Cream Legbar Chickens are beautiful birds for your backyard that mix in well with existing breeds. They lay blue eggs, even through winter, and you can expect 150 to 200 eggs per year.
If you’re interested in a chicken breed with a distinct appearance and personality, the Cream Legbar is for you.
Cream Legbars are known for their striking blue eggs and friendly nature. They are also hardy and self-assured chickens that are also known for their savviness in avoiding predators.
While they are quite rare in the United States, Cream Legbars have been one of the most popular chicken breeds in England for many years now.
They generally adapt well to virtually any environment and they are quite easy to raise. Despite being popular, there are many factors about these unique chickens that many people are unaware of.
Some of those Cream Legbar facts below will explain why so many people have fallen in love with them, and we’ll share everything you need to know.
Table of Contents
What Is A Cream Legbar Chicken?
Cream Legbars are beautiful chickens with unique personalities. They have beautiful feathers that grow from the head and they are also known for laying unique-looking pastel blue or green eggs.
Another interesting thing about Legbars is that they are an autosexing breed. That means it is easy to tell their sex soon after the chicks are hatched depending on the color of their down feathers. So you’ll know exactly what you’re getting when purchasing Cream Legbar chicks.
Legbars are alert, curious, independent, and low-maintenance chickens. They are also good foragers but also do well in enclosed backyards as long as they have enough space to forage and explore around. It’s amazing to see them explore around in search of any hidden treats.
Some Quick Facts and Info about Cream Legbar Chickens
Other Names: Crested Cream Legbar
Category: Eggs and Pet
Country of Origin: England
Meat Production: Low
Egg Production: Good
Broodiness: Moderate
Tolerance to heat: Good-Moderate
Tolerance to Cold: Poor or good (depending on the comb size)
Foraging ability: Very good
Predator evasion: Very good
Tolerates being confined: Yes
Temperament: Alert, Curious, Friendly, Independent
Noise level: Low to moderate
Aggression toward other chickens: Low
Noise levels: Moderate
Average chick price: $5 to $10
Why the Name “Cream Legbars”?
Cream Legbars are part of the popular Legbar breed. The other Legbar varieties are Gold Legbar and Silver Legbar. There’s another rare variety called White Frost Legbar.
Cream Legbars are a beauty to behold thanks to their feathered crests that sprout from behind the comb area.
This versatile chicken breed will do well in many barnyard and backyard environments.
However, there are several things you need to know about these chickens before adding them to your household. Below, you’ll discover more information to help you determine if these birds are right for you.
The General Appearance of Cream Legbar Chickens
So what does a Cream Legbar chicken look like? As we’ve already mentioned, these birds have beautiful coloration. They have a unique-looking blend of black, tan, and grey. Roosters also have a striking barring pattern.
The most distinctive characteristic of Cream Legbar chickens is the beautiful feather crests that develop just behind the comb area. These crests are noticeably larger in Cream Legbar hens than in roosters.
Their combs are medium-large in size and straight in roosters. Hens have upright or floppy combs.
Other notable characteristics include medium-sized wattles, yellow beaks, white earlobes, yellow beaks, and reddish eyes.
But how big does a cream Legbar chicken get?
Size & Weight
A full-grown Cream Legbar hen weighs around 5.5 pounds while a rooster can weigh up to 7.5 pounds.
Cream Legbar Temperament and Personality
Cream Legbars are calm and friendly in nature. These free-range birds are also great foragers.
They are very alert and self-assured. They love exploring their surroundings and may be flighty if they sense anything out of the ordinary.
They are part leghorn, so broodiness is unlikely. Rosters are particularly aggressive and always ready to protect other flock members.
Keep in mind that personality and temperament can vary from chicken to chicken. Their behavior may also vary depending on their living conditions.
15 Things You Should Know About Cream Legbar Chickens
In honor of this wonderful breed, here is a list of 15 interesting things about Cream Legbars.
1. They are actually from England
The Legbar breed originated in England back in 1939 when breeders were autosexing chickens. That means male and female chicks have different looks. This usually occurs in the form of a unique color or pattern.
2. Legbars are autosexing: male and female chicks look different
One interesting fact about Cream Legbars is that male and female chicks have different looks soon after hatching.
That means you’ll know the sex of the chicks when buying them, so there will be no surprises.
Female chicks have eye barring and dark brown stripes on their backside. On the other hand, male chicks have lighter striping and a light-colored mark on the head.
3. Legbars have a long and interesting history
Legbars are the second autosexing chicken breed in history. The first ever breed of auto-sexed chickens was the now-extinct Cambar.
The origin of Cream Legbars is an interesting one and differs from that of the other Legbar varieties.
The breed’s history began in 1939 when a breeder named Michael Pease was trying to boost the egg-laying ability of the Gold Legbar. He crossed the Gold Legbar with the White Leghorn, producing an unintentional strain of birds with a cream coloration.
Interestingly, these cream birds still retained the autosexing traits of the Gold Legbar. Finally, the breed was crossed with Cream Araucanas, which gave them blue eggs and crested heads.
Although Legbars come in three different colors, only the Cream Legbar is recognized by the American Poultry Association.
