Chantecler Thread!

[ashandvine]

Partridge chanteclers, I assume? Their ages will be a factor as the smaller one may kick it into high gear at some point if he is still pretty young. Does he have a wide head, and feet bigger than it seems like he needs? Is he gangly right now? He could still surprise you. The other thing to consider is the one you intend to keep. Do either of the other two have something he doesn't?

How wide is the orange bird? How dark is the other bird? How much do they all weigh? Do you have any pictures of the three? Are they all well-mannered?

Rapid fire answers: yes PC, yes young, no not that gangly, no the one who is staying near perfect. He is the darkest, good type and a nice comb but it does have a wrinkle near his beak. Yes, one of them has something that he doesn't-- a jerky attitude with the ladies. Not impressed.
Should I tape measure the 'wide guy?' How does one gauge that really? He is about as wide and dark as the 'keeper.' I can get pics but the camera is being used for a child event tonight, IDK how much they weigh. I have no scales. I don't like the hacke on the light orange guy, esp how it meets his back. It almost parts instead flows down over the back. He is nearly a pumpkin orange but he is a good size. I figure he will make a good meal. Both of them have reasonable combs.... I'll just get pics but I think I have a hen who is going too. She is meaty but fluffy, lightest color (almost a straw) and her comb is horrible.

 

[RhodeRunner]

Rapid fire answers: yes PC, yes young, no not that gangly, no the one who is staying near perfect. He is the darkest, good type and a nice comb but it does have a wrinkle near his beak. Yes, one of them has something that he doesn't-- a jerky attitude with the ladies. Not impressed.
Should I tape measure the 'wide guy?' How does one gauge that really? He is about as wide and dark as the 'keeper.' I can get pics but the camera is being used for a child event tonight, IDK how much they weigh. I have no scales. I don't like the hacke on the light orange guy, esp how it meets his back. It almost parts instead flows down over the back. He is nearly a pumpkin orange but he is a good size. I figure he will make a good meal. Both of them have reasonable combs.... I'll just get pics but I think I have a hen who is going too. She is meaty but fluffy, lightest color (almost a straw) and her comb is horrible.

Scales are important, I recommend getting one ASAP! You don't want to breed anything underweight. If you have a house scale, you can stand on it with the chicken?

You could tape measure him. The main thing is to know what you are looking for, and not pick a narrow bird. Here is a video that may help clear things up.

I will await photos, and hold off on judgement until then. But, honestly it can be hard to judge birds from photo!

This all being said...on gangly rooster subject. In our experience the solid Chantecler cockerels, grow into the biggest roosters every time.

 

[ashandvine]

Scales are important, I recommend getting one ASAP! You don't want to breed anything underweight. If you have a house scale, you can stand on it with the chicken?

You could tape measure him. The main thing is to know what you are looking for, and not pick a narrow bird. Here is a video that may help clear things up.

I will await photos, and hold off on judgement until then. But, honestly it can be hard to judge birds from photo!

This all being said...on gangly rooster subject. In our experience the solid Chantecler cockerels, grow into the biggest roosters every time.

LOL This would require me having a scale and getting on it lol I am better off finding a scale I can put a chicken in. Thanks for the video. I am not sure what you mean be 'solid.' One seems tight and hard feathered and the other more loose. I do think he's wider but his color is awful. Let me get the camera....

Camera found! Ability and model-worthy birds still lacking...

Here is a pic of all three, favorite boy in the front. He is a year old. The others are about 7 mos a little more maybe. These were taken at sunset so the glare is tough. Keeper is front right, smaller darker cockerel is middle ground and orange wide cockerel is on the ramp


Orange boy again, see how light he is everywhere? And how his hackle really breaks at his back?


This guy is darker all over and tighter. His hackle seems to break here some too, like a woman's hair parted around her neck to come to the front of her shoulders, but it is NOT nearly as bad as the one above.


Here is keeper again. Can you tell it was bed time? And yes that pullet in the middle is very light but her comb is pretty good and her comb isn't bad.

