Legbar
The Legbar chicken is an uncommon British breed developed in the early 1900s by Reginald Crundall Punnett and Michael Pease at the Genetical Institute of Cambridge University. They produced this breed by cross-breeding American Barred Plymouth Rock chickens with brown Leghorns, resulting in variations in gold and silver. Pease then bred these with white Leghorns to create Cream Legbars, and further cross-breeding with Araucanas gave them their characteristic crest and the ability to lay blue or green eggs.
Legbar chicken is also called Cambridge Legbar or the Crested Legbar. It is an auto-sexing breed, which means that the sex of the chicks can be determined by their plumage at hatching. It is also a layer breed, which means that it is bred primarily for egg production. This chicken is not a meat breed, which means it is unsuitable for meat production due to its small size and low weight.
Colors
The Legbar chicken is available in three color varieties: gold, silver, and cream. The gold Legbar has a golden brown body with dark brown barring on the neck, back, and tail feathers. The silver Legbar has a silver-white body with black barring on the neck, back, and tail feathers. The cream Legbar has a cream-colored body with grey barring on the neck, back, and tail feathers. All varieties have a crest that looks similar to that of the barred Leghorn chicken. The cream variant is sometimes considered a separate breed, but the Poultry Club of Great Britain treats it as a color variety.
Weight of male and female
The Legbar chicken is a medium-sized breed, with hens weighing around 5.5 pounds and roosters weighing approximately 7.5 pounds.
Annual egg production rate, egg color, and egg weight
The Legbar chicken lays blue, green, or olive eggs. It is a prolific layer breed, with hens laying up to 180 eggs weighing around 2 ounces yearly.
Legbar Chicken Size
Legbar chickens have a firm and wedge-shaped body with well-developed muscles. The roosters have prominent breasts and long, thin wattles, while the hens have slightly hanging tails and more prominent crests. Both the roosters and hens have long necks and tail feathers.
Yearly birth rate and life span of Legbar Chicken
The Legbar chicken is known for its high fertility rate and can produce many chicks yearly. This breed of chicken is also highly resilient and can tolerate different climates and diseases. Additionally, the Legbar chicken has a five- to ten-year lifespan.
Breeding hints and tips
The legbar chicken is easy to breed due to its auto-sexing feature. It is best bred in a free-range environment where it can forage and avoid predators. It is not broody and does not require much human intervention for incubation and hatching.
General Characteristics
The Legbar chicken is a stunning and eye-catching breed known for its distinctive crest and colored eggs. These chicken breeds are known for their friendly and docile demeanor, making them ideal for urban households and small yards. They are also curious and alert, albeit relatively noisy and gregarious. These chickens are excellent foragers and egg layers, providing a steady supply of fresh and delicious eggs.
