d'anver lovers,discuss the breed and post some pics!

[speckledhen]

This puzzles me. None of mine lay. Period. Even the youngest one does not lay. I have the three amigos who are ten weeks old only because Aimee did lay a batch of eggs they came from, but only Aimee. Carly laid a few and quit again. Sissy should lay since I think she's only about two years old, but she does not. It's been two years since Lucy laid an egg and about the same for Penny. I don't know how Aubrey collects eggs if his are like mine. Mine are useless as anything except pets. But, the hens are most definitely pets. And the little feather legged male is super sweet. Wish I had a need for another bantam rooster but I just don't.

Carly, Aimee and Penny, the originals, are 4 1/2 years old. Lucy and Mina are 3 years old. Sissy is about 2 years old. No eggs. Mina helps Carly watch out for the three little males, clucking like she was broody herself, but she does not lay. It's crazy. I thought maybe free ranging them more might help kickstart them but nope. Now, a huge redtail is stalking all my flocks and they're all scared to death and hiding so letting the bantams out of their covered pen is not an option for awhile. I guess the big birds would be slightly safer with their respective roosters on guard. I've never lost one to a predator but if this hawk doesn't find other game, my number may be up.

 

[joydix]

my little quail d'anver lays VERY regularly altho i had heard they weren't great layers...she is just over a year now. maybe they fall off more quickly than other breeds...perhaps Aubrey will weigh in?

 

[speckledhen]

my little quail d'anver lays VERY regularly altho i had heard they weren't great layers...she is just over a year now. maybe they fall off more quickly than other breeds...perhaps Aubrey will weigh in?

Mine were pretty every-other-day layers for the first year or two, or at least, the original hens were. After that, none of them have ever been layers much to speak of. This is one reason I'm not adding to mine at all, letting them slowly die out. I have two roosters and the six hens. My older rooster is the only original male, Aubrey, my porcelain. Spike, his mille split son, is 3 years old.

I wonder if it has to do with the color variety differences-I remember someone saying the porcelains did not lay as well. Lucy, Mina and Sissy were all sired by porcelain males (I'm not 100% sure on Lucy, but I am on the other two). My older original hens are all straight milles. So, when I added the porcelain blood into the milles, I may have shot myself in the foot on their laying ability somewhat. Does that make sense? Hope Aubrey or JJ will comment on that.

 

[HotDesertChick]

Thanks...Joydix, for the pics! (Sorry....I couldn't get your pics to load last night....Grrrrr).

Nice old door with the glass doorknob. Once upon a time, I had a smattering of these old glass knobs, and Victorian hinges, that unfortunately didn't make it through all of our moves (Hubby says I'm a Hoarder..) I still have a collection of antique faucet handles. The spearpoints, barrels & stars that we added to my chicken run have been hoarded for 10 & 15 years. YUP...I AM a Hoarder?! But....This kinda stuff can come in handy down the road? Just don't ever move?

Your adjacent hanger/hook, near the door?.. Does it hold keys,...or..? It would be great, to have an old skeleton key to hang beside your door entry, as it would fit the "era" of the door? I still have the original skeleton key from a bungalow that we extensively remodeled (ugh) near Vancouver, British Columbia, Ca. It might be fun to hang my worthless key beside me much-more (boring) modern coop door. Thanks, for causing a spark to ignite in my ancient brain.

Love, the "sponge-paint affect" inside ze coop. GREAT idea, for "camo". These blinkin' chickens are pretty messy. The nest box area looks a little like a Privy/outhouse. Anyway, to capitalize on the idea. But visitors might think it gross. Your "heart stepping stones" are fun too.

I don't think ANY of our chickens realize how much we do for them? Nah...

Living in The French Riviera... & all they do is Party.

 

[speckledhen]

@K Epp Karen, tagging you because of your recent hawk issue-this scene is what I found after I went out for the third time to see what the heck was up with all the chaos and found a Cooper's Hawk hanging on the side of their covered pen. This is what has been freaking out my birds, all of them, for a week, at least in part. I saw a Redtail over Isaac's pen a couple days ago, but they're big birds so not as vulnerable as the little guys.

Note the two little guys inside the concrete block.

 

[K Epp]

I haven't seen this hawk again, but have heard it a few times I still have all the bantam on lock down. I love all the pics. All my birds are finishing up molting. I'm looking forward to the long weekend. Hopefully the hawks moved on and I can turn them out a bit.

 

[trueblue8008]

Hello from Central Texas!

This is my new d'anver, Tom. I am very new to raising a flock and so far this is my starting point. No hens for this guy yet but that's why I'm here to get some more information on this guy and what he likes and needs to be happy and healthy. I didn't pick him intentionally, my girlfriend and I just happen to acquire him in the hopes of starting an egg producing flock.

Any advice is very much appreciated

 

[Bine]

Hi and congratulations to your rooster.
I am a big fan of an Atkins Diet for young roosters and add dog food, curd,..and hight protein/mineral scratch mix for game birds with milo,buckwheat, amaranth.... but maybe I just pretend that they grow and feather out better.
As you can see in the posts above d'anvers are not always the best layers, so maybe a bantam breed with better laying abilities like wyandottes would be a good match.
If he is a typical d'anvers rooster he will take good care of every girl no matter if she is a bantam or a standard bird. They are great little romeos and very protective. Try to make friends with him b/c sometimes they can get over protective when the girls beginn to lay/breed. My sweet little roosters always turn into hulk, when one of my girls sits.

 

[speckledhen]

@K Epp , especially, here is Rusty3. He's 1/2 the size of his two same-age brothers and just look at the mottling gene gone wild! He's adorable, but he's a biter and a screamer if you try to catch him. The feather legged one is calm and sweet. The larger one is just standoffish. Trying to sell these is a pain, as always. Someone wanted me to drive to Walmart to bring them to him, all three of them. I was only asking $1 each. Nope. The ad says, "For biosecurity reasons, MUST be picked up here at the farm". Guess they can't read. And if they can't read the entire ad, which also says you need a covered pen, makes me wonder what will happen to my boys. So, I said no way. I also asked to join the Bitter Creek group on FB you mentioned since I caved and at least for now, have a FB page.












The feather legged boy, more properly colored as his white is coming in.



And the largest male, coloring up beautifully.

 

[K Epp]

I had some one I know contact me and ask if I had any chickens I wanted to get rid of. In the same breath said his wife turned there Silkie flock out and now he only had 2 left. Well I have been thinking about getting rid of one of my Sizzle lines, but I'm sure as heck not selling them at the low ball price he wants to become food for some critter.

Facebook. I haven't seen you on there. I can prob name the guy he is a young teen who doesn't drive. He'll ask 5 million questions then ask you to meet him near his house. Initials LH if I'm right.