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

[chickee]

We hatched 9 more Quail chicks over the weekend. My son is very excited about these.



We cleaned up the incubator and set 7 more eggs on Sunday. There are now 3 Lavendar d'Anver, and 4 OEGB eggs cooking. Can't wait for the Lavendar's to hatch.

They are beautiful!

 

[warmheart]

Chickee-- On the free range situation: I think others may have free ranged their D'anvers successfully? I sure do hope so. I believe anytime we free range, even with our fully fenced yard, there's a degree of hawk risk. Plus you're right, D'anvers do seem such small, docile birds.

Our free-range situation has a lot of cover. I'd be more nervous if it were all open field. We have a seasoned, watchful OEG bantam mix roo who's on sentry duty with the girls while they forage. Everyone respects his alarm calls. Our small flock also seems to stay together in a pretty tight group while foraging (unless someone leaves to go into the coop to lay an egg). I imagine our enormous gargantuan Barred Rock hen possibly also gives the hawks pause? For some reason, hawks have not bothered our free ranging girls yet. (Knock wood!) Maybe because the only area slightly low on cover is by the house, and I'm home all day going in and out with the dog? I'm not sure why we've been so fortunate here.

I had just planned to intergrate the D'anvers pullet into our small flock of standards, and let her free range with them. I sure hope this will be okay!

PS-- Chickee, I hope your 9 eggs hatch well and you have 9 darling chicks soon!

 

[chickee]

Chickee-- On the free range situation: I think others may have free ranged their D'anvers successfully? I sure do hope so. I believe anytime we free range, even with our fully fenced yard, there's a degree of hawk risk. Plus you're right, D'anvers do seem such small, docile birds.

Our free-range situation has a lot of cover. I'd be more nervous if it were all open field. We have a seasoned, watchful OEG bantam mix roo who's on sentry duty with the girls while they forage. Everyone respects his alarm calls. Our small flock also seems to stay together in a pretty tight group while foraging (unless someone leaves to go into the coop to lay an egg). I imagine our enormous gargantuan Barred Rock hen possibly also gives the hawks pause? For some reason, hawks have not bothered our free ranging girls yet. (Knock wood!) Maybe because the only area slightly low on cover is by the house, and I'm home all day going in and out with the dog? I'm not sure why we've been so fortunate here.

I had just planned to intergrate the D'anvers pullet into our small flock of standards, and let her free range with them. I sure hope this will be okay!

PS-- Chickee, I hope your 9 eggs hatch well and you have 9 darling chicks soon!

Maybe other more experienced d'Anver owners will chime in about free ranging and mixing standard sized chickens with d'Anvers, but my opinion is that they would be at risk of being killed because they are so small. Mine are in with bantam buff Brahmas and get pushed around. Luckily the Brahmas are mellow. My long term plans are to have my d'Anvers separate from my other breeds.

Thanks

I'll be updating and posting pictures of the chicks for sure when they hatch

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

all depends on your local predator situation. They'd never make it here. I let out cull stuff and it's gone in a day or two.
D'anvers dont fly, they tend to run, which is nothing for a dog, cat or wild critter to catch. They can fly, dont get me wrong, but they seem to be more of a runner. If you dont have the wild animal population I have, you may be alright, but yes they are very vulnerable due to size, and that running thing... they aint real smart!

 

[chickee]

all depends on your local predator situation. They'd never make it here. I let out cull stuff and it's gone in a day or two.
D'anvers dont fly, they tend to run, which is nothing for a dog, cat or wild critter to catch. They can fly, dont get me wrong, but they seem to be more of a runner. If you dont have the wild animal population I have, you may be alright, but yes they are very vulnerable due to size, and that running thing... they aint real smart!

Aubrey, I noticed that "not real smart" thing, but that just makes them that more adorable!

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

haha yep, cant beat them, they just think they are too tuff to be scared of anything, which leads to the not so smart things haha

 

[chickee]

haha yep, cant beat them, they just think they are too tuff to be scared of anything, which leads to the not so smart things haha

Exactly!! That is a perfect description!

 

[warmheart]

Fortunately, the yard's fence deters critters, though actually, I'm not sure whether I want to credit the fence, the patrolling German shepherd, or me working out back during the day. (We have a high-yield garden that feeds several families, I'm home during the day tending it, through November) But yes, I do think free ranging is always a risk, especially with banties. We're lucky to have good-sized suburban backyard, but it isn't a nature preserve. We just pretend it is.

 

[warmheart]

Hey Aubrey, or anyone, what does dun mottled look like? Is it like the buff mottled in Europe, that I think looks sort of like Goldneck?

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

Hey Aubrey, or anyone, what does dun mottled look like? Is it like the buff mottled in Europe, that I think looks sort of like Goldneck?

The buff mottled is the same as a goldneck. Not real sure about Dun but I think it is a non-shiny charcoal color that like blue can range from light to almost black.

jj