***Crevecoeur Thread***

[Lostbody]

I'm somewhat new to this, but in the last batch of chickes I brought home there was a girl sold as an Australorp who is now developing a really interesting beard and mowhawk. Is it possible I've got a Crevecoeur by mistake? Just how rare are these birds?

Most of the pictures I've seen on this thread are of shiny, irridescent birds (absolutely gorgeous, by the way), but my girl is sort of dusty looking -- like black suede.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
They are very rare...well, quality ones are. Several hatcheries do offer them now. They won't get their shiny colors until they are older.

What kind of comb does your girl have?

 

[chicken boy sam]

Quote:
They are very rare...well, quality ones are. Several hatcheries do offer them now. They won't get their shiny colors until they are older.

What kind of comb does your girl have?

x2 Also, pictures would help

 

[chicken boy sam]

My girl is getting a bald patch where the base of the tail meets the body. It almost looks dry!!!Is there anything I should do? I don't think the other chickens are picking on her, and you can't see it unless she has her tail down. Should I put cayenne pepper on it so then, if they are pecking on it, they won't anymore?

 

[Chef]

Do you have a rooster in with this girl with the bald spot? If so that is the reason. She needs a chicken sadle if this is the case. Could also be moulting. Hope this helps.

PS if they are pecking on her I would remove her. The pepper wont do a thing as people feed cayenne to their birds as a natural wormer.

Chef

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Have you checked for mites? Crested breeds get them bad! Check under her wings and around her vent...

 

[chicken boy sam]

No, I don't have a rooster.... this weekend I am going to give all the birds sevin. She's also molting, but it almost looks dry.. if it isn't mites, maybe I'll give it a little moisture with some water.... if that doesn't work, blu-kote.

 

[Chef]

Ok so if she's molting then that is why she is bald back there. Just let her do her thing. Water won't help either. Using the sevin will help though if she does have mites.

Chef

 

[exop]

About the cayenne pepper... that shouldn't have any deterrent effect on birds, really... they have a different reaction to capsaicin than mammals and it doesn't seem to bother them. Tiny super-hot Thai chiles are called "bird peppers" because they are avidly eaten by birds.

I have used pyrethrum products (Pyganic brand concentrate) for northern fowl mite with great success. So if you want to stick with organic methods, there's a good option. For poultry, the recommended concentration is 6oz Pyganic per gallon of water; spray individual birds under the tail / in the tush, tummy and vent area, on a warm day (or let them dry off in a warm place).

 

[exop]

Quote:
Major hatcheries McMurray and Ideal both sell Crèvecoeurs - their quality is another point of debate - and McMurray is in the habit of giving out a "free rare chick" or two with every order, these are often cresteds. So a Crèvecoeur could easily have gotten into someone's hands without them ever knowing what it was.

On the other hand, crests and beards are dominant genes, so anything crossed with a crested, bearded breed is likely to have those traits. The black color is also dominant. This means that if almost any crested, bearded critter mated with an Australorp hen, you would get black offspring with a little crest and beard. (With the exception of some white breeds or splash / blue breeds, which would change the color). If the chick came from someone's home flock of Australorps, this could be what happened. Silkie parents especially can create pullets that look an awful lot like Crèvecoeurs!

Best - exop