The Legbar Thread!

[tobit]

How neat that they are big and roosting!

What a good question-- I hope some others will weigh in !! There are a lot of variables - the size of their coop, if they have room to 'escape' from being pushed around should the need arise) -- The disposition of the birds being combined, ages etc.

• Most of what I have heard is to let the littlest ones be nearly equal the size of the larger ones. about 16-weeks

• Also if they know each other well and are familiar to each other -- it is all easier.

• Another thing is the numbers -- if there are several being introduced - there is no focus on just one new comer.

some of my chicken introduction experiences -- I had a little pullet that was in with 3 males that hatched at the same time. I don't let males harass pullets. They weren't harassing her -- but I had a feeling that their combs were getting red pretty fast. I took her out of that pen and she spent a couple of days in a pet carrier, while the brooder chicks that were two months younger finished their 4th week in the brooder. Then I put everyone in a coop together at night. So she was hatched the end of April, and they were hatched the end of June. about 8-weeks apart -- big difference in size. Three of them and one of her. They are all happily in one pen together now -- there was never a squabble. It has been a month now and the little ones are gaining on her in size.

Other chickens - I let them see each other through wire runs, and eventually let them free range together (while I keep an eye on them) -- before putting everyone in the same pen -- so I take it really slowly -- and over a 3-weeks or so period of time. If they have been successfully free ranging together -- then I feel pretty comfortable about combining.

Other times -- I have put a stray hen or pullet in with others -- when there is a rooster---but they still were familiar with eachother through wire runs.

Thank you so much! At the moment the chicks free range in the garden when i can supervise them so a few hours a day, they can see their big future coop-mates through the fence, the big hens seem fairly interested in them and will try to peck them through the gaps in the gate when the youngsters get too cocky! - they also peck my wyandotte bantams when i feed both groups an apple core at the fence...

I can let the 3 hens/pullets free range but only for short periods else they will destroy our garden, they normally chill in their run, which is not tooo big, sadly the broody is from the bantam group and not the large fowl flock, so she is not in any sort of pecking order with the large fowl hens, making things a lot more complicated - as she has been very feisty (and still is) defending the chicks against my wyandotte bantams that are larger than her!

Is the situation different due to there being a cockerel and 1 pullet introduced - instead of just 2 pullets?

Thanks for the reply ChicKat, much appreciated

 

[tobit]

I'm not sure if they're related, but it's very likely they are at least half siblings. I'll be sure to ask the breeder when I see her again. Is breeding siblings a bad thing? A friend who raises black copper marans always breeds the girls back to her main rooster, but never to their sibling roosters. I never did find out why :-/

I would try not to breed them if possible, do you have the possibility to get cream legbars from another line? The breeder i bought my chicks from said not to breed brother to sister, but breeding back to parents is okay - I find this very odd as daughter-father/son-mother have the same degree of inbreeding as brother-sister! Maybe i'm overseeing something but... they each have half the genetic material to their pairing. I dont know - I'm not a breeder

 

[ChicKat]

Is the situation different due to there being a cockerel and 1 pullet introduced - instead of just 2 pullets?

Thanks for the reply ChicKat, much appreciated

It could be just perceptual -- but a cock-bird (mature) with the hens seems to change the dynamic of who's in charge. It all varies so much with the individual chickens, the space etc. My first chickens - I purchased two POL pullets and then at the last minute added an older hen. The three didn't get along at first -- and it seemed that the older hen was 'guarding' the feed from the pullets. When I put in two feeding stations there were no squabbles -- the guard could either be at one or the other. AS the years went by -- they became best buddies and I can still picture them all sharing a dust bath together...and chatting.

 

[tobit]

It could be just perceptual -- but a cock-bird (mature) with the hens seems to change the dynamic of who's in charge. It all varies so much with the individual chickens, the space etc. My first chickens - I purchased two POL pullets and then at the last minute added an older hen. The three didn't get along at first -- and it seemed that the older hen was 'guarding' the feed from the pullets. When I put in two feeding stations there were no squabbles -- the guard could either be at one or the other. AS the years went by -- they became best buddies and I can still picture them all sharing a dust bath together...and chatting.

Yes I guess that's true! That's cute, our current 3 large fowl hens consisted of 2 older hens to which we added 2 new POL pullets (one is half way between bantam and large fowl in size and the other is a welsummer) in a pretty small run, at first the new pullets always stayed up high on the outdoor perch and the roof of the mini coop that is in the run, but now after 1 older hen died the 3 get on really well.

I guess only time will tell, maybe I will let the large fowl hens roam in the garden for a bit with the broody and chicks, they chicks are pretty fast now and im sure they could avoid the large fowl hens if worst comes to worst.

 

[ChicKat]

Yes I guess that's true! That's cute, our current 3 large fowl hens consisted of 2 older hens to which we added 2 new POL pullets (one is half way between bantam and large fowl in size and the other is a welsummer) in a pretty small run, at first the new pullets always stayed up high on the outdoor perch and the roof of the mini coop that is in the run, but now after 1 older hen died the 3 get on really well.

I guess only time will tell, maybe I will let the large fowl hens roam in the garden for a bit with the broody and chicks, they chicks are pretty fast now and im sure they could avoid the large fowl hens if worst comes to worst.

