If you are looking for a chicken that stands out from the flock, then look no further than the Cream Legbar.
This breed is best known for their beautiful pastel blue eggs and their distinctive appearance.
Cream Legbars are a healthy and self-reliant breed that are known to be extra savvy in avoiding predators.
Although they are fairly uncommon in the United States, they do have a cult following in England.
Are you interested in keeping this breed?
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know…
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Cream Legbar Chicken Overview
The Cream Legbar is a very unique looking chicken with a very unique personality.
These chickens are known for the elegant crest of feathers sprouting from the back of their head, and also for laying one of a kind beautiful pastel blue eggs.
Legbars are best described as curious, low maintenance, and independent foragers.
It is wonderful to watch them explore their surroundings for any and all hidden snacks; no leaf will be left unturned!
An interesting fact about this breed is that they are autosexing.
This means that their sex can be determined hours after hatching. This is based on the coloration of the down feathers in chicks (more on this later). This means there will be no surprises when buying Cream Legbar chicks.
| Cream Legbar Chicken | |
|---|---|
| Beginner Friendly: | Yes. |
| Lifespan: | 5-10 years. |
| Weight: | Hen (5.5lb) and Rooster (7.5lb). |
| Color: | Cream with grey barring. |
| Egg Production: | 4 per week. |
| Egg Color: | Blue. |
| Known For Broodiness: | No. |
| Good With Children: | Yes. |
| Cost of Chicken: | $5-$10. |
Appearance
The Cream Legbar is a beautiful breed.
They are actually a color variety of the popular Legbar.
As their name suggests they are a cream color with grey barring. Hens have salmon spotting on their neck and breast too. Hens are also a slightly darker color than roosters and their back is more grey than cream when compared to the males.
At first glance this breed looks smaller than the average chicken. However, the Cream Legbar is actually a medium sized hen. They have compact feathers which fit closely to their body which is why they appear smaller!
Their body is shaped like a triangle with a long flat back, and a straight elongated tail. Roosters will hold their tail at about 45 degrees and hens’ tails will be held a little lower.
They have a single red comb, red wattles and their earlobes are either white or cream. Both their legs and beak are yellow.
One of their most notable features is their crest. They have feathers sprouting off from behind their comb on top of their head. This is why they are sometimes known as Crested Cream Legbars.
Hens vs Roosters
Because these chicks are autosexing, telling the difference in sex is obvious hours after hatching.
Females (left) have dark striping and a very small white dot on the back of their head. Males (right) are lighter in color and have a more prominent white spot on the back of their head.
As adults the roosters are easily identifiable from hens.
The roosters have much bigger combs and wattles than the hens. The tail of the rooster is also much more prominent and held at a higher angle above the body. The roosters may or may not have spurs on the back of their feet too.
Size and Weight
Cream Legbar hens weigh about 5.5lbs and roosters weigh about 7.5lbs.
What Is It Like To Own A Cream Legbar?
These hens are active foragers, very quirky and inquisitive about their environment.
They are so active that they might even over forage in your garden! If you do grow vegetables then make sure you have them behind a secure fencing system.
You can expect them to be very independent.
They do not need as much maintenance as other breeds and are beginner friendly.
Cream Legbars are very alert chickens and are well known for avoiding predators. Despite this ability, it is still necessary to keep an eye on your flock to keep them safe.
Because they are so peaceful they can get along with other breeds very well. However they might get picked on a little bit for their feathers which make them appear slightly smaller than the rest of the flock.
Personality
Cream Legbars are well known for being docile and friendly.
They are exceptional foragers and thrive when left to free range.
These chickens are more alert than other breeds and are very aware of their surroundings and of each other. Because they are so aware of their surroundings they can be flighty at times because anything uncertain is seen as a potential danger.
Self-sufficient and very curious are two good ways to describe them. This breed won’t hesitate to explore any nooks and crannies within the yard and they are always looking for a snack.
Due to being part Longhorn, broodiness is not likely with these hens.
Roosters in particular are more aggressive than other breeds and have a heightened instinct to protect their flock.
Just remember that each chicken is unique and their personality can differ. Their temperament will also depend on how they were raised.
Egg Production
Cream Legbars are very popular because of their unique egg laying abilities.
You can expect them to lay around 4 blue eggs each week. This adds up to over 200 eggs a year.
