megalin Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 So we're getting ready to get some new girls soon! So excited I can hardly wait to finish the run extension! We want to get a blue egg layer but I'm confused about the difference between these 2 breeds. Some people are saying the cotswold is a pure breed and some say it's a hybrid..... Is there much difference between the 2? Megan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Proper Cream Legbars are a pure breed (breeding true) whereas Cotswold Legbars are a hybrid. The problem is that they've become quite mixed up with a lot of crosses being sold as pure Cream Legbars, so it's not easy to know for sure what you've got. This is a proper Cream Legbar and this shows Cotswold Legbars. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 I have to say I find it all very confusing too. We have a Cream Legbar and someone told me that they are crossed with an Araucana and another breed, which I thought would make them a hybrid We looked at the Cotswold Legbars and had thought about getting a couple of them next year, but didn't realise they were a hybrid. This is our Cream Legar Chloe, she does lay very pretty blue eggs, but they are identical to the eggs that our Lavender Araucana lays Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 From various bits of reading, I think that Araucana are in all blue egg laying breeds. Many breeds (most even?) have crosses of one sort or another at some point in their history but now breed true (like KC recognised dog breeds), but hybrids are like lurchers - crosses that don't breed true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 From various bits of reading, I think that Araucana are in all blue egg laying breeds. Many breeds (most even?) have crosses of one sort or another at some point in their history but now breed true (like KC recognised dog breeds), but hybrids are like lurchers - crosses that don't breed true. I'm still confused, but that's nothing new with me Here is a pic of the eggs our two are laying and they look so alike I can't tell which girl laid which egg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falkor Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 THIS website has lots of handy infomation on proper Cream Legbars. The lady that owns the site and the birds picture won the Cream Legbar classes at both the National and Fed this year so she knows her stuff!! A true cream legbar should have CREAM in her neck, far too many are too gold. The hybrid versions that I have seen come in all sorts of colours, some looking quite cream legbar-ish except for the gold and some are all sorts of colour ways. A true cream legbar should lay green or blue eggs. I believe the hybrids have about 70% chance of a green/blue egg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scarlettohara Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Website is really good, pass on my congratulations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckmum6 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 This my sons cream crested legbar Tikka, who lays lovely green eggs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfie Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 We have two Cream Legbars who have just started laying blue eggs at about 30 weeks of age. Heaviest so far weighing 50g Lucy and 37g Lulu. These two were "free to good home" and are the sweetest little hens. They are much quicker in their reactions than our two hybrid white leghorns. They are very friendly and tame, but I don't think they will ever lay supermarket size eggs, as they are such petit darlings. I think also they only lay 160 eggs a year each, if that is a consideration for you. They have to do everything together, when we first had them, if we took one out to check for "fleas" on a Saturday, the other one squarked like crazy! They still go in the nest box to lay together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sari Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Mine too was a freebie, she was a bit runty, and has now laid two little eggs...she very sweet and makes noises like a rusty gate creaking.....she was hatched in late June I think.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfie Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Tikka is a beauty! What a great photo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Chuckmum6 beautiful picture, I can't get close enough to mine to take a good picture Falkor that's a very interesting link. I can see from my girl that she has a lot of gold on her neck, but she does lay blue eggs so that's good enough for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daxigirl Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Moomin's a CC Legbar and laid her first egg yesterday and it's a blue. I have to say it's exactly the same colour as Paxos and she's an Araucana, a tad daintier in size though but then she's only petite herself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clash City Rocker Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 I've had a Cotswold Legbar (Pogo) for a couple of years (from Dalesford Organics). Around October she stops laying completely and so far this year she hasn't start again. The same happened last winter. This may be a consideration for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneyolktoanother Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Tikka is lovely we have a cream legbar from wernlas she is beautiful and has a great character Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneyolktoanother Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 I have to say I find it all very confusing too. We have a Cream Legbar and someone told me that they are crossed with an Araucana and another breed, which I thought would make them a hybrid We looked at the Cotswold Legbars and had thought about getting a couple of them next year, but didn't realise they were a hybrid. This is our Cream Legar Chloe, she does lay very pretty blue eggs, but they are identical to the eggs that our Lavender Araucana lays what lovely chucks, your wir is fantastic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 what lovely chucks, your wir is fantastic Thank you The only thing we feel they are missing out on is not being able to dig as the WIR is slabbed and then has Rapport on top of that. As my OH feels sorry for them he has ordered a load of panels to match the WIR and he is going to build another run along the back of the garden that will be connected to the existing WIR and will let the girls access a bit of lawn and all the border at the back where the shrubs are, although not sure how long the shrubs will survive once they get out there. We already let them use that part of the garden but only when we are out with them as it's not fox proof. Panels are coming tomorrow so I will have to put some pics up once he has finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oneyolktoanother Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 what lovely chucks, your wir is fantastic Thank you The only thing we feel they are missing out on is not being able to dig as the WIR is slabbed and then has Rapport on top of that. As my OH feels sorry for them he has ordered a load of panels to match the WIR and he is going to build another run along the back of the garden that will be connected to the existing WIR and will let the girls access a bit of lawn and all the border at the back where the shrubs are, although not sure how long the shrubs will survive once they get out there. We already let them use that part of the garden but only when we are out with them as it's not fox proof. Panels are coming tomorrow so I will have to put some pics up once he has finished. cant wait to see your pics it sounds fantasic, ours is on slabs its like a wir but not tall enough for me to walk in.But my oh says when we move this year he will do a wir for me we are the same we have to let our chooks out to fr when we are there as we have a local fox who comes past our garden. Talk about locks i have put that many on the run and the coop so the fox can't get in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megalin Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 Wow thanks everyone.... If the Cotswolds are hybrids then why do they stop laying for winter? Anyway, the blue eggs are the main thing! Amazing WIR! I won't let my girls see, they'll be on their way to your house faster than you can say cluck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJ's Chooks Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I love my little cream crested legbar.... she's fab! muc smaller than many large fowl birds, so be careful if you are going to mix with other girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I didn't realise they were smaller than other hens, I just assumed they would be the same size as a Cream Legbar I don't know why they stop laying in Winter either, I know hybrids do slow down, we were only getting about 1 egg a day at one point and even had to go to the shops and buy half a dozen eggs we were that low Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Nearly all hens, hybrid or pure breed, will stop laying over winter - depending on when they hatched, their first winter is the exception. It's natural for them to concentrate their efforts on re-growing feather during their moult and re-start laying as soon as they daylight hours suit them. In my experience it also helps them to live longer too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megalin Posted February 13, 2011 Author Share Posted February 13, 2011 Well I think It's good the don't lay all the time. It must be exhausting! I think we'll try and find some cream legbars, they are beautiful. I get the impression they're interesting characters too, although a bit concerned about then being better flyers than others, what are peoples experiences of this? I have slow clumsy birds at the moment so I can let them out in the garden a bit without fear of escape! Got the wood for the new run and going to start tomorrow..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJ's Chooks Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 They are definitely good fliers and are better at escaping than houdini! The smallest gap is only there to challenge a cream legbar!!! But they have fantastic charisma, but very nervy. Ours is far from easy to catch and will certainly not be one to let the kids catch and stroke!!! They are great though, and the eggs are fab. Yesterday is officially the start of spring in our house cos our cream legbar laid the first blue egg of the year.... Definitely spring now!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megalin Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 Right so I better fix the fence round the garden too! I can see myself running round the neighbours gardens already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
