Cream Legbars - General Queries

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wildfowler4

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Cream Legbars - General Queries
« on: December 07, 2010, 12:50 »
Hi,

We have three cream legbars which are nearly 10 wks old. Being a novice in relation to keeping chooks I have some questions I hope the kind forum can help me with. Mine are nearly 10 weeks old. I suppose I got them at the wrong time of year with the winter on us but that doesn’t bother me as they are really lovely chooks and the whole family are really happy with them. Here are my questions

We have been told they should start laying at about 20-22 weeks. Is this about right?

Do they stop laying in when very cold?

How many eggs on average will the cream legbars lay?

I currently feed them growers pellets and give them some maize/barley in afternoon and some cooked spaghetti about once a week. Should I be introducing any agrit even though they have the free roam of my garden?

As it is currently bitterly cold do I need to worry about mites and keeping the coop doused? They are currently free from any bugs but wondering should I start or leave until say march when weather gets warmer.

Last question is what age should I start to think about worming?

Many thanks in advance any advice is much appreciated

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Casey76

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Re: Cream Legbars - General Queries
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2010, 14:03 »
Hi wildfowler :)  Congrats on your new pullets.  Do you currently have any other hens?

CLBs are an autosexing purebreed, so point of lay (POL) will be up to 36 weeks, though generally speaking between 26 and 30 weeks is average.  20 - 22 weeks is very early, even for a hybrid layer, so I wouldn't hold your breath... but with hens you never know!

A lot of hens do take a break during the winter as there isn't the amount of daylight to stimulate the laying.  However, during their first winter (so for your pullets, it will be next winter) they will often lay more regularly, or stop for a shorter period of time.

I believe CLBs lay between 150 and 180 eggs per year, and although the predominance is for pale blue eggs, they may also lay an olive coloured egg.

you can keep feeding growers right up until they lay their first egg.  Limit corn/maize to about one smallhandful between the three per day, and you're doing fine with the once weekly spaghetti treat.

As they are still young, it is an ideal time to get your pullets used to being handles.  Pick them up and check them over regularly for unwanted visitors.  Personally I don't treat for nasties until I have to, as I believe that over use of chemical deterrants will lead to resistance.  Having said that, no harm in chucking some mite powder in a dust bath occasionally :)

I would worm from about 6 months on.  if you decide to go down the "natural" route, please still do use a chemical wormer (flubenvet) once a year.

have fun :D

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CluckyChicken

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Re: Cream Legbars - General Queries
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2010, 18:47 »
was all ready to write a nice long answer- and found that Casey76 got there first!  Totally agree with everything :) good luck wildfowler x
Lavender Araucanas, SS Hamburgs, White Wyandottes and Italian Quail

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wildfowler4

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Re: Cream Legbars - General Queries
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2010, 20:30 »
Thanks  Casey76 for your responses. Yes these are the only three we have at the moment. We are new to keeping chickens so still learning. The three are getting on very good. I let them out about 07:30 each morning. I am still having to monitor them whilst they are out at the moment as we have a cat that sometimes visits our garden and am a bit worried that it may attack the chickens as they are still growing. We may look at adding to our flock in the new year but it will only be another two or three hens. We are not sure which ones to go for yet. My son is keen on a rhode island red and my daughter likes a black leghorn or similar type. Will have to wait and see. We will also require a new coop for any new additions

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D

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Re: Cream Legbars - General Queries
« Reply #4 on: December 08, 2010, 09:11 »
I have one cream legbar and she is one of the friendlier hens. She is also one of the better layers I have although recently the birds have had an off period, but when she was laying you could expect four of five eggs a week. As mentioned they do lay light blue eggs.
I've not had any experience with RIR or Legbars, but as I understand they are both very good layers - the RIR being the backbone for egg production prior to hybrids and as I believe used in the make up of many modern hybrids?

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wildfowler4

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Re: Cream Legbars - General Queries
« Reply #5 on: December 08, 2010, 15:36 »
thanks again for all the friendly replies. What a find this site has been  :)

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Kym503

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Re: Cream Legbars - General Queries
« Reply #6 on: December 09, 2010, 06:52 »
I have 2 CLB which I got as day olds at the end of May.  I was wondering why neither had started to lay as I was expecting it to be around 24 weeks as with my other breeds.  Thank you very much for the information regarding 36 weeeks...I'll stop worrying now!

Kym

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joyfull

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Re: Cream Legbars - General Queries
« Reply #7 on: December 09, 2010, 08:15 »
they can start laying anytime between 24 and 35 weeks but with winter being here early you may have to wait until spring.
Staffies are softer than you think.

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wildfowler4

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Re: Cream Legbars - General Queries
« Reply #8 on: December 09, 2010, 15:08 »
Hi Kym503

Do you have any other chickens apart from the CLB's?

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themagicaltoad1

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Re: Cream Legbars - General Queries
« Reply #9 on: December 09, 2010, 17:56 »
I hatched some silkie x CLB chicks in the spring and they each lay an eggs almost every day, even through the recent snow! They started laying about 20wks old.

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Kym503

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Re: Cream Legbars - General Queries
« Reply #10 on: December 09, 2010, 22:41 »
@ Wildfowler - Yes I have 4 others... an old ex battery hen (currently going through a dreadful moult) and 3 fennings aged about 30 months old.  I'm currently getting 2 eggs a day which given the fact the 2 CLB aren't laying adn the old ex bat only lays about twice a week isn't bad!

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TeaPots

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Re: Cream Legbars - General Queries
« Reply #11 on: December 11, 2010, 11:12 »
I hatched some silkie x CLB chicks in the spring and they each lay an eggs almost every day, even through the recent snow! They started laying about 20wks old.

with the cross...wsa the DAD clb or silkie? and do they still lay blue eggs?

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themagicaltoad1

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Re: Cream Legbars - General Queries
« Reply #12 on: December 11, 2010, 17:35 »
Not sure which was which as far as mum and dad because I bought them off fleabay, but one lays a pale blue egg, one lays a light green egg and one lays a green egg with brown speckles. The hens are black with a flash of peacock blue running through them, very pretty when the sun catches them, and the cockerel is silver grey.

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TeaPots

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Re: Cream Legbars - General Queries
« Reply #13 on: December 11, 2010, 18:31 »
They sound really beautiful.... fluffy heads and feet too? 

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themagicaltoad1

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Re: Cream Legbars - General Queries
« Reply #14 on: December 12, 2010, 17:59 »
This was taken when they were about 10 wks old, they have blossomed since then. Sage has brown flecks instead of blue and Bubbles was camera shy so she's not in the photo.
Sage & Onion & Pingu June 10.JPG



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