Houdans

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HaikuHeritageFarm

HaikuHeritageFarm

Crowing
13 Years
Jul 7, 2010
1,824
1,192
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Memphis, TN
What's up with Houdans? I am interested in the breed. It seems like there were a couple of farms that had the White Houdans a year or two ago, Yellow House Farm being one, I think, and now they have just disappeared. Apparently even though Sand Hill has them on their list, they haven't really been able to send any out in the last couple of years. Is there ANY source for these birds anymore?

Aside from Daune Urch, any other recommended breeders for the Mottled? Has anyone tried the hatchery stock lately, specifically Ideal and Welp? What were those like? I am least interested in hearing about cosmetic faults, I want to know if they are hardy, decent layers, and up to size/meatiness.
 
As for LF Mottled Houdans, I think Duane Urch is one of the few, if not the only, with them at the closest to the standard. . . Otherwise, for some reason they just weren't popular enough, and went down the hatchery lane of being strictly for ornamental purposes, and today in the USA, it is very hard to get a good dual purpose one, let alone a good quality one. Even back in the 50's, Houdans were only advertised for their production capabilities. There were still good breeders though. Walt showed a photo of a remarkable 8 + lb hen before, but the owner gave up and sold all the birds years ago.
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I've seen McMurray's Houdans and thought they were the ugliest "tophats" you could find, I've heard of a hatchery that simply took Anconas and crossed them with Polish. . . Not sure on Welp or others though. Rarely do a see a decently meaty hen, and even less often do I see a male with nearly hidden wattles and a good sized crest.
 
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Well, I guess I will try some hatchery birds first just to see what they're like. Hopefully within the next couple of years I will be back on a bit of land, or at least somewhere I can have roos, and track down some good breeder birds like these:

 
I have standard MH and I am planning on getting some bantams from boggy bottom this year. I love them. They are one of my fav breeds. Breeders for them are hard to fine especially the white I have been looking for them for a couple of years now. I know another BYCer has been looking for them to with no luck.
 
I have some nice bantam mottled houdans, they do throw about 5% white chicks, lost all my standard white a couple years back due to a coyote invasion.
They all came originally from Jim Parker, if he still has any, you'll find none better in the country
 
Well, just found out a local BYC friend hatched out a couple of Houdan chicks for me to try out.
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No info on what lines they're from, I guess they came from birds out of hatching eggs bought on BYC, but at least it will give me some time with the breed to see if I like them! I am very excited to get my hands on them.

It sounds like Dave West would be a good source for GOOD birds. Does anyone have contact info for him? I also saw reference to a KNA Farm that took a Res. Champ with a mottled cock at the Top of Ohio Poultry Club Show in 2009. Anyone know who that is? Seems most are trying to cobble together foundations from as many hatchery sources as they can find, and at least one person mentioned recreating the breed with Anconas and Crevecours. I wonder how that's going...
 
In February Poultry Press under the advert of several breeds there is Mottle Houdan Exhibition Large Fowl for sale. His name is Jeff Oxley from Athens, Ohio.
 
In my experience with Houdans they just are not very hardy. They have all died too easily, usually after they are grown and laying also. I have beenthinking about trying them again, but with small numbers. I would hate to put alot of money into them then lose them agian.
 

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