Chantecler Thread!

[Candy442]

Hi everyone. I've heard great things about Chanteclers and am interested in them. I am wanting a good meat bird and I've heard that these have good breast meat and are at processing weight by 4 months. I've also heard they are flighty. Would I have to worry about them getting over a 6 ft fence?

I love them! Never flighty, very laid back and large. Our Chanteclers would not be ready for processing at 4 months... more like 6 to 7 months. We usually process the young boys earliest at 6 months and they dress out at 3 to 3.5 lbs at that age. I have not done any after 7 months yet.

 

[cppeace]

Hmm so pretty average for heritage then. Was wanting one more like 4-5 months if possible. I'm all for helping out the numbers on a critically endangered breed though, so they are still a good possibility for me

 

[Candy442]

Hmm so pretty average for heritage then. Was wanting one more like 4-5 months if possible. I'm all for helping out the numbers on a critically endangered breed though, so they are still a good possibility for me

That weight is just our experience. We do not go overboard on feeding high protein and they free range quite a bit. Our entire flock will stay behind a 24" high rabbit wire fence! I am sure some could be more adventurous...the young cockerels do fly out, but our older hens are happy as long as they have lots of area to peck and scratch at. The year old birds are 6 - 7 pounds no problem. But I would find out from others on this thread their experience with weights/age. Just love them for cold weather and small waddles/combs.

 

[cppeace]

Oh yes, being cold hardy is very important. My ducks were like little troopers just wading through the snow last winter. Was adorable.

 

[blkjak]

Cold hardy is the one of the most important traits for me. In a province where it can reach -50 C its a must. Heat tolerant too though, yesterday it was +30 C.

 

[cppeace]

I love Brahmas and they are very cold tolerant, but currently can only have one main breed and feel it would be best to help an more endangered breed than a popular one like Brahmas

 

[bruceha2000]

I've also heard they are flighty. Would I have to worry about them getting over a 6 ft fence?

flighty vs flyers!

At least as I describe chickens:
- Flighty are the ones that don't want you to get too close to them (unless you have FOOD!!!!! of course).
- Flyers are the ones that go over the fence.
- Flighty birds can be flyers and fliers can be flighty

None of my birds are pets so they don't come running for a nice neck scratch but neither of the Partridge Chanteclers were flighty. They weren't particularly heavy birds though and could fly if they wanted to. A 6' fence? I don't know, but they could get up on a 4' fence with no trouble at all so I SUSPECT they could have gone up 6' if they had a strong desire to do so.

One died of unknown causes March last year (3 months before she would have been 2), the other was taken by a fox late April this year.

I am getting 4 White Chantecler started pullets locally (well, 90 miles away but still in Vermont) later this year. I have no idea how they will be personality wise given they will already be at least a couple of months old and will not have grown up around me. Plus they will have to integrate into a flock of 9 three Y/O hens and 7 chicks that are now 24 days old. I think the WCs will be about the same age as the chicks, but again, being raised elsewhere there will be "flock dynamics" to deal with even among birds of the same age.

 

[MelissaZeno]

My Buff Chantecler has gone broody last week and she just reached a year old in April

 

[AlvinstonSusan]

Hi There,

Looking for a little advice on sexing our Partridge Chanteclers ... All hatched April 25th - 27th and are about 10 weeks old now.


From left to right: cockerel, cockerel, pullet, pullet, cockerel, pullet, cockerel (in the back).


Same group as above, same order, different angle.


From left to right: Not sure what breed this one is, we received hatching eggs for all our Partridge Chantecler this spring and this one happened to hatch out, the two on the right we think are cockerels. (Please excuse our turkey, he was lonely)


We think these are both cockerels.


Is this what a pullet should look like?


Same cockerel as the far right in the first photo.

Thanks for any assistance in our sexing.

Susan.

 

[CanuckBock]

Heel low:

Do the butt feathers...

Pointy saddle feather = BOY
Roundy cushion feather = GIRL​

Bantam Chantecler White butt feathers...Left is female / Right is male - Feb 2015​

Doggone & Chicken UP!

Tara Lee Higgins
Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm, Alberta, Canada