Chantecler Thread!

[Beour3rd]

The next season I got eggs from a woman in Ontario. I was very happy with these birds and kept most of the pullets to breed to the cockerel I had. The only other input I had was a cockerel from John Blehm last year.

would you have this woman from ontario's contact info still?

 

[coopslave]

one of the factors in my choice of the Whites was that I wouldn't have too much to worry about in the color. I can just focus on production, type, and temperament/behavior. There will be plenty there to keep me busy and learning for many years to come!

Kathleen

Very smart advice. Adding complicated feather to the equation always makes it more difficult. Especially with the challenges the Partridge Chantecler has.

Were you happy with the chicks sired by the Blehm cockerel?

Very happy with what he gave me with the hens I had. He was not the perfect specimen but he has added many things to my flock that were needed. I will be using him on a select few older hens this spring again and then using a very nice son of his over the others.

would you have this woman from ontario's contact info still?

I don't have her info still. I am not sure she even has them anymore.

Should comment that is where the light ground colour came from, but I am happy to work thru that because they had very nice shape and pencilling.

 

[Chantecler7]

If it was Tara Higgins, I may still have her contact info.

 

[Arielle]

I'm looking for basic info on dressed wt of cckl and hen at 16-20 weeks ?

Am only part way thru this thread . . . .if anyone can direct me to a page?

 

[RhodeRunner]

I'm looking for basic info on dressed wt of cckl and hen at 16-20 weeks ?

Am only part way thru this thread . . . .if anyone can direct me to a page?

There isn't a correct answer, as this question is dependent on the individual bird, bloodline, and method of housing. I just weighed some birds around that age bracket. The cockerel was 7.5 pounds and the pullets around 5 pounds.

We tend to let ours grow until around 6 months before eating, as they do grow rather quickly in the 4 - 6 month range.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Thank you for your quick response.

Given the variation by line, perhaps others will share their number too.

 

[coopslave]

If it was Tara Higgins, I may still have her contact info.

Tara isn't in Ontario, she is in Alberta. I haven't got any of her birds.

 

[coopslave]

There isn't a correct answer, as this question is dependent on the individual bird, bloodline, and method of housing. I just weighed some birds around that age bracket. The cockerel was 7.5 pounds and the pullets around 5 pounds.

We tend to let ours grow until around 6 months before eating, as they do grow rather quickly in the 4 - 6 month range.

Thank you for your quick response.

Given the variation by line, perhaps others will share their number too.

I, personally, have found 20 weeks is to early to process the Partridge Chantecler. The physical weight may be ok, but I have found the next 2 - 4 weeks is when they put on some breast meat. I have processed before at 20 weeks and won't again. I like them best at 24 weeks but some end up being a little younger of course. At 22-24 weeks I get an average of right around 5lbs for a processed and wrapped bird with no gizzard or neck. Just a clean carcass.
I should also state that I stop free ranging for the last month to month and a half and start to introduce more grains and especially corn. I just happen to like corn feed chicken and limiting the activity seems to help with texture of the meat. None of my cockerels I plan to eat have ever tread a hen. I, again personally, find it changes both the texture and flavour of the meat if they have been breeding. I have processed older roosters, but they make great stock, soup and stew.
I am happy with feeding them that long. I grow them out to get the best breeding bird anyways, but some people don't want to feed as long to get them in the freezer.
Please note that these are all personal observations and preferences. Just things I have found from my experiences with the breed.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: This is great information. Thank you for sharing.

THis is what I was looking for. THe meat in the breast goes on last and I was looking for the dates to have the most meat-- afterall that is why I would raise it , not for the bones. lol

Your points make a lot of sense to me. Holding them in a pen the last 4 weeks IMO decreases the use of the legs and that puts more energy into the growth, too.

How much space do you allow for the cckls the last month??

 

[Quechicks]

We started with the Partridge variety, and found them to be a great homesteading breed.  They mature rather quickly, and developed with a solid frame, so you can pretty much eat them at any age.  The roosters grow around 9.5 - 13 pounds, and the hens around 6.5 - 8 pounds. The hens start laying around five to six months, and are good layers of large (Grade A) brown eggs.  They do get very broody.  The temperament has been excellent with the Partridges.  We never had an aggressive rooster, and the hens are quite calm and social. 

I tested two groups of our Partridges Chanteclers by allowing one group to free-range, and cooping the other group.  They both grew just as quickly, which we did not find true with quite a few of our other breeds.  The free-rangers ate around 50% of what the caged Partridge Chanteclers consumed.  We didn't have any casualties.  They didn't wonder as far as our gamefowl, but that actually keeps them safer. 

We liked the Partridges so much, so we bought some whites.  They matured just as quickly, but where a great deal smaller.  With hens maturing around 4-5 pounds, and roosters around 6.5 pounds.  The roosters where extremely aggressive, and the hens where rather flightly. They where better layers then our Partridges, and ranged just as well.  Unfortunately, I wasn't pleased with our whites, so I culled them.  We might try them again someday, as not all lines are like the one we purchased. But, none of us are that big of a fan of the color white on a bird.

I hope you will try again cause tge way you describe tgem well...doesn't sound Chantecler to me.. way too small and the rois aren't agressive though almost all the starting brreds were "fighting" breeds.....you have to have that proud and fighting looks in the male....

Isabelle