Chantecler Thread!

[hellbender]

Lovely! I love the size of them and your three are very nice at their young age.

Pearl is my first Chantecler and I ended up getting her two sisters several months later from Mary. Pearl was always the first out in the yard and the last one to go in at night. They all absolutely LOVE being out free ranging. However, the one summer someones dog ran into our yard mid afternoon to terrorize our flock, Pearl was found hunkered in semi tall grass by a large brush pile. She was "hiding" but being bright white I could see her an acre away. What I didn't know was if she was still alive since the dog managed to get one of our other hens.
Poor girl, she doesn't know she is bright white and the dog would have most definitely had seen her out there if we didn't intervene. Even our rooster (EE guy, very docile) ran to hide in our small woods behind our home. I walked up to her and she didn't move until I picked her up. Big beautiful girl...lol. Below is a photo of Pearl right after she was integrated into our flock.





As I said...not sure about their smarts ? But she did try to hide.

Pearl is a fine looking gal. I have 19 Chanteclers, all told as well as 4 Buckeye cockerels and 13 Dark Cornish (these are just the ones in the grow-out area). Not certain if the Chanteclers are taking hints from the very smart Dark Cornish but when anything flies over, Everyone darts for cover.

I have two Heelers that keep the birds relatively safe from any kind of attack during the day and 3 packs of mongrel Molossers that roam the farm (tightly fenced) when the chickens, goats and the daytime dogs are locked away. Don't ask for pics...they are homely but I 'created' my own brand of night-dogs by crossing a Caucasian Ovcharkia beiotch (female) with my Blue Heeler stud dog. It worked...Very surly creatures to strangers....that's everyone except me and my two adult kids.

 

[Candy442]

Here is our new acquisition from Folly's Place. She ordered straight run from Cackle and we purchased one of the cockerels.

He is about 19 weeks old. We are not breeding for show, but would like to keep the breed as accurate as possible. Please let me know what you think?

He does have some light yellow in his hackle, will this possibly go away when he molts?

He is about 6 lbs. We primarily were looking for the best cushion comb, then tail angle, then size, and then tightness of the feathers. He is our only boy for our breeding program with the girls I posted previously.



"Walter White"

 

[hellbender]

@Candy442 ... I guess by now you have googled? In fact, I suppose my dogs are more accurately called "Bandogs'...because they are not pure-bred. They are half Caucasian Ovcharka and half Blue Heeler....All Devil.

Bandogs are loosed at night to "keep order" in our very well fenced property.... the day time chicken-protection dogs and all other livestock have been safely locked away for the night.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Ban...w=#imgrc=_&usg=__F0WpJ3tgL8Grrbjrike7d4nOUcw=

 

[Candy442]

@Candy442 ... I guess by now you have googled? In fact, I suppose my dogs are more accurately called "Bandogs'...because they are not pure-bred. They are half Caucasian Ovcharka and half Blue Heeler....All Devil.

Bandogs are loosed at night to "keep order" in our very well fenced property.... the day time chicken-protection dogs and all other livestock have been safely locked away for the night.

wow! I searched Caucasian Ovcharka. I have never heard of that breed. My goodness I do not think I would want to be out in the night and have one of those to encounter But the Bandog is also an image to reckon with! Puts my adorable little Pomeranian on their "hors d'oeuvre" list LOL. You say "all Devil" are they mean by nature other than the people they live with? What have they managed to get while you are all sleeping?
Hope nothing that looks "human" ?
Or maybe they need a crossroads... Sam and Dean Winchester style.

It looks like our Walter is a nice cockerel. I am looking forward to seeing what we hatch next spring and will share pictures on the thread.

DH and I really do not watch that much TV...the names we think up may indicate otherwise though!!!

 

[Cockatrice6420]

@Candy442
... I guess by now you have googled?  In fact, I suppose my dogs are more accurately called "Bandogs'...because they are not pure-bred.  They are half Caucasian Ovcharka and half Blue Heeler....All Devil.

Bandogs are loosed at night to "keep order" in our very well fenced property.... the day time chicken-protection dogs and all other livestock have been safely locked away for the night.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Ban...w=#imgrc=_&usg=__F0WpJ3tgL8Grrbjrike7d4nOUcw=

I got curious and looked up "bandog" or "bandogge" Wikipedia says it's a mastiff of sorts from middle England used for night patrols. If you look for American Bandog you end up with just Bandog. Awesome looking creatures for sure, but seeming to be a breed of their own.

