Barbu de Watermael thread?

[SarahLadd]

I don't think one exists. I would like to begin one. I am proud new mama to eight little fuzzy peeping watermael nuggets, hatched from shipped eggs.

I'll check in every couple months as they feather in with new photos.

They are 3 days old now in these pictures.

Please share your watermael, pictures of your watermael, information about your watermael!

 

[ChristineR]

I've been eyeing hatching eggs on eBay. Does anyone know how these guys are free ranging? Are they good, active foragers? I like them a lot, but I want them to do a good job scratching through my horse manure piles to keep the flies down.

 

[SarahLadd]

They're extremely small so you'd need a horde lol.

 

[casportpony]

Congrats, they are adorable!

 

[SarahLadd]

Congrats, they are adorable!

Thanks! I've been talking with someone who's intimately familiar with this breed and she thinks I have 3 probable cockerels and 5 pullets. The lavender quail, green bracelet and one of the blonde headed ones are looking like the boys in the bunch.

 

[SarahLadd]

Here's all 8 displaying shoulder feathers. These birds are 14 days old today.

 

[casportpony]

Several different colors. Cool!

 

[SarahLadd]

Several different colors. Cool!

5 quail, a lavender quail, and two buff colombian/quail crosses. The male colombian will look more full colombian when feathered.

 

[casportpony]

I need to go look those up! Sounds like a nice assortment.

 

[ChristineR]

They're extremely small so you'd need a horde lol.

Yeah, I know. I used to have Seramas, which I loved, but they aren't very hardy, so I thought these little guys might be a good fit. I'm allergic to chicken eggs, so I don't care a whole lot about egg size. I'm just wondering how active/good they are at foraging.