Chicken Breed Focus - Chantecler

[sumi]

The Chantecler is a dual purpose Canadian breed that was developed starting around 1908 by Brother Wilfred Chatelain, in the agricultural school associated with, Cistercian Abbey in Oka, Quebec. He set out to create a tough and hardy breed that was well suited to the harsh Canadian winters, as well as being a good layer and good meat bird. The breed was introduced to the public in 1918, and became a useful breed for very cold climates. The Chantecler is notable for having a very small cushion comb and almost no wattles, making it very resistant to frostbite. Its temperament is generally calm and quiet, though young birds can be flighty. They are generally very good foragers. The hens are excellent winter layers of large brown eggs, do go broody fairly often and make good mothers. They are considered an excellent table bird.

The Chantecler is one of only two chicken breeds developed in Canada. The name Chantecler was created from the combination of the French ‘chanter,’ “to sing,” and ‘clair,’ “bright”. The original Chantecler developed by Brother Chatelain was a White bird, later Dr. J. E. Wilkinson of Alberta, Canada developed the Partridge color for a bird more suitable for keeping free range. Buff and Red among other colors have also been developed. Breeds were used in the creation of the Chantecler, including Dark Cornish, Cochins, Leghorns, Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds and Wyandottes.

Commercial breeds replaced the Chantecler over time, and by 1979 the Chantecler was no longer found in the university or commercial hatcheries and in danger of extinction. A number of small flocks persisted, and it has regained popularity in the last ten years or so, and can again be found available in a number of commercial hatcheries.

It was recognized by the APA in 1921 and is on The Livestock Conservancy's Critical list.

Details:

Breed purpose: Duel Purpose, Meat Bird.
Comb Type: Small Cushion comb
Broodiness: Frequent, good mothers.
Climate Tolerance: Good, very cold hardy.
Weight: Rooster 8.5 lbs, Hen 6.5 lbs.
Egg Productivity: Fair-Good, very good winter layer.
Egg Size: Large
Egg Color: Brown



Pic by @TimG


Pic by @TimG


Pic by @Mac22


Pic by @chickenbike


Pic by @chickenbike


BYC Breed reviews:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/products/chantecler

General breed discussions & FAQ thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/243277/chantecler-thread/0_20

Do you own Chanteclers? Are you a Chantecler breeder? If so, please reply to this thread with the your thoughts and experiences, including:

· What made you decide to get this breed?
· Do you own them for fun? Breeding? Some other purpose?
· What are your favorite characteristics about this breed?
· Post some pics of your birds; male/female, chicks, eggs, etc!

We have a bunch of other awesome breed-focus threads for you to enjoy. You can see all of them here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-breed-focus-project.975504/

 

[bruceha2000]

"Details:

Breed purpose: Duel Purpose, Meat Bird."

That would be duAl Purpose, we don't want our chickens to fight

I had 2 Partridge Chanteclers from Ideal, hatched June 2012. They were pretty birds and fairly calm, not aggressive in the flock. They laid the low end of USDA Medium ... occasionally, and went broody several times a year. Only 1 was a winter layer after their first winter as laying pullets.

One died of unknown causes March 2014 after she started laying again mid February. Fine at 8 AM, dead, warm and still pliable at 11. I couldn't find any external issues nor anything internal by palpitation.

The other was a laying machine when she wasn't broody. Averaging 3.3 eggs a week through her laying life, she just about matched my Black Australorp and EE that have never gone broody. Sadly she was a better forager than lookout and was taken by a fox in April 2015.

I would give these birds a thumbs up, but with the caveat that at least the ones I got didn't lay anywhere near a USDA Large egg and their broodiness would be a positive only if you are breeding them. They spent a fair bit of time in the broody buster, I have no roosters and sitting for weeks in an empty nest is not healthy for a hen.

 

[duluthralphie]

I have Partridge Chanticlers.
I call them PC for short.

I love the PC's, I just got the hens so I really cannot tell you much about them. They seem docile enough. I have them mixed in with my flock at the moment and do not know which egg or if they are laying eggs. I am guessing they are considering I got 19 eggs for 19 hens yesterday.


I got them from a fellow BYC'er from Minnesota. He had an extra EE rooster with Blue egg gene and I needed one. He told me he was going to give me a PC rooster too. I have to admit I was not that excited. That rooster has changed my mind! I love the PC!

We have a terrible time with frozen combs up here. Not a problem with the cushion comb. He is a large bird. I am thinking of using him over my Dixie rainbows for a larger dual Purpose chicken. I am also going to use him on a couple EE hens as I have almost all blue eggs in my EE's. I hope to get an olive eggs. But I am getting off course..



The PC rooster is now my head rooster. He was very slow integrating into the coop. He was never a pushy rooster and is not yet. BUT he does not allow any monkey business in his coop. He is the perfect gentleman. When treats are found or thrown to them he never eats them. He calls the hens over to eat. I have joked many times he is going to starve to death as I never see him eat.

