d'anver lovers,discuss the breed and post some pics!

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

warmheart and others,
sorry been off here for a while, looks like JJ and others have been taking care of it all. Yep pretty much all the questions were answered about the same way I would have, pretty much agree with all of it.
Some use nest mine never do, they lay in a corner in the hay on the ground, like was said, same spot every time.

feed they'll eat either crumbles or pellets dont matter.
being so tiny, and good small starter is best for the chicks the first week, after that, they dont care they'll get it down.
Yes the sand in the pen I have found is a great cure for pasty butt too, they do really good one it, glad JJ mentioned that.

why they havent taken off?? I can keep them , booked out on several color I bet for the year already ( part of why I havent been on here much recently, 50-100 e-mails a day to work there) So they are getting there, I think over the next 4 or 5 years they'll blow up. One thing that was killing them I feel at least, was a lack of variety in the color area. That's all changing, and with more colors seems to be coming more folks interested in them. It's something not many people have, which always draws attention, especially when they are as cool as d'anvers. Lets face it, they are the perfect bantam, just cant beat them in my opinion, course I may be a bit bius haha

oh, yes like JJ also said, the beard should be that full on all of them. That girl is awesome though, but the quality of it goes more back to lines and breeding effort than any one color. They all have good ones and bad ones in each color. You just have to select for the best qualities in each color and breed for perfection in them. JJ has been doing a very good job at this, very proud to have him working with all of them now too. But we need more folks still, so dont be scared to get 1 or 2 or 200 haha....

 

[chickee]

Audrey, 50-100 emails a day?!!

I feel honored that you have been taking the time to respond to mine

Something I have found that works great for producing fat, vigorous chicks and keeps them from getting pasty butt is a 7 whole grain cereal (Bob's Red Mill 7 grain hot cereal) I buy at the health food store. It is finely ground, which works great for the bantam chicks. It contains, wheat, Rye, triticale, oats, oat bran, barley, brown rice and flax seed. I sprinkle it on Purina Flock Raiser that I crush for the babies. Of course I only hatch a small volume of chicks each year, so I can afford to spoil them. Oh, and I also buy alfalfa leaf tea from the health food store and sprinkle it on their food. Alfalfa is very rich in vitamins

I have seen more interest in the d'Anvers in Northern California lately. Especially for 4Hers since they are so easy to handle. I fell in love with them when I saw them for the first time at our biggest, yearly poultry show in Stockton, California. I only saw the quail color though. When I went searching out breeders and saw Audrey's website with all those colors I new I just had to have some

I had already purchased porcelain d'Anver eggs from a BYCer, having a very poor hatch of 3 out of 12 eggs with one being a star gazer which luckily I was able to save since it was my only pullet and a real sweet bird

I kept the better of the two roosters and the pullet and hope to add more porcelains from Audrey's stock

In the mean time I couldn't resist some of the other beautiful colors Audrey has produced and hopefully soon I will have some hatching eggs coming

I think that once you have some d'Anvers it becomes obvious, like Audrey said, they are hard to beat!

 

[speckledhen]

Mine get Tucker Milling 16% Mini layer pellets, a very small pelletized feed that is perfect for bantams. Even my LF birds eat that. It still contains good animal protein and has always been a good quality feed. The co is in AL. and at least two of the local feed stores carry it, including our county co-op where I purchase all my feeds. I'm currently paying $12.75/50#

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

This years young

Blue Columbian pullet



Blue Columbian cockerel



Silver Quail Cockerel -- this one has a white beard


Blue Silver Quail pullet


Blue Silver Quail cockerel



Crele Pullet



Watermaal project-- these are the friendliest birds in the pen.

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

oh, yes like JJ also said, the beard should be that full on all of them. That girl is awesome though, but the quality of it goes more back to lines and breeding effort than any one color. They all have good ones and bad ones in each color. You just have to select for the best qualities in each color and breed for perfection in them. JJ has been doing a very good job at this, very proud to have him working with all of them now too. But we need more folks still, so dont be scared to get 1 or 2 or 200 haha....

Thanks, Aubrey, it means alot. And about the silver quail I think she is pretty awesome too. I have a quail pullet that is really good and I usually show them both. When you look down the row they both stand out first for type and color but also size. They look big in line with all the rest. I hear comments like "those silver quail are really looking good now just get their size down" and " That quail pullet would have went a lot farther if she wasn't so big". The silver hen weights 22.2 oz. and the quail pullet weights 19.4 oz. Judges and people who have been showing for years say they are big.

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

Small Hatch this week, mostly bb, creles, porcelain, a couple gold necks and some project chicks.



The odd one out of silver quail and silver sebrite

 

[warmheart]

Thank you JJ, Aubrey, and all for the idea of using sand in the brooder box. Should I make a small plate of it, or scatter the sand on the brooder's floor? Do you reccomend probiotics or yogurt? I'm also enjoying the feed ideas. I'm grateful for the input of those more experienced than I.

JJ, even with your silver quail just having had a bath and blow-dry, she's especially poofy-bearded. I'm so glad you and Aubrey select for that! It's such an attractive feature. The silver quail color is gorgeous!

Aubrey, thanks so much for taking time to add to this thread. I really appreciate hearing about your birds! I'm wanting to do everything right for my babies when they hatch.

SpeckledHen, thanks for the info. What sweet girls you have! I hope my girl selected from an upcoming hatch will be just as friendly as your adorable, portable Penny & friends.

Developing the colors of this breed I imagine will create interest in the D'anvers, but also, so will chatting up the breed's temperament. Since not all small or ornamental breeds are as friendly, sweetness is another feather in the breed's cap.

Even our D'anvers-cross rescue hen (R.I.P.) amazingly began to rush to me for attention after just 3 days of loving handling, after an entire lifetime of no handling whatsoever. Amazing how fast they "get it" that you love them. Even more wonderful that they care to make the connection with us!

 

[Arvanah]

Yupp! Right on the ground she finally laid today!

Just added a something for shade & she laid there. Right in the middle for everyone to step on

 

[chickee]

Yupp! Right on the ground she finally laid today!

Just added a something for shade & she laid there. Right in the middle for everyone to step on

Mine laid her first egg on the floor of the chicken house. The next egg was in the wooden nesting box filled with shavings in amongst the bantam buff brahma eggs. It helps to have dummy eggs or put her egg in the nesting box to teach her

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

Thank you JJ, Aubrey, and all for the idea of using sand in the brooder box. Should I make a small plate of it, or scatter the sand on the brooder's floor? Do you reccomend probiotics or yogurt? I'm also enjoying the feed ideas. I'm grateful for the input of those more experienced than I.

I just put about 1/2" of sand in the bottom of the brooder and let it go at that. Depending on what you use for a brooder (plastic or metal) sand creates a non-skid surface that holds heat well and the chicks will dig up a storm and dust bathe and pretty much have a big time.

As far as supplements or what ever you call them I just put a little molasses in the water (until it is the color of sweet tea) for the first couple days, don't know if it does any good but I have had good luck with it.