However, the Poultry Club of Britain recognizes all the three varieties, albeit at different times: Gold Legbars in 1945, Silver Legbars in 1951, and finally, Cream Legbars in 1958.
4. They lay a lot of blue/green eggs
Another interesting fact about Cream Legbars is that they lay plenty of unique-looking eggs.
These exceptional birds lay about four blue or green eggs every week. This translates to around 150 to 200 eggs per year. To be precise, each chicken will lay either green or blue eggs.
These eggs are medium or large in size and have a striking pastel blue or green coloration. However, only the egg shell is blue or green in color; the internal yolk comes in the same golden coloration as other eggs.
Cream Legbars start laying eggs at around 5-6 months of age.
5. Some actually lay white eggs
If you end up with a white-egg laying Cream Legbar, don’t be surprised. Some Cream Legbars actually lay white eggs and not green or blue eggs. The white eggs are a result of a recessive trait in some hens. While this isn’t common, it can happen.
6. Some are poor layers in winter
Many Cream Legbar chicken keepers may be disappointed to find that their chickens do not lay well in winter or stop laying altogether.
So keep in mind that some hens are poor layers in winter. If you want winter layers, you should probably consider getting another breed.
7. Some hens are wonderful moms, others are not
Some Cream Legbar hens are broodier than others. And many actually don t get broody at any time—so if you want a broody hen, ask your breeder or hatchery if they have that strain.
Cream Legbar hens that go broody tend to be excellent moms to their baby chicks.
8. They are not noisy
Cream Legbars are not loud. Hens cluck quietly with some being more talkative than others.
As with other chickens, you can expect their egg song to be quite loud. However, they are mostly quiet.
On the other hand, Cream Legbar roosters are quite noisy, so expect them to crow loudly.
9. They are friendly in nature
Another thing that makes Cream Legbars an excellent breed to keep is their temperament.
Cream Legbar chickens are very friendly in nature. They can be calm, docile, and flighty.
Some of these birds enjoy being around their owners, even though they may not enjoy being handled. Others are cuddly and love being massaged and stroked on their neck and backside.
Cream Legbars are also peaceful and easygoing in mixed-breed flocks. They usually get along fine in a mixed breed flock, especially with other similar-sized chickens. Most of them are quiet and not aggressive toward other chickens.
All these qualities make these birds a wonderful choice for almost any chicken keeper.
10. They make excellent foragers
Cream Legbars are great free-range birds. They are good at foraging because they enjoy exploring their environment. These chickens are so good at foraging that they can save you some decent bucks on their feed.
Being independent and good on the range, these chickens can even be self-sufficient.
11. They are wary of predators
Apart from being good free-rangers, Cream Legbars are alert and predictor-savvy. These active birds also fit in well in most environments, and many are flighty.
These natural abilities coupled with their ability to run quite fast go a long way in enabling them to avoid predators.
12. They are hardy and healthy chickens
Cream Legbar chickens are hardy and tend to do well in most settings. They can survive in both hot and cold conditions.
However, they are vulnerable to frostbite just like all chickens with medium-to-large-sized combs.
Frostbite is a very serious condition in chickens, so you need to take proper preventive measures.
One recommended way to avoid frostbite in single-comb chicken breeds like the Cream Legbar is to hang small or medium-sized sweeter heaters above the roosting bars in your chicken coops. These bright sweeter heaters do not make the coop any hotter, but instead keep the chickens warm, protecting them from frostbite.
13. They do well in backyards
Unlike other chickens that enjoy free ranging, Cream Legbars can also thrive in enclosed backyard runs. These birds do tolerate confinement quite well.
Like other chickens, however, Cream Legbars need plenty of space to exercise and explore, so make sure they have enough space to forage.
Another thing that makes Cream Legbars great for backyard runs is the fact that they are not noisy.
Remember that all breeds of chicken are quite noisy. Everyone expects roosters to crow and hens to cackle more during the egg-laying season.
However, some breeds are very noisy, always squawking and talking. Fortunately, Cream Legbars are moderate in their noise levels.
14. They may end up destroying your garden or backyard
Since Cream Legbars are good at foraging, they may end up overdoing it in your garden or backyard. If you have a small garden, they may destroy it in no time. They may scratch and dig everything up in your garden or yard.
15. They can produce a white offspring known as the Frost White Legbar
Cream Legbar chickens do occasionally produce a white variety known as the White Sport Cream Legbar or Frost White Legbar. This is because some of these birds carry the recessive trait responsible for the all-white feathering.
When these Cream Legbar chickens with the recessive trait mate, they can produce all-white chicks. And when these Frost White Legbars are bred together, they produce even more all-white chicks.
While these chicks are very rare, they are as beautiful as other Legbars and carry the same wonderful traits. They can provide you with another beautiful variety of Legbars, which you use to decorate your garden.
Bottom Line
Cream Legbar Chickens are incredibly beautiful birds with tons of personality. They are known for their pastel blue or green eggs, and calm, friendly nature. They are independent and hardy birds that also know their way out of harm’s way. They mostly adapt quickly to any situation and they are easy to keep and care for.
So whether you’re new to chickens or have kept them for years, Cream Legbars offer new and exciting traits for any poultry fan. While new to the United States, this breed is rapidly growing in popularity, and you can add them to your flock in honor of this remarkable breed living among us.