Campine Chicken thread?

[chickenwelder]

Life has been busy and I forgot to give you all and update:

About mid November I started getting smallish off-white but almost white eggs. I was praising my little White Silkie hens, but they were not who laid them.

Then one afternoon my "Nice" Golden Campine was acting strange, talking funny and looking like trying to nest but no place was good enough.

So I let her be for a half hour or so all by her self, no one else with her. And when I came back she had next to her a warm smallish off-white nearly white egg! Since then the eggs have gotten bigger so they are now almost the size of a normal "large size" egg from the store.

My "Nice" Golden Campine was about 9 months old when I first started seeing eggs from her.

And in mid December the White Silkies started laying smaller more off-white eggs.

I have yet to see my "Mean" Golden Campine exhibit the same nesting behavior but there has still been no crowing, no spur growth, and no rooster-on-hen action.

My backyard flock contains 1 Black-Star Sex-Link, 2 White Silkies, and 2 Golden Campine; over the last month I have collected between 14 and 16 eggs each week.


The first two pictures are of my "Nice" Golden Campine:











This is my "Mean" Golden Campine (and a photo bomb by my Sex-Link):




Thank you for all your input over the last few months.

 

[debs_flock]

Wow, sure looks like a roo to me.

But then, my campines start trying to crow at 2 weeks.

Deb

 

[Wisher1000]

I read recently, in some of my research, that the hens are supposed to have a large comb that falls to one side (according to an OLD article that I can't cite right now.) Maybe she is a throwback to those days......

 

[chickenwelder]

They both are hatchery stock.

The eggs are not quite as white as I had thought they would be.

From left to right: Golden Campine, White Silkie, Black Star Sex-Link

I almost gave up, but because there was no crowing I kept calling them girls.

 

[debs_flock]

They both are hatchery stock.

The eggs are not quite as white as I had thought they would be.



From left to right: Golden Campine, White Silkie, Black Star Sex-Link

I almost gave up, but because there was no crowing I kept calling them girls.

Ah, my guess would be there is leghorn mixed in there somewhere. The girls do have a comb that lops over, but it is much smaller than that. My thought when I saw it was it looked a lot like a leghorn hen comb. I'll have to post a photo of one of my hens.

Deb

 

[buttrampoultry]

That is exactly what a the comb of a Golden Campine Female should look like. If you look at the Campines and Brakels (larger and Full tailed Version of our campine) of Europe they all have large developed combs. As a breeder of Campines for almost 10 years I can say they both are nice specimens of the breed. My best female was reserve Continental at the 2011 Crossroads show and she has a similar comb. I did not show in 2012. I am very impressed of how the comb follows the head- great shape. Those are both girls and nice ones as well. Where did they originate from? Watch eye color on the "mean" hen their a tad light, but both great specimens and would make great breeding birds.

 

[debs_flock]

They both are hatchery stock.

That is exactly what a the comb of a Golden Campine Female should look like.


Those are both girls and nice ones as well. Where did they originate from?

Great, then it will make it much easier to find quality stock.

 

[chickenwelder]

My hatchery is Dunlap Hatchery, in Nampa Idaho. www.dunlaphatchery.net

What do I need to watch for in the "mean" one's eyes? I am most likely not going to keep her but will be giving her to a friend. I am only allowed 3 birds where I live and currently I have 5, so a Campine and Silkie will be going to the friend.

Buttrampoultry, can you post a picture of some of your girls? I'd love to see them, I can never find enough on google.

 

[buttrampoultry]

If you don't want her I would take her. I am very impressed. Usually hatchery stock does not show the character of the body and type, but those two are nice specimens. The eye color is to be dark brown- almost black. the red/bay eye occurs and is something to breed against. I have a few, but only keep them if body and type outweighs the eye color. I breed from my darkest males though and that seems to keep the eye color problem to a minimum. I always say you have to build the barn before you paint, and eye color is just one of those tiny "paint" flaws that we have to watch for. I would put both in a breeding pen.
When you describe her as mean, is she aggressive or flighty? One of the downsides to this breed (as a show bird) is they prefer to be left alone and not handled as much as other breeds. As a range bird- these are my favorite to turn loose and watch roam the open pasture.

The flock is currently at my dad's I will try to get some pics in the near future.

 

[chickenwelder]

The "mean" one wants to kill me. She started out loving me as a chick, she loved to cuddle and hang out. But then one day she didn't. When I collect eggs I have to hold her down and at arms length or she will draw blood from my hands and arms.

The "nice" one wants only a few things out of life; to sit on my shoulder and rub her head against my ear, always be beside the Black-Star, and not have the Black-Star pick on the Silkies. I have seen her chest bump the Black-Star and have words with her when the Black-Star was picking on the Silkies. Then they both trot off and do chicken things away from the Silkies.



I don't remember where I found this, it may have been on this Thread, but I have found it very helpful.

http://www.archive.org/stream/cu31924003118621#page/n0/mode/2up


Thank you for the info on the eyes, I had no idea that was an undesirable trait.