WitchHazel Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 I'd really like a blue egg laying hen and, although it's unlikely to be for some time, I was starting to think seriously about which breed I would choose. I was initially thinking about getting a Skyline hybrid. Then I wondered whether I should just go for a cream legbar instead, which is where the Skyline comes from. I know that with the purebreed I'm guaranteed coloured eggs, whereas with the hybrid it's 70% chance of a coloured egg. But what are the advantages and disadvantages of one vs the other? Also, have you noticed how Meadowsweet and all their agents seem to have taken Skylines off their lists? Thanks for your help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 I have a Cream legbar called Clover & she is lovely. Her eggs are gorgeous too! I quite fancy a blue laying hybrid too though,to get the year round eggs.Legbars will cease laying over the winter months...... Last time I spoke to Meadowsweet they said they were working on a new blue hybrid with a better blue egg ratio. There is a hybrid called a Columbine or a Jasmine, which is basically the same as a Skyline,but produced by a different company...you may have more luck getting one of those Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted May 6, 2008 Author Share Posted May 6, 2008 Thanks for that Sarah. I just did some searches for Columbines - the two sites I've visited so far say that they are best free ranging as they eat vast quantities of vegetation. http://www.eden-livestock.co.uk/garden_hens.htm http://www.glencroftpoultry.co.uk/hen_house.htm What I'm inferring from this is that they wouldn't make good garden birds. As you have a purebreed cream legbar, would you say that description could be applied to her too? I appreciate that although breeeds have characteristics, all birds are individual Oh, btw, I see you also have a white egg layer - Lily? what breed is she please? Thanks for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Hi Our white layer Lily sadly died this week, but she was a great hen & we will be replacing her with another White Star soon. White Stars are leghorn hybrid from Meadowsweet. Her eggs were huge & the most pristine white - very beautiful, & she was a hen of great character. My Cream Legber Clover ,along with my other hens, is in a hen pen (piccy by my sig) 100% of the time. She is very happy with this arrangement & has laid every day so far,though her eggs are on the smallish side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted May 6, 2008 Author Share Posted May 6, 2008 Our white layer Lily sadly died this week, Oh Sarah, how insensitive of me, how could i have forgotten that? Especially under the current circumstances. I;m so sorry, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Don't worry - these things happen & I am a pragmatic sort. We are already talking about replacing her with another one,so while she is missed,the sadness is behind us By the way, as you are nearish to me I would love to know if you find any blue laying hybrids in the area, as if I am getting 1 more hen I may as well get 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redfrock Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I have a Skyline - I collected her a month or so ago. Ben, who supplies our birds, felt that the ones that are heavily grey, rather than the very gingery ones (who I actually think are more pretty ) tended towards laying blue eggs. He said this was because they were closer in looks to the cream legbar, that they are crossed with, and that the CL gene was therefore probably stronger in them. I just love their punk hairdo . Certainly our Agatha is very grey and lays the most beautiful, although still very small, blue eggs. She is very hit and miss with her laying and we get about 2 eggs a week from her if we are lucky. The rest of the time she was laying softies through the bars (although this seems to have stopped in the last week) or just going into the nest box to pretend. However when she does lay an egg, they really are beautiful, and the blu ecolour is all the way through the shell (ie. on the inside of the shell as well). She has a lot of character and loves to jump and sit up high - especially on our backs or shoulders. We have put some very high bars in our walk-in run, which she adores. I wouldn't change her for anything, even if she never laid another egg again! Sorry to hear about Lily Cinnamon . We also have a White Star - smallest chook, head of the gang and lays the most enormous white eggs. Bigger than anyone else, and truly makes my eyes water. She also lays virtually everyday, rain or shine, summer or winter. I keep suggesting she has a rest but she is having none of it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FORENSICA Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I agree with redfrock about the gray back of Skyline.Have a look here, it is the one in the pot http://bandv.hopto.org/gallery/Chickens/DSCF4267 We got our girl according to this idea and she just started laying little blue eggs - http://bandv.hopto.org/gallery/First-three-eggs-day/DSCF4281 They are really amazing, and match exactly our living room wall colour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Treekeeper Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 My cream legbar does a lot of pretend nesting! She hasn't laid yet although we did have an unidentified softie laid early last week,her comb is very red and matches her bald head beautifully She seemed to go through a mini moult but only on her head, she is the most placid definitely bottom of the pecking order and completely mad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted May 6, 2008 Author Share Posted May 6, 2008 I have a Skyline - I collected her a month or so ago. Ben, who supplies our birds, Where do you get your birds from Redfrock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superjules Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I've got 2 skylines from Thorne's in Letchworth, one ginger and one grey. They both lay green eggs, Yoda (grey) lays minty green and Yaddle (ginger) lays olive green. They're quite jumpy and very active, they seem to have a lot of nervous energy, but they are in their run most of the time, largely because they struggle to find the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Hi We have a skyline which lays blue eggs and she is bottom of the pecking order and bless her not very bright! When I leave the door open to let them out she is always struggling to find the exit! She seems quite nervous but that could be because we haven't been out in the garden with them much until now. I also have a white layer (white star) and she is really beatiful and lays huge white eggs nearly every day. I got them both from hens 4 homes in stebbing in Essex http://www.hensforhomes.co.uk/ Julia x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I have just phoned meadowsweet & they say they are not doing the Skyline anymore, & won't be again until they can get a more reliable blue laying hybrid. Funny about the grey being closer to Cream Legbar colour - my Clover is quite gingery! There are some photots in my gallery, link below Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redfrock Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 I have a Skyline - I collected her a month or so ago. Ben, who supplies our birds, Where do you get your birds from Redfrock? Ben from hen house poultry in Teston, nr. Maidstone (www.henhousepoultry.co.uk). Not only is he very knowledgable, he is a fantastic guy too Shame they are not doing anymore Skylines - I wanted more because of their personality rather than anything else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 Maybe I spoke too soon. Meadowsweey said they were not, but maybe its Meadowsweet agents who arent' having them. the lady in Essex is expecting some in July,I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurora Posted August 8, 2021 Share Posted August 8, 2021 I was given two Skyline hens for my birthday, November 1st. I was presented with the first egg on Christmas Day!! Since then, I have had 365 eggs from them. The ginger one lays eggs around 68g and sky/duck egg blue, and the fawner coloured one lays eggs around 56g and olive green. The eggs are absolutely delicious. They live with my special needs Silver Spangled Hamburg and they get on very happily in their little gang. They have a large garden run but also free range round the fields all day. The little Hamburg has stopped laying and is moulting but no sign of it with the twins - do Skylines not stop laying or moult? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted August 10, 2021 Author Share Posted August 10, 2021 Hello! Skylines are such pretty birds. Birds which are hatched late in the year, by which I mean from aroun the end of May onwards don't moult in in the first winter. Your girls will moult this year, and will propbably stop laying while they are moulting. IU've only ad a few hybrids, but I found that they tended to lose loads of ferathers all in one go, looking very oven ready, but the pure breeds tend to moult a bit at a time. ybrids as thers coming through at once. Regardless of whether they are hybrid or pure breds, I've found that some girls moult towards the end of the summer and others wait umtil the weather is awful and then do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...