Cream Legbar Breed Guide: Blue Eggs, Autosexing, Care
Cream Legbars lay sky-blue eggs and are one of the few autosexing breeds. Egg color, temperament, history, and how they compare to other blue-egg layers.
If "blue eggs" and "knows what sex the chicks are at hatch" are both on your list, the Cream Legbar is the answer. It's a British breed developed in the 1930s by crossing Brown Leghorns with Araucanas, and it's one of the few backyard breeds where you can tell male from female chicks the day they hatch (no waiting four months to find out). The eggs are a true sky blue, the birds are active foragers, and they handle a wide range of climates.
This guide covers what makes Cream Legbars distinct, the autosexing trick that sets them apart, and whether they make sense over the more familiar Ameraucana or Easter Egger options for blue eggs.
What You'll Learn
- •What Is a Cream Legbar?
- •Autosexing: How It Works
- •Appearance
- •Egg Color and Production
- •Temperament and Personality
- •Housing and Care
- •Cream Legbar vs Ameraucana vs Easter Egger
- •Where to Buy Cream Legbars
- •Frequently Asked Questions
What Is a Cream Legbar?
Cream Legbar is a recognized British breed developed in the 1930s at Cambridge University by Reginald Crundall Punnett (the same geneticist who developed the Punnett square you may remember from high school biology). The breed was created by crossing:
- •Brown Leghorn (white-egg laying, active forager, alert temperament)
- •Araucana (blue-egg laying gene)
- •Later refinement with the cream-color variant of Light Sussex
The result: a medium-sized, active, blue-egg-laying breed with a distinctive crest and autosexing capability.
Cream Legbars were recognized by the British Poultry Standard but not by the American Poultry Association (APA). However, they have a strong following in the US backyard chicken community, particularly among keepers who value the autosexing trait.
The breed is sometimes confused with Crested Cream Legbar or just "Legbar" (there are also Gold Legbar and Silver Legbar variants). The cream version is by far the most common.
Autosexing: How It Works
Autosexing is the trait that makes Cream Legbars special. At hatch (day 1), you can tell males from females by the down color and head markings:
- •Male chicks (cockerels): Pale yellow/cream all over, with an indistinct or faint head spot. Lighter overall.
- •Female chicks (pullets): Dark brown striping on the back, distinct dark "eye liner" markings around the eyes, and a more pronounced head spot. Darker overall, often described as "chipmunk-striped."
The trait works because Cream Legbars carry sex-linked color genes that express differently in males and females from the moment they hatch. This is different from "sex-linked" hybrid chicks (like Black Sex Links or Red Sex Links), which only work for one generation. Cream Legbars breed true: a male and female Cream Legbar produce more autosexing chicks generation after generation.
Why this matters for backyard keepers:
- •No surprise roosters. If you order Cream Legbar pullets specifically, you can be confident they're all hens.
- •No waiting 4 months to figure out which "pullets" are actually cockerels (most breeds you can't reliably tell until 16 to 20 weeks).
- •Useful for breeding if you want to produce more chicks at home.
Most hatcheries sell sexed Cream Legbar chicks with 95%+ accuracy because the autosexing is so visually distinct. For comparison, traditional vent-sexing (used for non-autosexing breeds) runs about 90% accuracy.
Appearance
Adult Cream Legbars have a distinctive look:
Hens:
- •Cream-colored body with grey/silver salmon-tinged breast
- •Small crest (a tuft of feathers on the head)
- •Single comb (usually flops to one side, especially in heat)
- •Yellow legs
- •Adult weight 4.5 to 5.5 lb
Roosters:
- •Cream body with darker grey saddle and back
- •Bright orange/red hackle and saddle feathers
- •Larger crest than hens
- •Bright red single comb (upright)
- •Yellow legs
- •Adult weight 6 to 7.5 lb
The crest is unique among breeds primarily kept for eggs. It's smaller than the Polish or Silkie crest (more like a small puff than a feather hat), so it doesn't interfere with vision the way large-crested breeds do.
