Cubalaya Thread For Sharing Pics and Discussing Our Birds

[wood&feathers]

Wednesday we had a beautiful little cockerel get a lesson in manners from his brother. Unfortunately now I need to either separate or rehome him. He has a better comb than his daddy, but has stayed pretty small, about the same size as the hens. I want to keep him (as backup for the white cock) but he might thrive better elsewhere.

The other two cockerels seem to have learned at their father's side, taking care of the hens with treats and such. This little guy is really fast and would just cut out hens and run them down like a herding dog.

 

[cubalaya]

Wow cubalaya, that really hurts. Sorry to hear it.

All this year's pullets are laying like champs. The "dead for no reason" phenomenon is worrisome, but may be part of dealing with a rare breed?

i have seen it happen with any breed. maybe a heart attack, i don't know but she was a good one and will be missed. so how many of us now have perfectly healthy cubalayas drop dead?

 

[troyer]

It wouldn't be such a big deal if it wasn't the best ones that die. If it was one of the backups it would be "no big deal". I haven't had any perfectly healthy cubalayas die here.

 

[wood&feathers]

The one bird it happened to here couldn't be called "perfectly healthy". The teachers at the school just couldn't stand it and helped a couple chicks hatch. I culled one when they came home at one week. The other lived for 3 months, but was obviously not right. She lacked a preen gland! She was droopy winged. lousy at perching, and was always hanging with people. She started acting more normally, running around in the yard with the others in her 3rd month, then just keeled over. I had just fed them treats, and she was running toward the coop at dusk. Minutes later when I counted heads she was dead on her nest.

 

[Jungleexplorer]

I would not say that my birds that died were perfectly healthy. All my birds that died were from Ideal and it seems that no matter how well I take care of them, they will not get healthy. I have lots of other birds that are very healthy, just not the ones from Ideal. Only got three out of the 14 left. Only one cockerel looks decent. The other cockerel is smaller and the little pullet is so pitiful looking I almost want to put her down just out of mercy. She is 7 months old now and no bigger then one of my AGs would be at two months. She just mopes around all defraggled. She has the best feed and water as do the two cockerels. Not sure what the problem with these Ideal birds is, all my other birds are doing fine, especially the ones that are free ranging.

 

[4hmom]

what color would you call the first pullet? my best white cubalaya hen died today seemingly for no reason. she was in great health, very good feather and heavy. i am so disapointed that i didn't get more chicks from her. i do have a good young pullet(early fall hatch) that should be awesome.

sorry to hear about your hen.
if your question was drected at my bird that the link was to she is regular bbred but for showing she is Lt. brown

 

[cubalaya]

chickens die. i should have kept more backups but can only feed so many. will keep my fingers crossed until i can get some chicks on the ground.

the color on that first one looked almost a brown red but it is a light brown huh?

 

[Jungleexplorer]

Well, finally got finished with my new breeding pens. Lot's of work! Whew! My new cubalayas that I got in Oklahoma are setteling in and happy to be out of the small cages I have been keeping them in. Now I just have to figure out which hen to put with which roo. I will be posting pictures of them and looking for advice soon.

 

[4hmom]

Well, finally got finished with my new breeding pens. Lot's of work! Whew! My new cubalayas that I got in Oklahoma are setteling in and happy to be out of the small cages I have been keeping them in. Now I just have to figure out which hen to put with which roo. I will be posting pictures of them and looking for advice soon.

i keep my males and females separate because i AI when breeding and to help keep them in condition for show

 

[cubalaya]

that sounds unnatural to me.