The Cream Legbar is a certain chicken breed that I have really come to admire. It is a super practical, beautiful bird to have on any homestead or farm. Once we move and are ready to start a new flock, I have decided I want to go with the Cream Legbar. The Cream Legbar is a layer breed and is not typically raised for meat, but it certainly can be if you wish. So why do I feel like it is the breed to have? Here are the reasons!
Autosexing
Cream Legbars have an autosexing genetic trait. For me, this is the most valuable reason I want them. If you are not familiar with autosexing, you need to know about it! Autosexing is the ability to easily and visually tell the male chicks (cockerels) from the female chicks (pullets) as soon as they hatch based on the color of their feathers. Cream Legbar pullets have dark stripes resembling a chipmunk and the cockerels are more blonde with less striping.
Why does autosexing matter? The sooner you know what sex your chicks are, the sooner you know what to do with any unwanted chicks. This means less feed costs and more space for the fowl you intent to keep. If you are selling pullets, your customer knows for sure that it is a female. If you don't want any of the cockerels, you know right away which ones to sell or give away.
You may have heard of sex link chickens. Autosexing chickens differ from sex link chickens because the autosexing trait is passed down through the generations whereas with sex link chickens, that trait does not pass down. To get more sex link chicks, you must breed two specific breeds together again - the chicks cannot be bred and produce more sex links.
Cream Legbars are one of the few breeds with the autosexing trait. Other autosexing breeds include 55 Flowery Hens, Bielefelders, and Smaalands.
A Rare Breed
Cream Legbars are fairly new to the United States. They were first imported from Britain in 2010 by Greenfire Farms. They are gaining popularity, but are still considered rare. I have an interest in unique and rare chicken breeds and the Cream Legbar is a breed I would like to see more of in the United States.
Egg Color
Cream Legbars are the sole autosexing breed that lays beautiful sky blue eggs! Ameraucanas, Araucanas, and Easter Eggers also lay blue eggs, but those breeds don't have the autosexing trait, nor are they rare.
Beautiful Plumage
A Cream Legbar flock is a gorgeous flock. Hens have beautiful ashen feathers and the rooster has stunning, silvery blonde and ashen feathers which make him very handsome.
Other Cream Legbar Facts:
- The hens lay about 260 eggs per year
- The hens are rarely broody
- They are a docile breed
- Hens weigh about 5-6 pounds and roosters weigh about 6-7 pounds
- They are very efficient foragers
- The roosters are vigilant and protective of the hens
I want to give special thanks to Alchemist Farm and Garden for graciously allowing me use their photos. I appreciate Alchemist's farming practices. They have a top-notch breeding program and I especially like what they do with any unsold males - they are given away to families to raise for meat. Consider checking them out and purchasing your hatching eggs from this extraordinary farm.
Alchemist Farm and Garden website: https://www.alchemistfarm.com
And their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/alchemistfarm/