Auto-sexing

The importance that auto-sexing plays in the Legbar breed is also reflected in the fact that, next to a standards for the adult birds, the down colour and patterns are also standardised.

Female Legbar chicks in general have a broad very dark brown stripe extending over the head, neck and rump and a clear eye barring.

The male Legbar chicks in contrast have a much paler down shade and the pattern is blurred and washed out from head to rump.

[3]: 317 Working at the Genetical Institute of Cambridge University, he and Michael Pease cross-bred Golden Campines with barred Plymouth Rocks, resulting in the creation of the Cambar in 1928.

[4]: 73  About ten years later they produced the Legbar by crossing brown Leghorns with barred Plymouth Rocks.