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

[hcammack]

Quote:
I know I have descovered a whole world of beautiful bantams but its hard to decide whick breed I want.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Well, I've had both, started with the d'uccles, then weeded them down, just cause of the commonness (if that's a word) of them and ended up with the d'anvers. I like stuff no body else has! There's not a hole lot of difference in the two's temperament, most d'anvers are fairly calm. All the hens are sweet hearts, very tame, and gentle, lay very well for small bantams, and do a decent job at brooding if you let them. The roos are for the most part really protective of their hens, about 10% of mine came be a touch feisty toward you, but that 's fairly common for any roo. Many of the others will eat right out of your hand.
So, the big difference in decision making on them would be, d'uccles- common but feather footed,, or d'anver- clean legged but rare?
I personally like them both, but went with the rare of course...

Hey RAREROO, yep we might have to knock down a few more trees for the ducks and pheasants. I'd like to do a full acre covered this time for the ducks instead of just a 1/2 acre, that's still a bit off, hopefully spring 2011 I'll get to start on that, This year I want to focus on getting the d'anver project going good, and adding on to the phoenix, Then I'll be happy bantam wise, well for a little bit at least.
But yep those migratory waterfowl and ornamental pheasants are hard to get off my mind!!

 

[enrev]

Choosing between d'anvers and d'uccles is really just a matter of what you like. According to the American Bantam Association, d'anvers and d'uccles are both in the top 16 most popular bantam breeds. However some colors of d'anver (and of course d'uccles) are more rare than others. Quail is the most popular color (Let me take a break here and say that I am speaking about rarity in regards to showing d'anvers in shows. I have shown d'anvers in shows from Georgia to New York and west to Indiana, but mostly I show in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Ohio). Black, white, self blue (the show name for lavender) are also popular. The rarest would probably be cuckoo, buff, and bb red, not counting the two colors in the standards that I have never seen: columbian and buff columbian. There are fewer d'uccle colors in the standards however there is one color in d'uccles that we do not have in d'anvers and that is golden neck.

I think temperment is a genetic trait. In my flocks, temperment of the roosters seems to depend on the color. Quail d'anver males are the meanest males of any breed I have ever raised. (I have raised at least 60 varieties of bantams). In fact I took 3 males to a show for a fellow exhibitor to choose a male for herself. I warned her that they were mean but she put her face up close to the cage and one male clamped his beak down on her lip and made it bleed. However my mille fleur males are as nice as can be.

I also think that feather footed breeds tend to be calmer in general. Maybe it's just harder to be mean with those extra feathers on their legs. However it is harder to keep those leg feathers clean.

If you live in an area where the temperatures get cold and you don't heat your chicken house (I don't myself) the points on the single comb of the d'uccle males have a tendancy to freeze. The tips will then turn black and fall off. This won't hurt the bird but his comb won't be so pretty afterwards.

In closing though let me say that I love d'anvers. Maybe it is the way the rose comb makes the beard seem to stand out. Maybe it is the perky way they walk. Maybe it is the thick bull neck. But anyway d'anvers really are beautiful no matter which color you choose.

By the way I raise quail, blue quail, black, white, mille fleur, mottled, self blue, splash, and porcelain

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Great post,
Funny you mentioned the temperment by color. I seem to have that problem here too, but not with the quails, they are actually some of the tamest I have, my 2 mean colors are the black and black mottled, go figure?My millies and porcelains are some of the gentlest too though
As for the columbians and goldnecks, those are 2 of the colors I am working on, so hope to have some of those here in a year or 2 with a little luck at least.
Would love to see some pics of yours and possibly do some line trades if interested.
Aubrey

 

[speckledhen]

A bantam breed may be further out into the future for me, but I do know, that in these breeds, I love the lavenders and the porcelains. I'm not that fond of lavender in standard breeds for some reason; in the big birds, I prefer the BBS. Thanks for your input! I live in the mtns of n. Ga. at about 2000 ft elevation. We don't usually have much snow in winter, but the temps do plummet to just above 0 degrees at least a night or two. I do keep my coops as dry as possible at all times, and all birds are in before dusk, so hopefully, they wouldn't get frostbite.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

NA, you should be fine, these little buggers are tuff to start with. I have to say, I agree with the lavender standards verses bantam. I havent ever seen a standard in lavender that really did anything for me, but I do love them in bantams, of course I am a little one sided there anyway,

p.s. I love our mountains, we havent been up that way in about 3 years now, but were just talking about going back. We usually got to the Blue Ridge/ Elejay area..

 

[speckledhen]

I'm just above Blue Ridge in Mineral Bluff.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Hun, we've been threw there too last time we were up there, small world aint it! Have to look you up next time we head up

Hey, lookie here, this was my 1000th post too! I finally got there

 

[bantamF]

Quote:
Nice birds !! I love barbus d'Anvers !! do you breed them ?

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Oh yes, we breed them like crazy. Usually sell as eggs or chicks to avoid the shipping problems with adult birds. My P.O. will not except any over 1 day old if they cant be guaranteed over night. Due to our rural location, that cuts out a lot of people, some the day olds and eggs are how we do it...

I was looking at a Germany d'anver site, and have to say, you all have some excellent colors and quality over there in Europe!