Cream Legbar

[chickenfan]

I've had three cream legbars so far, one lovely-natured bird I hatched myself, and two that I bought in as POL pullets, which have been my only more 'bullying' birds. I was horrified today to find one murdering a Pekin that has recently returned to the flock after raising some chicks. I had thought all was going well with a gradual reintroduction, and them sleeping happily together last night, then I suddenly found the cream legbar on top of the Pekin pecking it to death. She has lost all the feathers on her head. I obviously wasn't taking the reintroduction slowly enough, but have never encountered behaviour like this before. Both of the bought-in Cream Legbars are liable to peck other lower status birds (though not seriously until today). Is this to do with their upbringing, an aggressive strain, or are Cream Legbars more liable to be aggressive?

 

[valeriebutterley]

I do not have much experience of CLs, but my first CL was the most timid hen I have ever come across.
My next was a Columbine - hybrid and totally wimpy, much the same, and at the moment I am raising a CL I hatched 9 weeks ago, and she is one of the brightest, cutest, and friendliest, most inquisitive girls I have ever had.
So, I think hens, whatever their feathers say, are just different personalities, and I think you are unlucky to have acquired two with the same difficult traits.
On the cheery side, I do envy you 3 beautiful blue eggs.

 

[chrismahon]

Two of our Cream Legbars have been very assertive Chickenfan. Molly who needed a beak bit twice and Lucy, who just squarks and everyone scatters! Lucy is over 6 now and is laying better than she ever has and yesterday, for the first time ever, went broody on us. Not a broody breed CL's and by this morning she had forgotten all about it.

The Pekin would be rather weakened after hatching and needs a good two weeks to recover.

 

[Anthony 1974]

My Cream Legbar is very inquisitive and is handled easily (but doesn't like it much).
She is not aggressive towards the other birds in the flock and seems not to be picked on either being quite solitary.


Ant

 

[Katy-may]

Hi
I have 3 cream crested legbars, incubator babies. Upon hatch they were two dark with the stripe so girls. One light so a boy. Now 12 weeks old, 2 pale & one with a nearly black head/crest. They are confusing me! Is the dark headed one a girl? Other 2 boys or other way around?! X

 

[darkbrowneggs]

I have noticed that just lately quite a few folk are breeding CL with blacker polker dot crests rather than the cream/grey you might expect. So yes - they could well be females.

If there is a male, by now his wattles will be developing and "pinking" up a bit compared to the girls. I have some youngsters at present so if you tell me what age yours are I shall try and get some piccies of boy and girls of a similar age

 

[Katy-may]

They are 12 weeks now I will post some photos before they go to bed. No sign of wattles on either of them! That will be great for your photos thank you!! X

 

[darkbrowneggs]

I would love to see the piccies, but if there are no wattles at 12 weeks I would pretty well guarantee they are pullets without even seeing them 17