Chantecler Thread!

[Aluckyshot]

Slowly nearing my first full year of having a small flock of Chanteclers, beautiful birds that seem to consistently lay between 4 and 5 eggs a day out of the 6 girls that are egg laying age. I found a rooster and I am happy to report that this year they doubled their flock size to 14 birds, still waiting to see how many are pullets and how many are cockerels. These chicks were adorable and melted my heart, thankfully my other flock of Silkies has grown also from 2 hens, a rooster, and now 6 baby chicks. These chicks are even more adorable, still love my Chanteclers though, nice big birds that will eat treats out of my hand and have the cutest run when called over for treats!

 

[hellbender]

Slowly nearing my first full year of having a small flock of Chanteclers, beautiful birds that seem to consistently lay between 4 and 5 eggs a day out of the 6 girls that are egg laying age. I found a rooster and I am happy to report that this year they doubled their flock size to 14 birds, still waiting to see how many are pullets and how many are cockerels. These chicks were adorable and melted my heart, thankfully my other flock of Silkies has grown also from 2 hens, a rooster, and now 6 baby chicks. These chicks are even more adorable, still love my Chanteclers though, nice big birds that will eat treats out of my hand and have the cutest run when called over for treats!

I'm very glad to see this post...None of my Chantecler pullets are anywhere near POL and I was wondering what I could expect, at least in the earlier part of the first laying cycle.

For hatching, I like to use eggs for somewhat more mature hens and hopefully they don't drop off too drastically after an initial 'bloom'. Also I'm wondering what age is generally accepted as the higher limits of being good producing hens....3..4 years or more?

Thanks to any and all replies.

RON

 

[Aluckyshot]

I'm very glad to see this post...None of my Chantecler pullets are anywhere near POL and I was wondering what I could expect, at least in the earlier part of the first laying cycle.

For hatching, I like to use eggs for somewhat more mature hens and hopefully they don't drop off too drastically after an initial 'bloom'. Also I'm wondering what age is generally accepted as the higher limits of being good producing hens....3..4 years or more?

Thanks to any and all replies.

RON

I was mocked at first as my pullets weren't laying anything for at least a couple of months when I got them last year, I would classify this as their first laying cycle and I am happy with their production. I too am curious as to what is considered the upper limits of age for the egg laying, if anyone has some information that would be great!

 

[hellbender]

I was mocked at first as my pullets weren't laying anything for at least a couple of months when I got them last year, I would classify this as their first laying cycle and I am happy with their production. I too am curious as to what is considered the upper limits of age for the egg laying, if anyone has some information that would be great!

Thanks for the reply. Perhaps someone with more experience will give us a clue.

 

[Folly's place]

I'm posting here after a year or so; I still have three nice white Chanty hens, two years old, and now added some Cackle Hatchery whites. Today at seventeen weeks of age, the largest cockrel is seven lbs, two are 6.5 lbs apiece, and the pullets are good sized too. All but one pullet have yellow legs, and no bad boys yet either. I'm not planning to show, just want some nice birds in my flock. Mary

 

[bruceha2000]

I was mocked at first as my pullets weren't laying anything for at least a couple of months when I got them last year, I would classify this as their first laying cycle and I am happy with their production. I too am curious as to what is considered the upper limits of age for the egg laying, if anyone has some information that would be great!

The 2 partridges I had (hatched and shipped from Ideal in early June 2012) started laying at 22-23 weeks. Like ALL the other girls, INCLUDING the "Yard art" Cubalayas, they laid well through their first winter. One laid straight through her second winter as well. The other shut down from mid-August to mid February her second winter and died of unknown causes early March. Fine at 8 AM, dead but warm and pliable at 11AM.

The first was a FABULOUS layer ... when she wasn't moulting or broody - the latter happening several times a year. Also a great forager but apparently oblivious to her surroundings as she was taken by a fox in late April this year. She laid 27 eggs in the 30 days before the fox got her. 8 or 9 eggs before a 1 day break was not uncommon. But too broody means lots of no egg periods. Thus I am expecting to get 4 white Chanteclers soon which reportedly are good layers and less prone to go broody.

Sorry I have no "how many years do they lay" information for you.

 

[hellbender]

The 2 partridges I had (hatched and shipped from Ideal in early June 2012) started laying at 22-23 weeks. Like ALL the other girls, INCLUDING the "Yard art" Cubalayas, they laid well through their first winter. One laid straight through her second winter as well. The other shut down from mid-August to mid February her second winter and died of unknown causes early March. Fine at 8 AM, dead but warm and pliable at 11AM.

The first was a FABULOUS layer ... when she wasn't moulting or broody - the latter happening several times a year. Also a great forager but apparently oblivious to her surroundings as she was taken by a fox in late April this year. She laid 27 eggs in the 30 days before the fox got her. 8 or 9 eggs before a 1 day break was not uncommon. But too broody means lots of no egg periods. Thus I am expecting to get 4 white Chanteclers soon which reportedly are good layers and less prone to go broody.

Sorry I have no "how many years do they lay" information for you.

Sorry for your loss and thanks for the reply. I guess many of us will know or have some idea if we keep the breed long enough. I for one, am totally smitten with their personalities. I have several that, at 10 to 12 weeks, fly upon my arms, legs a head when I sit in the grow-out pen and observe them. Many of the pullets will let me stroke them but none of the cockerels will go for that...

 

[Aluckyshot]

"But too broody means lots of no egg periods. Thus I am expecting to get 4 white Chanteclers soon which reportedly are good layers and less prone to go broody."

Well that less likely to go broody is probably not too accurate but my experience is limited and I also wanted babies so I let them build up a clutch of eggs. As can be seen in this picture 3 of my 6 girls decided to go broody at the same time. Now just shy of two months later I have another girl that is sitting on eggs.

Once I had 8 chicks I booted everyone off the remaining eggs, not sure how many will hatch this round though but I suspect she is only sitting on half a dozen eggs at the moment. I have a pretty white Silkie also who just hatched another 6 babies, now those things are insanely adorable, poor lighting in the picture though.

 

[Candy442]

Well that less likely to go broody is probably not too accurate but my experience is limited and I also wanted babies so I let them build up a clutch of eggs. As can be seen in this picture 3 of my 6 girls decided to go broody at the same time. Now just shy of two months later I have another girl that is sitting on eggs.

I have three White Chantes...none of which have ever tried to go broody the two years I have them. I have two buff chanteclers where one has never tried but the other is a serial broody. The worst of them all is their sister, a buff colored chantecler/ameracauna mix hen that has gone broody three times since it got warm here (all my birds are from John Blehms line).

I will be adding a white cockerel from Cackle Hatcher that Follys Place has so I see many white chantes in my future
but...probably have to incubate the eggs!

 

[bruceha2000]

So the sample size of 2 responses says I have a 50% chance of not having broody Whites

Of course 50% of my Black Australorps (= 1) and 50% of my Cubalayas (also = 1) are frequently broody.

I can't raise my own from eggs. DD1 is an "emotional vegetarian". She won't eat an egg that MIGHT be fertile because it COULD turn into a chicken if incubated. Nor can we eat any of our animals nor can anyone else so I couldn't re-home cockerels even if the first part wasn't an issue.