thoughts on buff and leg color

[Mike Gilbert]

John said

I think I\'d heard they got thier start from Paul, but even if not they would go back to my original breeding.  Arne Schimdt and I developed LF buffs indendently, but he got some of mine to cross to his after a few years.  I\'m not aware of anyone else developing LF buffs.

Didn\'t Jay ? in California also breed up some buffs?   Can\'t remember his last name right now, but we met him at one of the Joint ABA/APA nations in Columbus one year.

[John]

Jay Horn is the guy.  He bought buffs from Arne and me at Columbus and flew them to California.  He got out of them a few years ago...he was going to school and didn\'t have the time...so I bought the last of his birds as I recall.

[Jean]

John,

Talked to Jay this afternoon.  He started his buffs with birds from Arne and you then bred in the orpingtons.

And he said you got the last of his stock.

And yes, I occassionally still get some chicks with the brown on their backs too.

[John]

then bred in the orpingtons.

It\'s been a few years since I talked to Jay.  As I recall he also bred them to LF white Ameraucanas.
He may have gotten them before I crossed mine with Polish to get the slate legs to show slate.  The cross also reduced the fluff from the original McMurray Orpingons that I used to create them.
The late Earl Jones came up with the Polish cross idea and it worked!  Of course other problems occurred due to the Polish traits, but they were expected and worth the benefits.  Earl took a liking to the buffs and bred them for a number of years.