He is respectful of people, he does not attack the dogs, he watches them but he watches everything. He does not roost high, he roosts low and near the chicken door to the enclosed covered pen. I like a rooster that sleeps by the door instead of up high, to me it indicates he is doing his job. When I put them to bed at night he will let me pet him, but he allows lets me know he is above being touched by a human. ( a little grumble).


I was offered a chance to get two hen from the same BYC'er this winter. I jumped on it. I really like him and if the hens are half as good as he is, I will be more than happy. I am hoping to spread his young all around the state. We have many on the surviving Minnesota thread that want PC's because of what the guy I got them from says about them. The guy I got them from says he has a larger better rooster than he gave me. That must be a super rooster because Ed (my rooster) is no slouch!

The EE I originally wanted I gave away, he did not work out. The "junk" rooster I did not want has changed my view of birds and the PC completely! I will try to find some pictures of them.


BTW I give them 5 thumbs up.


Here he is hanging out in front of the coop his normal spot.




Below is him this fall in molt, he lost some royal looks then!



Below he is just watching during Chicken TV time. He points out treats to the girls. When I rotor till he follows me and points out grubs to the girls.


The picture is not very good below. but I had some new chicks and poults I had just moved from my brooder to FR and tractor living. This was the chicks first day out. He actually sat with the chicks, protected then and let them crawl all over him. You would have thought he was a broody hen. This is normal for him. You see no hens there, just him baby sitting!


The next two picture are what he looked like the day I got him. and he did his quarantine time.




Ed and Ole on day of arrival here. I was so happy with Ole when I should have been happy for Ed.

As far as the originating place of my "flock" I have no idea, the fellow BYC'er keeps tight lips on that. I do know they are not hatchery stock.


Below are my girls during their quarantine time. They are as pretty as a bird can be! Perfect 10s! They have now joined my FR flock,

 

[3riverschick]

The creator of the Chantecler breed only used white. The brown Albertan was created later by another person from different stock. Only problem was, when the Albertan was submitted to th APA for approval, the APA decided they were Partridge Chanteclers. Any breed purist will tell you the only true Chantecler is White. The Partridges are Albertans by science and specific breeding. Any other color than those 2 is a mongrel bird. If you want a true Chantecler, then you must get the White bird. Only the stroke of a pen, not heritage or breeding, made the Albertan a Partridge Chantecler.
Best Regards,
Karen

 

[iamfivewire]

 

[Acre4Me]

@Folly's place and @BantyChooks - Thanks for the opinions. You both hit upon the reasons I can't determine if M or F. The tail feathers and the redness of comb/wattles at 13 weeks makes me think male. But the lack of any wattle development, and a pretty flat cushion comb make me think female. I went to my APA book to see if there were any defining traits between M and F for the breed and it isn't helping either! White birds are harder to see feathering differences, but with the Chantecler having such small combs and wattles for either sex, makes it pretty difficult to determine at this age, it seems.

We can take our unwanted birds to an auction tomorrow, so I'm trying to determine who is going. This one might get a reprieve until October (next auction possibility) since we are unsure. Also, it is not causing any troubles with the flock at this point (unlike a few others that will certainly be going to auction) so there should be no problems with keeping this one for now.

 

[BantyChooks]

Glad to see this thread on the front page again. Despite a few setbacks and losses, I have had a decent year with my buff chantecler bantams. I am hopeful for next spring's breeding pens.

 

[duluthralphie]

A hooded figure in a shapeless black cloak approaches Bob and his plate of marshmallow fudgies. A strap runs from his shoulder to his hip with a leather case hanging from it. It looks like it fits a long dagger.
“Bob...” He says in a rough voice.

Bob is here too!! Stomp on him now!

 

[ChemicalchiCkns]

Wrong thread. XD

I was trying to figure that out...

 

[duluthralphie]

The creator of the Chantecler breed only used white. The brown Albertan was created later by another person from different stock. Only problem was, when the Albertan was submitted to th APA for approval, the APA decided they were Partridge Chanteclers. Any breed purist will tell you the only true Chantecler is White. The Partridges are Albertans by science and specific breeding. Any other color than those 2 is a mongrel bird. If you want a true Chantecler, then you must get the White bird. Only the stroke of a pen, not heritage or breeding, made the Albertan a Partridge Chantecler.
Best Regards,
Karen

While I completely agree they are not the same breed, developed by different people. I do disagree they are not both Chanticlers. One is partridge chanticleer the other is simply White chanticleer or simply chanticler.

It is just semantics and however the name partridge chanticler came about (yes, I know the story) They are now Partridge chantilcers, the OP did not differentiate. So neither did we. I have no other chanticler to compare the Partridge chanticlers too, but I sure consider them to be Partridge chanticlers.

Had the APA decided to call one or both the breeds Poodles I would be calling them poodles today. It is impossible to say one is a chanticler and the other is not IMHO, Respectfully submitted.


The white chanticler is made up of Dark Cornishes, White Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds, White Plymouth Rocks and White Wyandottes, That kind of makes it a mongrel too then.


BTW I do not get to hung up on names, I have nicknames for most the breeds I own.