 

[BGMatt]

As far as weighing goes, easiest method I found is using a postal scale, putting a dog crate on it, zero it out, then put bird in crate.

 

[RhodeRunner]

The boy in the middle is narrow and light in frame. The other birds are more preferable in the chest region!


This boy needs more time to grow, and fill out. Don't worry about the hackle feather break at this stage, roosters can grow out of that. I would like his back to slope downward more...instead of straight. But, that could be how he is standing.


This boy appears to have a nicer back, coloration, tail development (though set low), and possibly comb. Make sure he weighs enough.


He appears to be the nicest out of the three! Though he looks a little misshaped in the back...maybe that is his posture though. Check the front hen's weight, she seems small.

 

[ChicwannaB]

Anybody wanting to incubate some white Chantecler eggs??? I'll ship you 6 of them and pay the postage for $60.00 from Greg Oakes line in Ontario, via Jim A. Hall of Hall Family Poultry. They are fertile and wonderful COLD HARDY chickens. Pure white, no combs, no wattles, no frostbite. Great for cold climates. I have one who's broody right now and she's doing a great job of it.
PM me for address to send payment.

 

[ashandvine]

He appears to be the nicest out of the three! Though he looks a little misshaped in the back...maybe that is his posture though. Check the front hen's weight, she seems small.

Thank you for the input. So far the female you thought looked small was one you thought for me to keep once so it is hard in pics, I know. I plan to keep three hens/pullets and two cockerels.

So, I think I need some clarity here. Barns then paint, right? So, weight then color? I would hate to use the really light males because I am worried about lightening the color here more. I already have a pullet/hen who needs to go. I don't want to cull willy nilly when I only have 7 to start with, 3 cock/erels and 4 pullets/hens. I do know one of each needs to go. How do you rank what is important in this breed?

 

[suncatcher]

Quote: Great video, answered a lot of my questions, thanks for sharing!

 

[RhodeRunner]

Thank you for the input. So far the female you thought looked small was one you thought for me to keep once so it is hard in pics, I know. I plan to keep three hens/pullets and two cockerels.

So, I think I need some clarity here. Barns then paint, right? So, weight then color? I would hate to use the really light males because I am worried about lightening the color here more. I already have a pullet/hen who needs to go. I don't want to cull willy nilly when I only have 7 to start with, 3 cock/erels and 4 pullets/hens. I do know one of each needs to go. How do you rank what is important in this breed?

Correct, you always have to build the barn first. One could argue, that a partridge Chantecler isn't a partridge Chantecler...if it isn't partridge. But with chickens, color is the last thing to worry about! You have health, temperament, purpose, weight, and type...all of which come first!

How I rank things
1) Health - if a bird isn't healthy, it isn't worth raising.
2) Aggressive - if a bird is aggressive, it isn't worth raising.
3) Weight/Egg Production - I don't focus on turning my birds into production animals, but they should be productive. I expect Chantecler roosters around 8.5 - 10 lbs, Chantecler Hens 6.5 - 7.5 lbs, and approximately 4 eggs a week with first year hens. (I am understanding about extreme heat/cold.)
4) Type - General type creates the foundation for your bird, and also can tamper with a birds health, meat placement, and egg productivity.
5) Color - Last is coloration. I do not like to drift far from the original color...for example I wouldn't bred a red chested rooster. But, you have to work with...what you have, so don't feel to over-whelmed!

It is so hard to determine things through photos. So hang onto a copy of the standard, get a scale, and do your best! Considering that you only have four hens, you might not want to cull any unless they have serious issues. Culling down to two roosters though, would probably make your life easier. Do you ever head down to PA? We occasionally have roosters and hens available, and that might help your line. But, you are going to have lots of hatching and culling ahead of you! (Are you hatching yet?)

 

[Jake Levi]

Until you have a dozen or so hens I'd keep the selection process pretty much on the roosters, once you actually have some numbers of hens you can be shooting yourself in the foot to cull your hens.

Re color, I agree, production qualities first, then you can darken color. Get enough hens so you can produce the number of roosters to select within.

You will be surprised what a year can do for you in having enough to select within.