Houdans

[Kassaundra]

I agree for me personally I like the about 50/50 white and black birds, but that is not SOP. But I do agree w/ SOP in no totally white feathers, it really detracts from the look of the mottling. I doubt I ever actully show anyway, I work on Saturdays and that is a lot of expense and time for little return. I know technically if you show and do well you might get more for your eggs, but seems to me if you breed well and have good parent stock and have pics of those parent stock you could get just about as much for the eggs???

 

[Puddin Fluff]

aoxo, I believe a while back on the for sale forum I saw advertised a pair of white possibly bantam houdans. I was on about a week ago and I think they were still there. I didn't look too close as they were not what I was after. You might do a scan.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

I guess the babies and I have a date with the nail clippers. I have trimmed their "hair" before and they are so calm it always surprises me. We'll see how they like it this time. They will get a little beard trim too. My silkie will probably get in on the barber shop as well

 

[zach N houdan]

I have a crest question I would like your opininons/advice on: we are not looking at showing Spike and Zeus again until possibly fair next year. I am considering giving them a trim around the eyes because they are basically "feather" blind at this point because their crests cover their eyes. This causes them, or at least Spike, to be a nervous wreck when she bumps into anther chicken she kinda freaks out and runs/flys away and sometimes into something else. It would be funny if it weren't for the fact that I she is afraid and I am afraid her inabiity to see will get her hurt. Thoughts?

i show Houdans, Polish,and Silkies and i do have to pull crest feathers from around the eye on the polish and houdans but not really on my silkies. But i recommend dont pull alot out only a few around the eye or covering the eye because if u pull to many out they may not come in as nice, they may change color so i would only trim a couple and on ur male silkies and Houdans keep an eye on there spurs cause they grow long and u dont want them tripping over there spurs!

 

[heritagehabitatfarms]

I take a scissors to mine make them a Mohawk lol... I'm not planning on showing this year tho...

 

[ashandvine]

I have also read you can 'tie up' their do. I imagine they'd look a bit like Pebbles.

Aoxa, Skittles is just to die for. I am not an SOP judge but she really fits the bill as far as I can see. Let her grow before you stress out over her mottling. She should develop over the next two years.

My hopes for Houdans are just about dead. The hatch I had hoped for out of AU looks like maybe four Favorelles. One Houdan is a slim possibility. Back to square one. I think Elias hit it on the head when he said that the heatwave affected fertility. Really really sucks for me though. My son has luckily been distracted by school restarting and a new Orp rooster. Once again HE gets what he wants that I DIDNT (he also got a turkey this year the little worm)

 

[Natural Eye]

and just for fun.. Skittles had half of her crest wet, and the other half dry. She is always into something!

oh. my. god. that is the most beautiful chicken I have ever seen.

 

[aoxa]

oh. my. god. that is the most beautiful chicken I have ever seen.

Thank you very much! She is definitely a keeper. If only she would lay already!

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Thank you very much!

She is definitely a keeper. If only she would lay already!

How old is she? Spike is going on 21 weeks and no signs of laying either. My Araucan pullet (her hatch mate) started laying last week so I am getting adorable little blue eggs but I am waiting on white!!!!

 

[Puddin Fluff]

I have also read you can 'tie up' their do. I imagine they'd look a bit like Pebbles.

Aoxa, Skittles is just to die for. I am not an SOP judge but she really fits the bill as far as I can see. Let her grow before you stress out over her mottling. She should develop over the next two years.

My hopes for Houdans are just about dead. The hatch I had hoped for out of AU looks like maybe four Favorelles. One Houdan is a slim possibility. Back to square one. I think Elias hit it on the head when he said that the heatwave affected fertility. Really really sucks for me though. My son has luckily been distracted by school restarting and a new Orp rooster. Once again HE gets what he wants that I DIDNT (he also got a turkey this year the little worm)

Thanks for all the above "hair cut" advice. My daughter wants to put a hair "scrunchie" on Spike to keep her feathers out of the way but i was afraid that the other chickens would just peck at it more. I am using nail clippers and taking off a few feathers at a time. Scissors near their eyes scare me as they never want to hold their head still and I don't want to go for the mowhawk look either. I love the "polka dotted circus affro" look

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Ashandvine, sorry your hatch isn't looking good. My houdans also came from UofA.