Chantecler Thread!

[Ted Brown]

Details re Standard of Perfection for Chanteclers.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ers-for-breeding.1659583/page-2#post-28539418

 

[Folly's place]

Ted, your birds are beautiful!
I'm debating , hatch some eggs here, or order some chicks, or wait till next year. And I'm worried about our postal service, getting any by mail.
Mary

 

[Ted Brown]

@Folly's place Thank you Mary!

After 4 years I believe I am self sufficient with Chanteclers of good heritage and SOP conformance.

This year I will move from random egg collection to controlled breeding using selected birds from both sexes. Will attempt to identify which hens laid which eggs and track which chicks emerge so I can seek to improve egg production & characteristics (eg shell colour and size) as well as conformance to SOP.

I hatch to increase bio-security and to maintain flock size and production through the seasons. There is still time to hatch pullets that will start to lay before next winter sets it.

As you will know, adding layers to a flock is almost a year long process. Best to start sooner... good luck!

 

[Ted Brown]

@Eelantha

Melissa, I saw your on my post above. Long time no chat,I hope everything is good with you!

 

[InvertGang]

Wow, what beautiful birds! I'm hoping to start a flock of Chanticler one day, when I buy my own property. They're top of my list for climate appropriate, dual purpose birds good for a long term flock.

 

[Eelantha]

@Eelantha

Melissa, I saw your on my post above. Long time no chat,I hope everything is good with you!

Hi Ted!

Long time no chat, indeed! Life drew me away from BYC and I only started visiting again recently, after I lost my flock in early March. It's been a series of ups and downs over here. I've crammed all my chicken notes into a file and might make an article about what my flock taught me over the years. But not right now though, as I'm cleaning house in preparation to move out at the first opportunity.

I'm very happy to see you being self-sufficient with your Chanteclers! You posted some amazing pics of your roosters and I gotta say, they're all very gorgeous birds. I wanna hug them all, lol. Did you find your three breeding roosters out of your nine boys?

 

[Ted Brown]

Hi Ted!
...
I'm very happy to see you being self-sufficient with your Chanteclers! You posted some amazing pics of your roosters and I gotta say, they're all very gorgeous birds. I wanna hug them all, lol. Did you find your three breeding roosters out of your nine boys?

Melissa, I am sorry to hear of the loss of your flock.

I too have had losses not of that magnitude but know of the ups/down. I originally got fertilized eggs from Rejean Girard, had a low percentage hatch rate but got a total of 10 or so chicks. I raised them as part of my flock but learned that multiple 4-6 month old cockerels can become a marauding gang when I found a dead pullet in the run. I moved them to the run and very shortly found all five as piles of feathers. My fault entirely as I left access for whatever it was that visited. Biggest problem was I lost all the males I had and took about 18 months before I visited Rejean and got one rooster and one each of his four family groups;from them came the cockerels and 14 pullets.

I have used the multi-step approach suggested in my thread (eliminate the worst first) but so far only two have left. I have my eye on several more but busy with Spring work and life (7 month old grandson!), also have to get into the right frame of mind.

Like you I have learned a lot and am much more disciplined in my practices. Still lots to learn especially given I plan to attempt to breed to the SOP.

Moving is never fun, even if one has a better situation as the next step. I hope that is your case and that more chickens are in your future. When you have a moment and are settled send an update (via a conversation post here works).

Best of luck!!