 

[hellbender]

I got curious and looked up "bandog" or "bandogge" Wikipedia says it's a mastiff of sorts from middle England used for night patrols. If you look for American Bandog you end up with just Bandog. Awesome looking creatures for sure, but seeming to be a breed of their own.

Their information is not correct. After thinking about it...I suppose almost any large POWERFUL dog with the temperament and ability to 'control' at least two men could be considered a 'Bandog'. Their job, beginning who-knows-when is to be tied during the day and turned loose at night to protect the family or compound. My son Jason tells me he saw hundreds of such dogs in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq....and a few other places that are not discussed. Some were purebred, most were not but they were all savage, even during the day but they were heavily chained or behind walls. I suppose ours would be less than friendly during the day but no one comes here very often. The farrier was here awhile back and the big dogs were all kenneled (in covered kennels) but they were raising so much hell, it made him a bit nervous. The Heelers were loose but they know him and just go on about their business when he's around.

Most of the dogs Jason saw had some Ovcharka, Tibetan Mastiff or some such crosses of landrace dogs that are native to that general area... perhaps some Anatoian and even German Shepherd. What ever gets the job done.

I crossed my C.Ovcharka fem. to the Blue Heeler because he is absolutely protective (understatement) and I didn't want to buy a male annnndddd...just trying to find a Caucasian Ovcharka when you need the services around here proved too much bother.

I intend to breed the fem. once more...to what I think is the best of the males from her *******/hybrid litter. All told, we have 15 dogs here now....so when she is bred..that will set us up in breeding stock for decades.

 

[Cockatrice6420]

Their information is not correct. After thinking about it...I suppose almost any large POWERFUL dog with the temperament and ability to 'control' at least two men could be considered a 'Bandog'.  Their job, beginning who-knows-when is to be tied during the day and turned loose at night to protect the family or compound.  My son Jason tells me he saw hundreds of such dogs in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq....and a few other places that are not discussed.  Some were purebred, most were not but they were all savage, even during the day but they were heavily chained or behind walls.  I suppose ours would be less than friendly during the day but no one comes here very often.  The farrier was here awhile back and the big dogs were all kenneled (in covered kennels) but they were raising so much hell, it made him a bit nervous.  The Heelers were loose but they know him and just go on about their business when he's around.

Most of the dogs Jason saw had some Ovcharka, Tibetan Mastiff or some such crosses of landrace dogs that are native to that general area... perhaps some Anatoian and even German Shepherd.  What ever gets the job done.

I crossed my C.Ovcharka fem. to the Blue Heeler because he is absolutely protective (understatement) and I didn't want to buy a male annnndddd...just trying to find a Caucasian Ovcharka when you need the services around here proved too much bother.  

I intend to breed the fem. once more...to what I think is the best of the males from her *******/hybrid litter.  All told, we have 15 dogs here now....so when she is bred..that will set us up in breeding stock for decades.  

Awesome for you. I looked up the Ovcharka too, holy toledo! This is new stuff to me, I didn't realize how varied dog breeds are. I thought shih-tzus were fancy, those are the only "guard dogs" I have any experience with. Lol.

 

[Folly's place]

I've got a small group of Chanty youngsters, and want to decide which cockrel to keep for next year. My largest seems to have a pea type comb rather than the cushion comb, and the cockrel with the best comb is smaller. what do you think! I won't be showing, but would like birds who look like the breed type should. BUT smaller isn't better. Anyone? Mary

 

[hellbender]

I've got a small group of Chanty youngsters, and want to decide which cockrel to keep for next year. My largest seems to have a pea type comb rather than the cushion comb, and the cockrel with the best comb is smaller. what do you think! I won't be showing, but would like birds who look like the breed type should. BUT smaller isn't better. Anyone? Mary

Which can you fix easiest...the size or the comb?

 

[Candy442]

Which can you fix easiest...the size or the comb?

Thats a great question! I would love someone to comment that is well versed in chicken genetics. I am just in the kindergarten level and learning more about color influence.