Egg Color and Production
Cream Legbars are reliable blue-egg layers. Specifics:
| Metric | Typical |
|---|---|
| Eggs per year | 180 to 260 |
| Eggs per week | 3 to 5 |
| Egg color | Sky blue (sometimes pale aqua/turquoise) |
| Egg size | Medium |
| Start of lay | 16 to 20 weeks (earlier than most blue-egg breeds) |
| Winter laying | Moderate |
The color is genuinely blue throughout (the inside of the shell is also blue, not just the outside). This means the blue color doesn't wash off or fade over time, unlike brown-shelled eggs where the brown coating can scratch off.
Cream Legbars start laying earlier than most blue-egg breeds (Ameraucanas often take 22 to 26 weeks). The trade-off is slightly lower total annual production than dedicated brown-egg layers.
For comparison with other top egg-laying breeds, see our best egg laying breeds roundup.
Temperament and Personality
Cream Legbars inherit a lot from their Leghorn ancestry:
- •Active foragers. They love free-range time and will cover serious ground hunting bugs.
- •Alert and aware. Good at spotting predators (and sounding the alarm), which protects the flock.
- •Independent. Less inclined to be lap chickens than Buff Orpingtons or Easter Eggers. They tolerate handling but don't seek it out.
- •Not aggressive. Rarely bully other birds.
- •Vocal. Especially when laying. The "egg song" is loud. Worth knowing if you have close neighbors.
- •Flighty enough to need fence height. Plan for 5 to 6 foot fence (or covered run) since they can fly.
They're middle-of-the-pack for friendliness. If you want an interactive pet-like chicken, look at Buff Orpingtons or Australorps. If you want an alert, productive, blue-egg-laying breed that mostly takes care of itself, Cream Legbars are excellent.
Housing and Care
Standard backyard setup works fine. A few specific notes:
- •Coop space: 4 sq ft per bird (standard)
- •Run space: 10 sq ft per bird minimum. They love bigger.
- •Fence height: 5 to 6 feet minimum, or covered run. They can fly.
- •Cold tolerance: Good. Single comb can frostbite in extreme cold (apply petroleum jelly below 20°F, see our winter chicken care guide).
- •Heat tolerance: Excellent. The Mediterranean Leghorn ancestry helps.
- •Foraging: Strong. If you have yard space, they'll reduce your feed costs noticeably by hunting bugs.
- •Crest care: The small crest doesn't need maintenance. Unlike Polish chickens, vision isn't obscured.
For sizing and coop selection, see our how big should my chicken coop be guide and best chicken coops under $500 for budget options.
Cream Legbar vs Ameraucana vs Easter Egger
The three options for blue eggs, ranked by what each does best:
| Cream Legbar | Ameraucana | Easter Egger | |
|---|---|---|---|
| True breed? | Yes (British, not APA) | Yes (APA-recognized) | No (mixed) |
| Egg color | Sky blue, consistent | Sky blue, consistent | Variable (blue/green/olive/pink) |
| Autosexing? | Yes (visible at hatch) | No | No |
| Start of lay | 16-20 weeks | 22-26 weeks | 20-24 weeks |
| Eggs/year | 180-260 | 200-260 | 200-280 |
| Adult weight | 4.5-5.5 lb | 5.5-6.5 lb | 4-5 lb |
| Temperament | Active, alert, independent | Calm, reserved | Friendly, variable |
| Cost per chick | $10-25 | $10-25 | $4-8 |
| Best for | Blue eggs + autosexing | Blue eggs + show breeding | Mixed flock affordably |
Pick Cream Legbar if the autosexing capability matters to you (breeding, no-surprise pullet orders, early sex confirmation).
Pick Ameraucana if you want a true purebred for showing or specific color varieties, and you don't mind paying more for guaranteed blue eggs.
Pick Easter Egger if budget matters most and you'll accept whatever egg color you get.
See our full Easter Egger vs Ameraucana comparison for more depth on those two, and the Olive Egger guide for the green-egg alternative.
Where to Buy Cream Legbars
Cream Legbars are less commonly stocked at feed stores than Easter Eggers. Common sources:
- •Specialty hatcheries: Greenfire Farms (the US importer), Meyer Hatchery, My Pet Chicken. Greenfire is the gold standard for breed-pure Cream Legbars.
- •Local breeders: Search "[your state] Cream Legbar" on Facebook breeder groups or Cream Legbar Club forums. Often offer better breed quality than mass hatcheries.
