cochins, orpingtons, and silkies who are younger. Guess they aren't super aggressive yet. I'll just keep them in my all girl pen for a break and to feathers grow back in. Poor things. My Ameraucana and cochin cockerels definitely need a couple good pecks from my older girls. Lol They have no clue what they're doing. I only started with Legbars last year but have had many other breeds for years. Haven't had anyone singled out until lately as "favorites".

 

[ChicKat]

anyone have rees line breeding age yet?

Did you have some chicks, eggs or something that you were going to show us/discuss? You got me curious now.

 

[RobG7aChattTN]

Just hatched out my first three Cream Legbar chicks from my own birds. All three that made it to lockdown hatched! I got two cockerels and a pullet...but at least I got the one pullet. Strangely all the CL eggs for the next hatch candled clear but perhaps they were collected by my mom while my family and I were on vacation and they might have gotten chilled over night. These eggs were all from a brother-sister mating. I now have another, unrelated pullet laying and 5 more that should start soon as the unrelated 6 will be 6 months old at the end if this month.

 

[chicken pickin]

Just hatched out my first three Cream Legbar chicks from my own birds. All three that made it to lockdown hatched! I got two cockerels and a pullet...but at least I got the one pullet. Strangely all the CL eggs for the next hatch candled clear but perhaps they were collected by my mom while my family and I were on vacation and they might have gotten chilled over night. These eggs were all from a brother-sister mating. I now have another, unrelated pullet laying and 5 more that should start soon as the unrelated 6 will be 6 months old at the end if this month.

Congrats on the new chicks! I hope you get a chance to share some pics with us.

 

[RobG7aChattTN]

I put a a few wet chicks into the brooder and then removed the heat lamp to take a picture of the Cream Legbars and then realized that I had just removed the heat source from the wet chicks and quickly put it back. I'll take a picture tomorrow when they are all dry and fluffed up and can handle a few seconds with the lights removed.

 

[RobG7aChattTN]

All right...here are my newest Cream Legbars.

That's a pullet on the left and cockerels in the back and right.

 

[chicken pickin]

All right...here are my newest Cream Legbars.

That's a pullet on the left and cockerels in the back and right.

Beautiful CL chicks! Pullet is seemingly nicely marked and I like the male on the right (not that the other male isn't nice, just my preference of light downed males).

 

[ChicKat]

All right...here are my newest Cream Legbars.

That's a pullet on the left and cockerels in the back and right.

They are beautiful - thanks for posting~~