Chantecler

I have three White Chanteclers. The oldest one, Cottonball, is the head hen of our flock and is smart and kind. Our other two hens, Aurora and Borialis, are docile and lay many eggs, and are good friends with Cottonball. We used to have one more Chantecler, but she died of many strokes at the same time. She was Aurora and Borialis's half sister. Aurora and Borialis are sisters. Cottonball is very old, she is the last chicken we have left from the first three birds we got. Chanteclers are a great breed, and there is a breeder near my house. If you're looking for a dual purpose bird, or one that makes a good pet, that is good in harsh winters, Chanteclers are the breed for you.

In want of winter hardy fowl we opted to purchase Partridge Chantecler chicks.  They were a fearless bunch that jumped all over us as soon as we opened the brooder.  Their growth and size amazed us, as roosters were ready for butchering at just three to four months.  The meat was delicious, and tender without being fatty.

 

The hens started laying a little before six months, and have proven to be steady productive hens.  We do not give our birds light during the winter, but they didn't seem to notice.

 

Chanteclers love food, and free-ranging will dramatically decrease your feed bill. Also, free-ranged fowl have grown just as quickly as those that where penned. (This has not been the case with many of the breeds we raise.)

 

Our roosters are friendly, and easy to handle. The hens are nice, but are stuck up. They don't just think, they know they are better then our other chickens, and prefer to be with other Chanteclers. 

I ordered 25 "hatchery choice" chicks last February, and a few days later the electricity went off while I was at work. The only chick to survive the hours of freezing temps. was what turned out to be a Buff Chantecler. Since then, she has earned her way into my heart. She's the friendliest of the several breeds I keep, started laying at only 17 weeks of age, laid regularly, and then 6 weeks later went into setting mode. The first batch of eggs she sat on did not hatch (I should have removed her from the others - they would try to lay eggs in her nest). However, she remained in setting mode, so I isolated her nest and put another batch of eggs under her. She has now hatched her first chicks and she's a great mom. Since one of my goals is to develop a self-sustaining flock of pastured poultry, "Mrs. Chantecler" has given me a sense of optimism that the setting instinct has not been bred out of all varieties.

I would have never thought to order Chanteclers, but after my experience with this Buff variety, I'm not sure I'd want to be without them. I would highly recommend this breed.

We got our girls as adolescents. Very nice birds, but kind of shy.

We got our first 12 pullets in the fall. Maybe it was the time of year but we had problems with illness and now only have 8 left. They are supposed to be very winter hardy but they are the last to leave the coop on cold days, while our Red Sex Links (much smaller) are out in all kinds of weather. We hatched some eggs from these pullets and the offspring seem to be larger and more hardy than the older ones, and more friendly. Even the roosters are gentle and allow us to pick them up. Eggs gradually get larger and these birds are supposed to keep laying for years.

I had 3 girls. They were quite shy and only laid a small egg a few times a week. They were very quiet, but a nice looking bird, and does well in colder climates. This was my own experience with them.

I have 2 females and im finding that they are very shy. They hide away from the main flock that they used to be a part of. My little Belgian d'uccle male has adopted them into his little flock, and they are doing very well.  One of my fav breeds!