The Legbar Thread!

[ChicKat]

Re lethal traits - there are multiple genes contributing to crest.

The crest interferes with the sutures in the skull and can change the shape of the skull - or even leave a defect (as in silkies). It could be that if too many genetic influences for a large crest could cause a lethal deformity and reduced hatch rate in these chicks.

With swedish flower hens it is il-advised to breed crested to crested as if will produce a huge crest and I believe lead to a reduced hatch rate for this reason. I certainly used to have some dead in shell when I was hatching the swedish flower hens. The same goes for silkies.

That said I have no problem at all getting CL eggs to hatch, and very very rarely have a dead in shell. But then my birds have normal sized crests- not huge or tiny (and I have an idiot-proof bator).

Phage,

thanks for the insight... someone who hatched from eggs I shipped - had a domed skull female. Another person found incomplete skulls in eggtopsey. I think I may have a female here with recessive domed skull -- that when line bred will produce skull problems -- I guess it is time to check her into the "eggs only" squad and eliminate her from breeding.

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

Figured I'd pop in for an update. So far even under 2 months old I have culled based on combs and crest size quite a bit. My rose comb grow outs are doing great and just had a huge batch hatch this weekend. Lots of autosexing EE chicks and some other legbar related project birds are hatching. And forthe first time since getting legbars, I have decided to introduce new bloodlines. I have eggs from a fellow member to add more cream and better body to mine and also did a swap with another breeder who is working on her own line of rose combed legbars. My goal is to hatch about 40 obvious defect free legbars to select my breeders from.

 

[sweetdreaming]

A pic of my still-favorite roo from my first hatch of Jill Rees roo x my hens. 13 weeks. A little spotty on his earlobes. Comb actually getting more straight. He's not real big, tho, and I'm hoping his tail doesn't get any higher..... What do ya'll think?

Now here's something weird: THIS roo is a hatch-mate of the first roo. Another one of my "keepers" out of the 8 roos I hatched. Same sire, prob different mother. And, aside from color, was developing very similar to 1st roo until recently. He's now bigger, fatter and has no earlobes. And his comb seems to hv stopped developing. He is learning to crow, tho, just like the first roo. Think he might be a cryptorchid or ???

 

[ChicKat]

Hi Sweetdreaming,

Is your earlobe-less cockerel deaf? I wonder if he were paired with a hen -- the offspring would have smaller combs. I would sure like to see some comb reduction and wattle reduction -- just for my ideal aesthetic.

Thanks for posting. My roosters seem to get lower tail angles as they get older -- hope your favorite will too.

 

[sweetdreaming]

Hi Sweetdreaming,

Is your earlobe-less cockerel deaf?  I wonder if he were paired with a hen -- the offspring would have smaller combs.  I would sure like to see some comb reduction and wattle reduction -- just for my ideal aesthetic.  

Thanks for posting.  My roosters seem to get lower tail angles as they get older -- hope your favorite will too. 

Wow, I just hung out w/ them a bit... I can't tell if he responds to me or just gets que's from the rest of the group. I'm not going to keep him, I don't like his chestnut saddle and he's a bit "washed out". There are already too many flaws to deal with, without addressing his lobe-less-ness!

I hope you're right about tail angles, I've kind of found the opposite to be true in my limited experience. It sure has been interesting to watch these babies grow and change, tho!! Thanks, ChicKat!

 

[ochochicas]

Now I want some some British standard Araucanas with a crest! LOL They are super cute. I'm hatching some Araucana eggs that are crossed with my legbar/ameraucana rooster. A crested, rumpless blue-egg layer would be my dream bird.

 

[Frenchcuffs13]

Now I want some some British standard Araucanas with a crest! LOL They are super cute. I'm hatching some Araucana eggs that are crossed with my legbar/ameraucana rooster. A crested, rumpless blue-egg layer would be my dream bird.

OH that would be wonderful!

 

[Frenchcuffs13]

Need opinions please-Thanks!
Bumble Bee is 4 months old today.

 

[ChicKat]

Need opinions please-Thanks!
Bumble Bee is 4 months old today.

Happy Birthday to Bumble Bee - what a pretty chick -- Because she has that rich hackle color - this used to be the kind of chick that people dubbed as 'gold' -- however, because of the cool gray in her back - I think her back feathers indicate that she is cream. I suspect her hackles will lighten as she gets older...and on my screen her hackles would look the color of pale butter. Pretty chick! What is the source?

 

[Frenchcuffs13]

Happy Birthday to Bumble Bee - what a pretty chick -- Because she has that rich hackle color - this used to be the kind of chick that people dubbed as 'gold' -- however, because of the cool gray in her back - I think her back feathers indicate that she is cream. I suspect her hackles will lighten as she gets older...and on my screen her hackles would look the color of pale butter. Pretty chick! What is the source?

Thanks for the opinion! I got her from Baxter Barn- I think his source is ideal, but not sure where he got the CL's from. I think her tail is a bit high? But we did get her for eggs, not showing. I have thought of taking her to a show just to represent the breed with no intention of winning anything.