- •Feed stores: Occasionally stock them in spring, mostly in regions where Cream Legbars have caught on (Pacific Northwest, parts of New England).
Expect $10 to $25 per chick. Greenfire Farms charges more for verified breed-pure stock with autosexing accuracy. Feed-store and mass-hatchery Cream Legbars may have slightly less reliable autosexing (the trait depends on careful breeding to maintain).
Buying tip: Since they're autosexing, you can buy day-old chicks at the local feed store and pick the ones with the chipmunk-striped backs (pullets). Most feed stores let you pick individual chicks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Cream Legbar chicken?
A British breed developed in the 1930s by crossing Brown Leghorns with Araucanas. Cream Legbars lay sky-blue eggs and are one of the few autosexing breeds (male and female chicks are visibly different at hatch).
Are Cream Legbar eggs really blue?
Yes. True sky blue, throughout the shell (not just on the surface). The color is genetic and won't fade or wash off. Some hens lay slightly more aqua or turquoise tones depending on their individual genetics, but all Cream Legbars lay some shade of blue.
How can I tell if a Cream Legbar chick is male or female?
At day 1, male chicks are pale yellow/cream all over with faint head markings. Female chicks are darker with distinct brown striping on the back and dark "eyeliner" markings around the eyes. The difference is visible to most people without training and is 95%+ accurate.
How is a Cream Legbar different from an Ameraucana?
Both lay blue eggs. Cream Legbars are autosexing (you can tell male/female at hatch) and start laying earlier (16-20 weeks vs 22-26 weeks). Ameraucanas are APA-recognized as a true breed with 8 color varieties, are slightly larger (5.5-6.5 lb vs 4.5-5.5 lb), and have a more reserved temperament. Pick Cream Legbar for autosexing convenience; pick Ameraucana for show breeding or larger adult size.
Are Cream Legbars cold-hardy?
Reasonably yes. They handle most US climates including northern winters. The single comb can frostbite in extreme cold (below 0°F), so apply petroleum jelly on cold nights and ensure good coop ventilation. They were developed in the UK, which has milder winters than the US Midwest, so they're not quite as cold-hardy as breeds like Wyandottes or Brahmas with rose/pea combs.
How many eggs do Cream Legbars lay?
180 to 260 per year (3 to 5 per week). Moderate layers, less than dedicated production breeds like Leghorns (280+) but better than many heritage breeds. They lay reasonably well through winter.
Are Cream Legbar roosters loud?
Average for a rooster. Not louder than most breeds. Hens are notably loud when laying ("egg song"), which is worth knowing if you have close neighbors.
Can I breed Cream Legbars at home?
Yes, and the autosexing makes them particularly easy. Hatch your own chicks and you can immediately identify pullets vs cockerels at day 1, simplifying flock management. Just keep one Cream Legbar rooster with at least 4-5 hens for fertility and to maintain the autosexing trait.
Why aren't Cream Legbars more common in the US?
They were only imported to the US in significant numbers in the early 2010s by Greenfire Farms. The breed is still relatively new to the American backyard market compared to Ameraucanas (which have been here since the 1970s) or Easter Eggers (decades). Availability is improving every year as more hatcheries add them to their offerings.
For keepers who want reliable blue eggs and the convenience of knowing chick sex at hatch, Cream Legbars are the strongest option. They're active, alert, productive, and the autosexing trait alone justifies the price premium over Easter Eggers if you're particular about your hens.
For comparison with the other blue-egg options, see our Easter Egger vs Ameraucana guide, Easter Egger breed guide, Ameraucana breed guide, and Olive Egger guide for the green-egg cousin. For top layers overall, see our best egg laying breeds roundup.
Sources:
- •Cream Legbar Club (UK). https://www.creamlegbarclub.com/
- •Greenfire Farms. Cream Legbar breed information. https://greenfirefarms.com/
- •The American Poultry Association. Standard of Perfection (reference). http://www.amerpoultryassn.com/
- •University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension. Small Flock Poultry resources. https://poultry.extension.org/
- •The Livestock Conservancy. Heritage breed conservation. https://livestockconservancy.org/