***Crevecoeur Thread*** - Page 35

Poulard, thanks so much for replying! : )

After nearly ten years of various breeds, these have become my favorites and I *am* going to breed them...first chicken in all this time that I have been interested in reproducing. These came from Ideal. : /  I only have this cockeral and two pullets, have ordered five more but would love to find some breeders birds!  

Am I right in understanding that they should be quite broad with a wide stance? And no abrupt break between back and tail?  One of the pullets crests look more polish to me...kind of round and poufy, the other is more swept back and spikey. And apparently they are NOT an upright breed....mine may be too much so, as the stance in the photo is not unusual. Oh well, selection selection selection. : ) ( retired dog breeder....)

I have been admiring your male...what a strikingly beautiful boy!  Do YOU breed?? Where did you get your birds?

I am glad you have decided to breed such a rare bird.  I got my boy out of hatching eggs from a BYC member rare feathers farm.  I believe she was trying to sell her breeder flock.  I am not sure if she still has them.  You should try and get a hold of exop on this thread.  She sells hatching eggs.  I think her stock came from a hatchery, but she has been working on them.  I only have my one boy.   No girls.    I plan on getting some more eggs.  No matter where you get your stock from they are going to need work.  This thread has been quite for some time.  I hope you can contact other people on here that are breeding.  I think they are a beautiful bird.  They need help and dedicated breeders.  If that is all you have I would start breeding and just cull heavily,  Welcome to the thread! 

No chickens yet.  I like the crested breeds. Figured that when I retire in 11 months, I'd foster a heirloom breed or two as it probably  costs the same to house and feed a heirloom breed as a popular breed.  The American Livestock Breeds Conservation lists this breed as critical; found this thread and finished reading all the posts.  Only a few references to the bird being a meat bird.   Presuming the breed tastes OK. So, does anyone promote the breed locally as a meat bird even at a loss so a consumer base is developed and more people become interested in keeping a flock?  Not that I am looking to get into production.  Besides eating culls yourself, what do you do with them?

My plan is to eat mine if I ever have enough!  Only two pullets and a cockerel and the girls have not started laying yet.  My understanding is that they are very seasonal layers, so that could be an issue as far as why they are critically endangered.

Rarefeathersfarms says Sumatra are more heat tolerant, less flighty, and better layers. They aren't exactly popular either ( the bird, not the farm : ). 

I am so happy to see this thread and to find out that there are other Crevecoeur owners out there!  We just started with them last year, obtained them as gifts. Had no  intention of keeping them until they store our hearts and turned into such beautiful birds.

My one and only crevie hen is just into her 6th month.  I am hoping that once the weather warms up here that she will start laying. 

Do you know if laying depends on seasonal weather or if they would lay all year around if in warm area? 

Is gestation 21 days?

yes it's 21 days just like most all chickens on the eggs. No , I live in south Georgia been hot all winter here and still no eggs from them, they are seasonal layers, depends on day light hours pretty much, temp doesnt have much to do with it. They lay here from March- Oct on average

Crevies are stated as laying medium white eggs.  My pullet has just gotten into her 6th month.  I am finding a tiny little egg every so often, but it is brown.  I have no other pullets or hens that could be laying this small an egg. 

Is it possible that the eggs would start off brown and then get whiter?  Or could it be an Orpington roo that mated with her.

This week I am going to be segregating the Buff Orps, the Orps, and the Crevecours so that the eggs that will be hatching will breed true.

no all crevie eggs and even polish are nice and white, some may be VERY slightly tented cream, but most a nice and white. If it's a true crevie it will not lay a colored egg ever. The roo that bred her will have no control over the egg color either. I'd get them seperated like you said. I think you have another hen laying a small egg in there with her. Do you have any pics of them, the birds that is?   If she infatc is laying brown eggs, she's a mix of some sorts... but my bet is just hen to egg mix up.

My bantam crevies do lay a pretty small egg, about 1 .5  to 1.75 inches long maybe a bit bigger around than a quarter. Never had large fowl so not sure how big there's are

Haven't seen an eggs from mine yet, but they sure are making a heck of a pre egg laying racket!  And the cockerel has been sitting in the nest box while the girls look on. Any day now....

got 2 today to start the season off with