The Poultry Keeper

FarmBoy2992 · Joined: 28 Apr 2008 Posts: 4 Location: South Yorkshire

Hi everyone, im new to the forums so if im posting in the wrong place, please let me know.
Now, i've just aquired a single cream legbar off a friend, (waiting for 2 more to come to PoL) bringing the total flock number upto 7.
Today all 7 layed, but the Cream Legbar only laid a smallish white egg, and i know shes a cream legbar by the tuft on her head.
is this because she has been moved to a new home, or because of the pecking she is recieving of one or two of the flock to get her in the pecking order.
she has been laying about two weeks before i got her, and im just wondering how long till she lays a blue egg.

All help is greatly appreciated!

Will

vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 1179 Location: Correze

It may be that she's not pure CLB. Mine lays blue eggs, has done from her very first. It could also be that neither of the parent birds were from very strong-blue-egg strains.

Don't know if anyone else who has CLBs has had them start off laying white then progressing to blue?

Welcome to the forum, by the way Very Happy

FarmBoy2992 · Joined: 28 Apr 2008 Posts: 4 Location: South Yorkshire

Thanks for the reply.
The thing that puzzles me is that ive seen eggs from the parent hens and theyre a really nice blue colour.
So if anyone has any other information about this i would really appreciate it!
Thanks Very Happy

Welsh Duck · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 9:20 pm Post subject:

Henwife is the expert on Cream Legbars.

They should lay a blue/green egg

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3018 Location: Monmouthshire

There are an awful lot of birds being sold as cream legbars which are mixed breed birds. If yours lays white eggs now, she always will.

robgodfrey · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 7:36 am Post subject:

I have 2 Cream Legbars and although the eggs are a lovely sky blue they are very reluctant to let go of them - I have never had more than 1 a day and they average 1 egg per 3 days between them Sad

Mine also take long vacations - like stopping laying from June last year to Feb this year.

Are you sure the egg was from the Legbar? Could there be another hen thats just coming into/back to laying?

vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 1179 Location: Correze

... or could it be a "throw-back" with old genes coming to the fore? Wasn't there a white egg-layer in the original mix that created the CLB? Just a thought ...

Chris Kurzfeld · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 1222 Location: Carmarthenshire

I bought 3 CLB, though they looked slightly different in colour (all were crested), and when they started laying 2 laid blue eggs and one a "white" egg. The white isn't actually white if I put it next to white but has a peachy/pinky tinge to it. One of the blue laying ones died then someone who has CLBs told me that the one laying the "white" egg wasn't a CLB but a Cotswold Legbar. I don't know enough about legbars to know whats what but my Cotswold looks more like the piccies of CLB where my Cream Legbar is much darker. I've just hatched a Cream Legbar X Welsummer egg and have more under 2 broodies - be interesting to see what they turn out like.

The "white" layer lays better than the blue layer - Get a "white" one most days where I only get 3 blue a week - but both go on a long "holiday" each autumn/winter from about July/August till March.

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3018 Location: Monmouthshire

I can wax long and furious on the subject of "Old Cotswold Legbars" which are neither old, nor legbars, but a modern hybrid who lays any old colour egg.
One of the reasons I continue to keep Cream Legbars is that they are such excellent layers, so it's not the breed, but the strain. I did have a hiccough last year with some white egg layers, but I sold both them and the breeding stock - the buyer was aware they were dodgy - and now have reliable stock - just not as creamy coloured hens as Poultry Standards require, but getting there. From the 12 hens I am getting at least 9 eggs daily. I accept a three month winter stoppage because they need a rest.

CP · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:16 am Post subject:

How big are they compared to your bantams Henwife? Question

NannyP · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 1:30 pm Post subject:

These chicks came from white eggs, laid by this hen

and fathered by this coq

The hen chicks at 4 weeks look wrong, despite the parentage looking "right".

Both hens are barred and look more like coq colouring, both are growing crests and I will be interested to see how they mature and what colour eggs they lay??

vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 1179 Location: Correze

Not the best quality pics, as the little so-and-so's decided they didn't want me anywhere near them ... and taken through chicken-wire!

However ...

This shows a CLB coq chick at 7 weeks, and a CLB hen chick at same age. Ignore the black one in the background, he's a Marans, and insisted on getting in on the act!!

Is a slightly better view of a hen-chick.

This ...

is the Daddy!
and this ...

is the Mum!

FarmBoy2992 · Joined: 28 Apr 2008 Posts: 4 Location: South Yorkshire

Hi everyone, Thanks for all your replies!
I got in touch with my friend from whom i purchased the hen and he told me that when my hens parents started laying, they were white but went blue as she got older.
So this one is a mystery!
Thanks

Chris Kurzfeld · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 1222 Location: Carmarthenshire