The Legbar Thread!

[Dirt Farmer]

I had CL pullet eggs hatching at days 19 and 20 only during the last couple weeks. Then the temperature in the garage dropped about 20 degrees with the change in weather, resulting in an incubator about 1/4 degree F cooler. Yesterday I hatched 5 CL x Penesdensenca pullet eggs on day 21, with one more looking viable for today (6/10 on the crosses).

 

[phantomriver]

Can anyone direct me to info on the genetics of crests and blue egg color? After reading up on the genetics of autosexing that rc50 posted I have a thought and maybe it has been addressed in a previous post and I missed it BUT what is to stop one from using a flock of brown leghorn hens to rapidly expand the flock? It seems that all the pullets bred back to a CL roo would be autosexing but I don't know about the egg color % and crests. In fact, I wonder if this is exactly why the American birds are so much darker than the UK birds. I wonder how hard it is to regain the cream color gene also with this cross? My kids need to hurry up and get older so we can justify chicken breeding projects as home school lessons in genetics

 

[jamesbwood]

Recieved 17 eggs from Redchicken9 from a 12++ auction here on backyard chickens. An added benifit is that these eggs are from 2 different lines which were clearly marked with A's and B's. Assuming all goes well, I will have 4 different sources of CL which will help minimize inbreeding.

Best packing I've seen yet; plus the postal godz were kind this time. Eggs are sitting and will go in the incubater tonight.

 

[Darlagips]

Sorry to ask this - I'm sure it's already been asked and answered - I just can't figure out how to search for it in this thread. I was wondering if the roos lost that white dot as they feathered out and therefore, I should mark them so I can tell them from the pullets, or whether I will always be able to tell they are roos (until they mature). thanks for your help. Darla

 

[Flaming Chicken]

Sorry to ask this - I'm sure it's already been asked and answered - I just can't figure out how to search for it in this thread.  I was wondering if the roos lost that white dot as they feathered out and therefore, I should mark them so I can tell them from the pullets, or whether I will always be able to tell they are roos (until they mature).  thanks for your help.  Darla

The Roos feathers should grow in with the barring pattern and the girls are solid. I was always able to tell them apart.

 

[GaryDean26]

Can anyone direct me to info on the genetics of crests and blue egg color?

1) Below is the link to the post on this form for cresting. You also can search for R.C. Punnett's 1958 publication on Recessive Black. In that study he crossed Cream Legbars with his recessive black birds and comments on the inheritance of the cresting.


2) Here is how to breed for blue eggs http://scratchcradle.wordpress.com/2012/07/08/gms2-breeding-for-blue-eggs/. This page references R.C. Punnett's 1933 paper on Blue Eggs. I don't think many studies have been done on Blue Egg inheritance since Punnett's Studies.


Basically, if you cross out a true Cream Legbar to Brown Leghorns you
1) Split the recessive cream genes so the offspring all show gold plumage
2) You add autosomal red to the birds
3) You split the dominate Blue Egg gene
4) You split the dominant Cresting gene
5) You split the sex-linked Barring genes in males and lose the autosexing

Heritage Breeds are breeds that have accepted breed standards more than 50 years old. They are slow growing, self sustaining breeds that are typically hardier, more disease resistant, and live longer than hybrids and non-heritage breed. If you cross out a Heritage breed to any other breed then it is no longer a heritage line.

You can get back Cream Plumage, get back to double barring in the males, test mate to ensure your breeders are complete for cresting and blue egg genes, and even though autosomal red may be hard to get rid it is already in the GFF (as is Gold plumage) so that isn't a loss, but you can never get back to a heritage line status after you out cross your birds. If you don't care about that, then there are not a lot of draw backs.

I personally am a big fan of preserving long establish lines and don't have any plans to cross out my birds. If I were looking to start out with Cream Legbars would not buy them from a line that had been crossed out to Brown Leghorns. I would want the real thing (or at least the best that I could find).

 

[ChicKat]

Basically, if you cross out a true Cream Legbar to Brown Leghorns you
1) Split the recessive cream genes so the offspring all show gold plumage
2) You add autosomal red to the birds
3) You split the dominate Blue Egg gene
4) You split the dominant Cresting gene
5) You split the sex-linked Barring genes in males and lose the autosexing

Heritage Breeds are breeds that have accepted breed standards more than 50 years old. They are slow growing, self sustaining breeds that are typically hardier, more disease resistant, and live longer than hybrids and non-heritage breed. If you cross out a Heritage breed to any other breed then it is no longer a heritage line.

You can get back Cream Plumage, get back to double barring in the males, test mate to ensure your breeders are complete for cresting and blue egg genes, and even though autosomal red may be hard to get rid it is already in the GFF (as is Gold plumage) so that isn't a loss, but you can never get back to a heritage line status after you out cross your birds. If you don't care about that, then there are not a lot of draw backs.

I personally am a big fan of preserving long establish lines and don't have any plans to cross out my birds. If I were looking to start out with Cream Legbars would not buy them from a line that had been crossed out to Brown Leghorns. I would want the real thing (or at least the best that I could find).

X2 I want to preserve and promote this breed!!!! Punnett-style cream legbars.

 

[blackbirds13]

X2 I want to preserve and promote this breed!!!! Punnett-style cream legbars.

X3

 

[Johnn]

Melow in the middle of her molt

 

[redchicken9]

X2 I want to preserve and promote this breed!!!! Punnett-style cream legbars.

X3

Ya all, am I understanding the sentiment expressed? If this is the case then the UK standard should be adapted with no or minimum change. A cream legbar that meets that standard is a bona fide cream legbar. Then it's the responsibility of the small and large scale breeders to breed to this standard. This is a great way to go because it sets a clear bar. However, within this thought is that until stock improves, some legbars aren't quite there as cream legbars. That's what standards do, they say yes this is or no this is not.