The Legbar Thread!

[otakalhasas]

I'm pretty new to chickens (have a small flock of 5 - Black Australorp, Barred Rock, Red Comet and 2 EEs) and I got them when they were about 8-10 weeks old. Any idea how long it will take your Legbars to be ready for an outside coop? I'm in central NC, so we do run colder than N. Florida, I'm just wondering if it would be better to wait until Spring?????

Geeze, it is a good thing I'm not in driving distance of GFF - we only have an acre to work with!!!!!!

 

[Red Banks]

I'm pretty new to chickens (have a small flock of 5 - Black Australorp, Barred Rock, Red Comet and 2 EEs) and I got them when they were about 8-10 weeks old. Any idea how long it will take your Legbars to be ready for an outside coop? I'm in central NC, so we do run colder than N. Florida, I'm just wondering if it would be better to wait until Spring?????

Geeze, it is a good thing I'm not in driving distance of GFF - we only have an acre to work with!!!!!!

Laughing..... I need to quit thinking about MORE! I had 21 when I got these 17 CCL. I am new to chickens too. I will just have to wait to see what the weather does. I am going to build another coop for my flock outside. I have young chickens all under 5 months. I mingled two flocks, 9 Ameraucanas and 4 BCMs. When that worked.... I took the 9 other very young Marans I had in the house and let them free range around a little portable chicken run out in the yard. The older chickens got used to them. That led pretty quick to them roosting in the coop with the older chickens. They free range all day and everyday I see them mingling more. I was so afraid I wasn't going to be able to merge what are technically four different groups of birds. Rather long winded! So back to your question. They will be in a coop way before spring! I love seeing them all out in the yard.

 

[otakalhasas]

Good to know! I did order another Omlet fence so that when the time comes, I can let them get to know each other gradually. And I've been on the hunt for a separate coop, but I think I'll have to rig up a large dog crate I've got as a temporary coop just to keep the peace. And, yes, I love watching my five come out of their yard and free range!

 

[Red Banks]

Good to know! I did order another Omlet fence so that when the time comes, I can let them get to know each other gradually. And I've been on the hunt for a separate coop, but I think I'll have to rig up a large dog crate I've got as a temporary coop just to keep the peace. And, yes, I love watching my five come out of their yard and free range!

When I first started I bought these little runs made by precision pet. Those are what I use in the house and outside with new/very young chicks. So far..... the last group of Marans are my favorites. I have one mystery chicken that I think is an Araucana. She is a loner and very brave. I am looking forward to the CCL. Dog crate will work. Looking forward to hearing how things go.

 

[Rubydee]

I just purchased this pair of cream legbars last weekend (they were hatched this last spring) the female does not have a crest, is this common?

 

[Rubydee]

Maybe this is a better pic

 

[ChickaLong]

Rubydee
I just purchased this pair of cream legbars last weekend (they were hatched this last spring) the female does not have a crest, is this common?

I am new to this. I understand there are crested and non crested. I see breeders say that they breed crested to non crested or visa versa. There seems to be a skull (sunken skull I think) problem breeding crested to crested. Maybe someone with experience can chime in. I do not know what the proposed standard is.

 

[ChicKat]

I just purchased this pair of cream legbars last weekend (they were hatched this last spring) the female does not have a crest, is this common?

Rubydee
I just purchased this pair of cream legbars last weekend (they were hatched this last spring) the female does not have a crest, is this common?

I am new to this. I understand there are crested and non crested. I see breeders say that they breed crested to non crested or visa versa. There seems to be a skull (sunken skull I think) problem breeding crested to crested. Maybe someone with experience can chime in. I do not know what the proposed standard is.

a crest is required equipment for a Cream Legbar.

Actually the skull of a Cream Legbar is smooth and neither sunken nor protruding as many crested breeds, such as Polish have.


Cream Legbar Rooster Skull - kk

For more good, up-to-date and accurate information - check the website of the Cream Legbar Club --- www.CreamLegbarClub.com -- there you will find pictures of CLs, you will find the description of the correct appearance (Standard of Perfection) -- and lots of information about the breed and the Club. You may also want to check the buyer's guide check list and the Breed Guide whenever you venture forth to find more CLs to add to your flock.

In the meantime -- congratulations on getting Cream Legbars. If you have some that lack crests, I would recommend that you do not use that individual for breeding.

ETA - typo's ?? me? LOL

 

[ChickaLong]

a crest is required equipment for a Cream Legbar.

Actually the skull of a Cream Legbar is smooth and neither sunken nor protruding as many crested breeds, such as Polish have.


Cream Legbar Rooster Skull - kk

For more good, uptodate and accurate informatin - check the website of the Cream Legbar Club --- www.CreamLegbarClub.com -- there you will find pictures of CLs, you will find the description of the correct appearance (Standard of Perfection) -- and lots of information about the breed and the Club. You may also want to check the buyer's guide check list and the Breed Guide whenever you venture forth to find more CLs to add to your flock.

In the meantime -- congratulations on getting Cream Legbars. If you have some that lack crests, I would recommend that you do not use that individual for breeding.

Thank You, I see the crest is required. Any statics on the % that hatch being non crested?

 

[ChicKat]

Thank You, I see the crest is required. Any statics on the % that hatch being non crested?

That is such a good question !! And one of the reasons that breeding non-crested is detrimental to the breed. You can see from the SOP that lack of crest is a disqualification in the show world.

Two non-crested birds will produce 100% non-crested offspring. One non-crested bird paired with a CL that has two Cresting genes (Cr/Cr) and is homozygous for cresting would produce ALL offspring with 1 cresting gene and one non-cresting gene -- heterozygous for cresting.

The cresting gene (Cr) is incompletely dominant. That means that if only one Cr gene is present the other gene on that place holder non-crested (cr) will have some influence on the crest. -- So a CL with an extremely teeny crest would still be considered a CL -- but could pass to progeny the one non-cresting gene it carries. IF you pair two that are split (heterozygous) for cresting - (gene symbol Cr/cr) -- according to Punnett's square 25% of their offspring will be non-crested. Two heterozygous for cresting birds would have 50% of their offspring with only one cresting gene -- and thus non-crestedness could be carried into the future by 75% of the chicks from a pair that is heterozygous for the correct genetic recipe. Only 25% of the chicks from such a pairing would have both of the genes for cresting - be homozygous Cr/Cr.

Although a very nice chicken and good egg layer -- the above chicken is suspected of having only one cresting gene... she is also very cinnamon - burnt-orange colored on her back and top wing feathers, so she is probably lacking the ig - gold dilution genetic pair.


This pullett - has a normal -- but not too IMO bouffant cest for a Cream Legbar....


Genetic experts - please weigh in if there is a better way to describe it. Thanks!