The Legbar Thread!

[GaryDean26]

I didn't veto anything. I agree that we should breed towards only blue eggs from our CCLs. I was only pointing out that we are not starting with only blue eggs.

Okay, I with you on this one then.

 

[GaryDean26]

Crooked Combs -

The poster boy cock on greenfire farms website definately has a crooked comb. One of my boys started growing a crooked comb at the base. We noticed this at about 5-6 week old. Looking at it from the top it looks like the shape of a cresent moon. I assume that when fully grown this type of comb takes the form of the Green Fire Farm poster boy cock.

As greenfire farm quickly pointed out, these roos were selected for vigor and health, not for show quality. Those of us who have the goal to breed to the UK standard (give or take a little) will have to breed out the crooked combs and straight combs that are too large and flop over. The floppy combs are easier to fix. Breed those boys back to the hens with the smallest combs. The crooked combs are a different animal. Since they are listed as a defect in the UK standard I assume they are a resesive gene. If that is the case for them to be maifested the cock has to have the crooked comb type from both his dame and his sire. Breeding a crooked comb cock to a hen without the gene would result in 100% straight combs in the first cross, but all of the offspring would be carriers. Breeding a crooked comb cock to a hen that is a carrier would result in 50% straight combs and 50% crooked combs...well you guys can run the punnett squares for the all the senerios assuming it is resesive, dominante, etc., but breeding it out is a tough job (especially since 50% of the Greenfire line hens likly have the gene from their foundation cock). The quickest road to recovery would be to only breed straight comb cocks.

It is up to the individual wether they breed for one a single type (i.e. egg color, production, feather color, health) or choose to breed to a full standard.

If they arn't breeding for show, then a crooked comb isn't that big of a deal since it isn't an indicator or any genetic deficencies (but as for me we are and my house we will breed for staight combs).

 

[cjwaldon]

This thread is get getting really interesting. Keep posting GaryDean!

 

[cjwaldon]

May I suggest when we get our color cards printed, that we increase the size of the color samples. On my Ameraucana egg color chart the indivicual samples are IMHO a wee bit small to get a good visual of the color. Having these samples adjacent to each other with no separation doesn't help. Perhaps adding black borders around the samples to isolate the colors? I would even be willing to go with a totally different design all together. What do you think about printing the color samples on individual cards, similar to the paint swatch cards, and having a set of cards hole punched and put on a O ring or D ring. I know it would cost more. Let's brainstorm and come up with some ideas to make color matching easier for our old eyes, and come up with something uniquely ours, and not just a copy of what's already out there.

 

[roncrna]

So it sounds like all of us have birds that are at least carriers of the floppy and crooked combs. I have no plans on showing but guess its just a personal issue then. lol.

Crooked Combs -

The poster boy cock on greenfire farms website definately has a crooked comb. One of my boys started growing a crooked comb at the base. We noticed this at about 5-6 week old. Looking at it from the top it looks like the shape of a cresent moon. I assume that when fully grown this type of comb takes the form of the Green Fire Farm poster boy cock.

As greenfire farm quickly pointed out, these roos were selected for vigor and health, not for show quality. Those of us who have the goal to breed to the UK standard (give or take a little) will have to breed out the crooked combs and straight combs that are too large and flop over. The floppy combs are easier to fix. Breed those boys back to the hens with the smallest combs. The crooked combs are a different animal. Since they are listed as a defect in the UK standard I assume they are a resesive gene. If that is the case for them to be maifested the cock has to have the crooked comb type from both his dame and his sire. Breeding a crooked comb cock to a hen without the gene would result in 100% straight combs in the first cross, but all of the offspring would be carriers. Breeding a crooked comb cock to a hen that is a carrier would result in 50% straight combs and 50% crooked combs...well you guys can run the punnett squares for the all the senerios assuming it is resesive, dominante, etc., but breeding it out is a tough job (especially since 50% of the Greenfire line hens likly have the gene from their foundation cock). The quickest road to recovery would be to only breed straight comb cocks.

It is up to the individual wether they breed for one a single type (i.e. egg color, production, feather color, health) or choose to breed to a full standard.

If they arn't breeding for show, then a crooked comb isn't that big of a deal since it isn't an indicator or any genetic deficencies (but as for me we are and my house we will breed for staight combs).

 

[Laingcroft]

I actually like combs that flop over. Is there any particular reason for making floppy combs a DQ other than aesthetics?

My little ones are still too young to tell if the male's comb will flop or if the hens will have crests. I hope the hens do since that is a rather unique feature to the breed and prevents them from looking like the brown leghorn hens. For the most part I like the look of the chickens just the way they are, but I'd love a link to the UK standard for comparison as my chicks get older.

Likes:

large salmon/reddish breast on hens
crest on hens
blue not green egg
crele/barred coloring of roos

Dislikes:
non-crested hens

I'd love "pantone" type color cards but it would probably be cost prohibitive. Is a US Legbar club in the process of forming?

 

[GaryDean26]

.

 

[Flaming Chicken]

What a great discussion! Straight combs, floppy combs, crested or not, blue eggs and green eggs and color charts. I am glad to have such a great group to have this discussion with.

It is hard to believe that 2 weeks ago my new family of chicks went into a box and flew accross the country and now are in a rabbit cage in the back room. Before this year I have not paid more than $10.00 for a chick and never had them shipped directly so I am so grateful that all 3 pair survived the trip. The first day after they arrived I consulted with a poultry specialist as "Thursday",one of the pullets was sleeping and not eating compared to the others. He tested her stool and noticed an over growth of bacteria. We treated her with antibiotics and she popped right back. He told me to keep an eye on the others. I added some electrolytes to their water but it must have tasted good because when Brownie got some on her wings, the other chicks started pulling her feathers out. ( Are you kidding me?). Then last Monday Brownie was failing-I called the vet and got more antibiotics, I treated both of the other pullets. And they are looking better. But I will be adding some probiotic to the diet to help out the with intestinal issues.

They all hatched 2/18 and should be a month old but I have a huge difference in size? The largest of the cockerels is nearly twice the size of the smallest pullet. He is now named Arnold and appears to have the start of a crest. So maybe the crest appearance is size related? The pullets are all very different in color. One is quite a bit darker (Midnight). one is what I would expect as average (Thursday) and the lightest one (Brownie) has all the markings of the females but they are less distinct. The boys all look the same in color but there is a slight difference in ear color and of course Arnold is just bigger. The parents came from different so clearly I am seeing the genetic diversity introduced by the different lines that were imported.

Temperment is interesting. I cleaned the cage this morning and all six of the Legbar chicks were pecking around on the floor by my knees while the Lemon Cuckoo Orps were in the cage. They seem pretty friendly-even though I have tried to keep the stress level down and not handle them too much.

Congrats to all of you who have recieved your chicks. I am happy to see several others in the Northwest now have their chicks. It will be great to be able some more diversity close to home so I can add to the flock as they develope.

But first, 6 more months till the eggs appear. I wonder what colors I will get. Will they have crests or not, What will the combs look like? Fun!

 

[GaryDean26]

So exciting. Have you posted photos of you chicks any where yet. I would love to compare them to mine.

 

[Laingcroft]

Interesting...mine hatched on 2/18 too. Wish I could remember what color their bands were, I think blue but I wouldn't swear to it. I took them off they day they arrived since they were so tight. In visiting other sites I see the girls have small crests by this age and mine don't; I am so disappointed. Hopefully the male can pass the trait on to his daughters. Can't afford more until next year.