Over the Gate

bodger · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 4:44 pm Post subject: One for the experts. Legbars?

Are they a fixed breed ? By this, I mean do they breed on or do they degenerate from generation if you don't add to the mix ?
There are a number of types of Legbars but originally they were made up by poultry keepers who crossed or blended a number of seperate breeds.

Has anyone got any experience of them ? All the examples that I've seen have looked fairly non descript, although I believe that they do lay blue tinted eggs.

To complicate matters, I've seen gold, blue and cream legbars advertised, anyone up to having a go at explaining what the breed is about ?
_________________
A friendly family based countryside forum.
www.overthegate.co.uk

chickenstu · Joined: 28 Mar 2007 Posts: 1038 Location: Nutbush city

I have asked a contact on mine to respond he is a an expert on soft feather and poultry history so should be able to answer
_________________
And there shall in that time be rumours of things going astray, and there will be a great confusion as to where things really are, and nobody will really know where lieth those little things with the sort of raffia-work base, that has an attachment.

bodger · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 7:54 pm Post subject:

Cheers Stu.

Point him in OTGs direction while you're at it.

_________________
A friendly family based countryside forum.
www.overthegate.co.uk

chickenstu · Joined: 28 Mar 2007 Posts: 1038 Location: Nutbush city

The expert has told me that the true cream legbar is a diluted duckwing pattern- and should be cream in colour and not blue or silver.

I have a feeling myself that the legbard was developed at Cambridge University or one of the top educational establishments (might have been Kidderminster Polytechnic LOL)
_________________
And there shall in that time be rumours of things going astray, and there will be a great confusion as to where things really are, and nobody will really know where lieth those little things with the sort of raffia-work base, that has an attachment.

Toaster · Joined: 02 Nov 2009 Posts: 9 Location: Northants

Legbars are offcially a 'proper' breed I understand as opposed to a hybrid yes they were a blended breed originally but now they should breed true

A gold legbar will lay white eggs
A cream legbar wll lay blue eggs although there are some impure strains that lay green eggs

bodger · Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 6:54 am Post subject:

Cheers toaster.

So you can keep and breed legbars without having to add anything to the mix ?
_________________
A friendly family based countryside forum.
www.overthegate.co.uk

Toaster · Joined: 02 Nov 2009 Posts: 9 Location: Northants

Yes, if you get some good stock to start with they will breed true and are obviously autosexing so thats a big bonus too