Brown Red Mottled D’Uccles Project

Egg Snatcher · Aug 7, 2023

F1Mille Fleur x F2 - 11 weeks

2 months. I don’t know how I missed this but this little hen has some sort of beak deformity. You can see the defect of the right side of her face. She will not be use in the project. Because I don’t like to get rid of birds with defects, she will free range (when she gets older) and stay for eggs and broody. I looked at last weeks pic and the week before and this defect is showing in those pics too.

I am going to go through all my project hens to make sure none have any sort of beak problems to try to keep from having anymore beak problems. I’m not sure why some are getting beak deformities, bc scissor and cricked beak is genetic and as far as I know none of mine have it, maybe it”s a recessive gene. Will have to do for research on it.

F1MFxF2 egg will hatch August 19th

Egg Snatcher · Aug 7, 2023

According to https://onceuponachicken.com/is-cross-beak-genetic/

There are two types of scissor beak inheritable and Non- inheritable.
Inheritable is noticeable when the chicks get older
Non-inheritable is when the chick hatches out with the deformity. Caused by temperature being two high during incubation.
Birds with beards or crest are more prone to getting scissor beak
“cross beak appears to display some kind of complex recessive inheritance.” Breeding two parents with scissor beak can produce normal chicks.
Can cause eye deformities
May have something to do with bone protein
Sigrid Van Dort says a bird with scissor beak can be used it a breeding program but bc it it a recessive gene it could pop up in future generations.

Even if I had chicks hatch out with scissor beak I still don’t want to take any chances.

Egg Snatcher · Aug 21, 2023

F2 Mille Fleur x F1 (second roo)- 5 weeks
I am keeping this little guy for now

This dude is going to be sold. His leakage I not what I am wanting. The leakage he has will end up covering most of his feathers instead of just the saddle and hackle feathers.

Egg Snatcher · Aug 21, 2023

F1Mille Fleur x F2 (second rooster)- 7 weeks

Egg Snatcher · Sep 1, 2023

Sorry about a late update, have been busy
I went through all of my birds and this is who I am keeping. I will continue to breed all the birds until October/November, and possibly continue breeding the birds I have kept until December.

12 weeks. Good eye color, feathered feet, vulture hocks, leakage. I wish she had more mottling, hopefully her chicks will be more mottled next year

1 year, I just think this hen is absolutely beautiful! I don’t know if this is a different kind of mottling but I like her. I haven’t decided wether or not I’m going to use her in the project next year.

1 year. This hen has the ideal leakage. She got ok muffs/beard, vulture hocks. Wish her eyes where red/orange

1 year. Ms BigFoot gets to stay! She does have iffy leakage but I like her feathered feet, vaulter hocks, and muffs/bested when she wasn’t molting them out.

1 year. I would like him to of had better muffs/beard, little to no wattles, better feathered feet. I do like that he is mottled nicely and has red/orange eyes

Egg Snatcher · Sep 1, 2023

Here is everyone I am selling

1 year. Doesn’t have any leakage, not nibble toe feathering, and not the best vulture hocks

1 year. (She is actually F1xF1) no leakage and not the best vulture hocks

Edit:
I like this hen but she just doesn’t have enough leakage on her neck or the best feathered feet

Dreamers Nook · Sep 1, 2023

This makes me excited, as I'm kinda going to do the same thing for personal use, hoping for various colored feathers.

Egg Snatcher · Sep 1, 2023

Here is what has deformities. I don’t like selling birds with problems so these ladies will stay strictly for egg laying and brooding chicks

1 year. Ms Janky. Possible feet definitely