Cream Legbar Purchase Checklist:

Often people ask what they should look for and what questions they should ask when they are purchasing Cream Legbars - either chicks, POL pullets, adults , or hatching eggs.

Especially helpful to first time Cream Legbar owners, here are some things for buyers to consider when they want to start a Cream Legbar flock, or to add a few new chickens to their existing flock.

First and foremost the intended use for your chickens will influence how the answers to the various questions will affect you. If you are looking for a well behaved chicken that will be an addition to your flock, give you blue eggs and show off her personality and looks, you may have different selection criteria than the person who wants to raise Cream Legbars to compete in Poultry Exhibitions.

Everything that would normally apply to the health of a chick, or a flock from which you are selecting eggs to hatch will, of course, apply to your Cream Legbars. Flock health is tremendously important:

Health questons:

• Is the seller P/T tested? Do they have other tests current such as MG or AI?

• Do they vaccinate for Marek’s disease? Any other vaccinations?

• Has their flock experienced any recent illnesses?

General Questions and Personality Questions:

• Do they have aggressive males? (if you intend to get other than pullets only or if you hatch eggs.)

• Are their chickens extremely flighty or are they more docile, friendly and curious?

• How do their Cream Legbars get along together and with other chickens if your purchases will live in a mixed flock.

Questions about the seller & their flock:

• How long has the seller been raising Cream Legbars?

• What is the source of their Cream Legbars?

• What goals do they have for their own Cream Legbars? (e.g. high egg production, exhibition poultry)

• What are the weights (average) of their flock?

• What is the age that their pullets come into lay?

• How many eggs per year do their hens lay?

Questions specific to this group of Cream Legbars

1. Look at pictures of the parents - see if that is what you want to raise...

2. Make sure that the chicks they hatch are easily autosexable

3. Ask if they have ever hatched chicks that grew up without crests

4. Ask if they have ever hatched any 'recessive white' chicks

5. Ask if all their pullets grow up to lay blue eggs (as opposed to white, brown or olive eggs) note: the amount of blue perceived varies among flocks and individuals, how frequent are the eggs? Do they have Cream Legbars that ‘go broody’?

Some other pointers, if they say they have "show quality" chickens, ask how many shows they have entered, where and when the shows were, and how their chickens placed. If they say that they are raising "Crested Cream Legbars" to standard - you may realize that the name on the standard is Cream Legbar, any other variation of the name - "Creme", "Crested" etc. may show that they have never read the standard. you may also want to find out if they care enough about the breed to be members of the Cream Legbar Club and are working toward the breed's well being and acceptance by the APA.