Legbar
The Legbar is a British autosexing chicken breed developed at Cambridge from barred breeds and Leghorn ancestry. Its practical trait is chick sexing by down pattern at hatch when the breeding remains correct. Cream Legbars, the familiar variety for many backyard keepers, also carry Araucana influence and lay blue or blue-green eggs, while Gold and Silver Legbars belong to the same wider breed family.
Legbars appeal to keepers who want active layers and easier chick sorting without vent sexing. They need secure outdoor space because they are mobile, alert birds rather than heavy, sedentary chickens. Breeders must protect the autosexing trait through correct pairings and should avoid casual crosses that make chick color unreliable. In Cream lines, egg color also deserves attention because it can drift toward pale blue, green, or tinted shades. Buyers should ask which Legbar variety is being offered.
Colors: Barred, Birchen, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Columbian, Crele, Cuckoo, Duckwing, Gold, Gold Laced, Laced, Lavender, Mille Fleur, Mottled, Partridge, Penciled, Porcelain, Red, Silver, Silver Laced, Spangled, Splash, Wheaten, White