The eggs are medium to large and are a beautiful pastel blue color. Unfortunately it is only the outside shell of the egg that has the blue coloration, the inside yolk is the same golden color as any other egg.
You should expect them to start laying their pastel blue eggs at about 6 months.
| Egg Production | |
|---|---|
| Eggs Per Week: | 4 Eggs. |
| Color: | Blue. |
| Size: | Medium to Large. |
Noise Levels
This breed is not known for their loudness.
Hen tend to cluck along to themselves quietly and some will be more chatty than others. Just like any other chicken though their egg song can be a little noisy. But for the most part they will be fairly quiet.
Roosters on the other hand can still be pretty loud and will crow loudly.
Cream Legbar Care Guide
The Cream Legbar is a very healthy breed and is not known for many specific health issues.
One potential issue to keep an eye out for is parasites like mites or lice.
Both of these parasites could potentially accumulate in the bird’s feathers on their head. Regular checking and cleaning is a must.
You also need to remember that they are active foragers and will eat anything they can. Make sure that their forage area is clear of any health hazards, including edible and nonedible ones. This will help prevent any future health risks such as sour crop.
Feeding
Once your Cream Legbars are mature they should be fed a layer feed that contains anywhere from 15% to 19% protein.
Free feeding is recommended for this breed, especially if you often let your chickens out of their run.
During the summer they will forage for most of their feed and will eat less pellet feed. However, even during this time pellet feed should always be available to them. This will help make sure that your chickens will have access to the correct amount of nutrients in their diet.
Your Legbars will also need fresh clean water all year long.
During the colder months it is very important to make sure that the water set out for your chickens does not freeze over. Even if the winter season is not as hot as the summer season, hydration is still important.
Coop Setup and Roaming
Each Cream Legbar will need at least 4 square feet of space within the coop.
As for roosting space you should give each chicken around 12 inches. During the winter they might want to sit together bunched up to warm themselves and conserve body heat, whereas in the summer they will space out more, and hold open their wings in an attempt to cool off.
For nesting boxes a ratio of one for every three or four hens will work. They are just about medium sized and can fit in a standard nest box (12″x12″x12”).
As for outside space, this is a friendly chicken with a good temperament and can tolerate confinement for short periods of time.
However, as they are natural foragers they will get restless from being cooped up, so having ample space to explore and stretch out will prevent any future flightiness in your birds.
It is recommended that each chicken has access to about 10 square feet of run space, but ideally they should be left to free range.
Breed History
The Legbar Chicken originally came from England.
Back in the early 1900s breeders were experimenting with auto-sexing chickens. Auto-sexing is where the males and females have different appearances as chicks. This is normally in the form of a marking or a different color.
Legbars are actually the second ever auto-sexing breed.
The first breed of auto-sexers was the Cambar, however this breed never picked up popularity and has since gone extinct.
The creation of Cream Legbars was more complicated than the other Legbars.
It started in 1939 when Michael Pease was attempting to improve the egg laying abilities of the Gold Legbar by crossing the breed with White Leghorns. This mating produced an accidental strain of chickens with an off white, cream color.
Interestingly enough, these cream-colored offspring still retained the same autosexing qualities as the Gold Legbar. The finishing touch to the breed was the cross with the Cream Araucanas, giving them their crested heads and blue eggs.
Finally in 1958 the breeding was complete and the Cream Legbar was established as the most popular variety of Legbars.
Although there are three colors of Legbars the American Poultry Association only recognizes the Cream variety.
All varieties of the breed were recognized by the Poultry Club of Great Britain at the following dates:
- Gold Legbar (1945)
- Silver Legbar (1951)
- Cream Legbar (1958)
Cream Legbar Chicken Pictures
Summary
Cream Legbar Chickens are inquisitive bundles of curiosity.
Their quirky appearance and personality are making them backyard superstars.
They are very independent and free-spirited and won’t hesitate to help out in the garden. They may give a little more help than what was wanted, so make sure to hide the vegetables!
Of course their beautiful pastel blue eggs will add a wonderful pop of color to the nest box.
If you are looking for a chicken who stands apart from the rest, then the Cream Legbar is just the chicken for you.
What shade of blue eggs do your Legbars lay? We would love to hear from you in the comments section below…
I have four young Legbars that haven’t laid yet. Two have a darker crest on their head and the other two have a lighter crest and lighter neck feathers. Does the color of these feathers indicate any egg color? I want as blue eggs as possible.