That makes sense..... at the point when the two groups just kind of ignore each other--- I think that you can combine. ;O) Taking your time and going slowly seems to be the 'secret' -- Best of luck with it -- and, of course - report back when you have them in 'one big happy family'. It's just a matter of time.

 

[tobit]

That makes sense..... at the point when the two groups just kind of ignore each other--- I think that you can combine. ;O) Taking your time and going slowly seems to be the 'secret' -- Best of luck with it -- and, of course - report back when you have them in 'one big happy family'. It's just a matter of time.

I will do! I'll have to let them out when someone else is at home with me - as "back up" if I need to round up the big hens if they're being too naughty

Also I was just wondering, as a cream legbar breeder, how many cream legbars do you have?

 

[ChicKat]

I will do! I'll have to let them out when someone else is at home with me - as "back up" if I need to round up the big hens if they're being too naughty

Also I was just wondering, as a cream legbar breeder, how many cream legbars do you have?

I try to keep my total chicken population at 16 - because that is most comfortable for me. I also keep Blue Isbars and wouldn't be without them. So I just processed 3 cockerels which took me from 19 to sixteen. I have 3 Blue Isbars -- 2 hens and a rooster. -- the other 13 are CLs.

My style is very 'boutique'-y (aka small) - I have 7 coops occupied right now -- one just emptied of cockerels and one under-construction. Two are Eglu Classics -- with attached wire run. Very compact... I kind of call those 'tractors'.

In two pens I have lone males -- in one I have 3 8-week olds and a 16-week old pullet. In one I have 3 females, in another one 2 females...and in one Eglu I have a rooster and two hens. (They seem fine in there BTW - although it theroy it is small) -- So multiple pens - I alwasy want to know the exact parentage of chicks hatched here.

Molt is happening to the two lone males and three CL females. One isn't a breeder because I think she only has one cresting gene. I'm getting only 5-eggs a day now (give or take - some days fewer)---

I think I will probably do a hatch before too long---so all the numbers will change. It is hard to know how many chickens you have. I think that the 16-week old pullet will start laying around October -- but the 8-week olds..... they may just wait until Spring to start.

 

[chicken pickin]

I try to keep my total chicken population at 16 - because that is most comfortable for me. I also keep Blue Isbars and wouldn't be without them. So I just processed 3 cockerels which took me from 19 to sixteen. I have 3 Blue Isbars -- 2 hens and a rooster. -- the other 13 are CLs.

My style is very 'boutique'-y (aka small) - I have 7 coops occupied right now -- one just emptied of cockerels and one under-construction. Two are Eglu Classics -- with attached wire run. Very compact... I kind of call those 'tractors'.

In two pens I have lone males -- in one I have 3 8-week olds and a 16-week old pullet. In one I have 3 females, in another one 2 females...and in one Eglu I have a rooster and two hens. (They seem fine in there BTW - although it theroy it is small) -- So multiple pens - I alwasy want to know the exact parentage of chicks hatched here.

Molt is happening to the two lone males and three CL females. One isn't a breeder because I think she only has one cresting gene. I'm getting only 5-eggs a day now (give or take - some days fewer)---

I think I will probably do a hatch before too long---so all the numbers will change. It is hard to know how many chickens you have. I think that the 16-week old pullet will start laying around October -- but the 8-week olds..... they may just wait until Spring to start.

Sounds like you have a good setup, and so smart of you to keep your numbers down. I need to rethink my setup and get my numbers WAY down lol. I just love chickens so much I tend to keep many around, I enjoy then immensely. I currently have about 60-65 chickens I would like to try to cut that total number in half before winter. About 19 of them are CL, 1 cock, 3 cockerels, 6 hens, and 9 pullets.

 

[ChicKat]

Y'know -- sometimes less is more -- but you have such gorgeous chickens -- you are required to keep 'em all. You're supplying eggs to people too aren't you? So you NEED more chickens.

When I was up to 30-something - it wasn't as enjoyable....and that included some old ones. I've had predators get some and several deaths this year..so my number is surprisingly low. Now I try to have a home lined up for chicks before I even put eggs in incubator.

One thing: I do have too many roosters. I would like to get rid of one -- and combine some families to simplify things even more. Trouble is -- there are genetic qualities in each of them that have something I want to replicate. Years in the future, it will all even out.

I suppose at a minimum one rooster and his backup would be required.

 

[chicken pickin]

Y'know -- sometimes less is more -- but you have such gorgeous chickens -- you are required to keep 'em all. You're supplying eggs to people too aren't you? So you NEED more chickens.

When I was up to 30-something - it wasn't as enjoyable....and that included some old ones. I've had predators get some and several deaths this year..so my number is surprisingly low. Now I try to have a home lined up for chicks before I even put eggs in incubator.

One thing: I do have too many roosters. I would like to get rid of one -- and combine some families to simplify things even more. Trouble is -- there are genetic qualities in each of them that have something I want to replicate. Years in the future, it will all even out.

I suppose at a minimum one rooster and his backup would be required.

Many of the chickens I have are just for eggs, they are of different breeds, just for the variety in chickens and in egg color. And my kids like Silkies so I have some of those for them for "pets".

For my CL I would like to cut the 19 down to about 6 of what I consider my best, 1 male and maybe 5 females, maybe only 4 even. For me Its deciding which females to move forward with the best male that is tough.

You are absolutely right that Less is definitely more.