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

[K Epp]

Your roo looks like a quail.

On another note I saw chicks from 5 of the nine eggs. 4 milli and a porcelain. Porcelain is your Cynthia if you change your mind. 4 eggs left.

 

[speckledhen]

Your roo looks like a quail.

On another note I saw chicks from 5 of the nine eggs. 4 milli and a porcelain. Porcelain is your Cynthia if you change your mind. 4 eggs left.

Thank you so much, Karen. You're a real peach, but for now, I still plan to let my numbers go down on the D'anvers.

You know, I rarely see my porcelain rooster breed the hens anymore. Pretty much, only Spike does that. Aubrey is like a figurehead around that coop. He will occasionally chase Spike when he wants to remind him that he's the senior male, but other than that, he is just sort of there.

 

[HotDesertChick]

Feeding d'Anvers: I am presently setting up my baby pen, and building a big coop, hoping to enjoy owning/rearing d'Anvers (BBB is collecting eggs presently). I have owned a few d'Anvers in a couple states, among other bantam breeds. I have always liked bantams.

Is there a Perfect Diet for these tiny d'Anvers? I want to do the best for the wee tykes when they come, as well as later in their lives. Does anyone recommend Game Bird Starter over plain ol' Chick Starter for babies? Anyone,... recommend higher protein levels, or supplementation with Calf Manna, etc, starting out? Or when they get older?

I intend to spoil my birds rotten (Can you tell?).

My chickens can not have access to any free ranging, 'cause of our copious predators. They would be Fodder for Varmints in short order, despite our protective Australian Shepherds.

Thanks, for any comments. Hoping to raise healthy and beautiful birds. I think d'Anvers are beautiful.

Randi

 

[SchipAlong]

For getting my guys out on pasture I have a little portable pen with a top that I put them in. I just move it to a new spot every day so they don't eat the grass down to nothing (except at the moment I've put them to work removing the grass for their run expansion). It lets them get fresh forage every day without the need for supervision or having to worry about one of the myriad of predators picking them off.

 

[Bine]

It is super easy to spoil d'anvers. My babies get starter pellets and bird sand the first days and I mix vitamin powder into the water. Then I add a cooked eggs, beer yeast, wheat sprouts and curd chees to the diet. ...mealworms and dog food (without chicken) , when they are about four weeks. My chickens love dog/cat food and eat the leftovers of my other pets. And they get curd on a regular basis.

 

[K Epp]

Because of the other birds I have all babies get game bird starter. I have recently switched over to a brand by the name of Bartlett: Game Bird Starter with Apex. It cost a little more $19 for 50lbs, but I really like the results I'm getting. It seems to be cut finer so its easier for the D'anver chicks to eat.

 

[HotDesertChick]

THANKS.....SchipAlong, Bine, and K Epp.

SchipAlong,....As we live in the desert, there is no way we could use a "tractor" set up. There are no grassy areas on our entire property. Flower beds, and trees/shrubs are maintained through drip irrigation lines, and virtually all other spaces have gravel mulch. Our enterprising coyotes also could likely get under a "portable cage setup", if my dogs weren't present. The total lack of any possible foraging also makes me more concerned about d'Anver diet.

Thanks, Bine, for offering the age at which you begin feeding the Chicken-Cool Stuff. I would like to add Mealworms for the higher protein. You feed quite a few high-protein snacks.

K Epp...Thanks for giving not only your advice on game bird starter, but a brand name as well. The smaller "cut" of game bird starter sounds like a good idea for tiny d'Anvers, but I dunno. Is the game bird starter medicated? Sorry, I haven't had time to Google the product. Will do so, tonight.

Very much appreciate all of your comments, and apologize for not responding quicker on this thread. Have been very busy here for the last week. Not much time to go online.

Thanks, again.....everyone.

 

[speckledhen]

.....

The smaller "cut" of game bird starter sounds like a good idea for tiny d'Anvers, but I dunno. Is the game bird starter medicated? Sorry, I haven't had time to Google the product. Will do so, tonight.

You can get Game Bird starter or Game Bird Grower as medicated pr not medicated, at least the Purina brands. I seem to recall the Startena was too high in protein for chicken chicks, but the grower was perfect. I do not feed medicated feed any longer since it truly does no good here in our soupy south. If we have protracted periods of wet weather when chicks are in the danger ages (4-10 weeks), they get cocci here, no matter if they are on medicated feed or not. You are out in the desert so you really don't need the medicated stuff. You don't want anything in it other than Amprolium if you get medicated, though. Some put mild antibiotics in the feed as a coccidiostat, like Nutrena, not what I'd want to give my chicks. You have to really read labels. I've seen game bird starters with those other meds in them.

I use Tucker Milling chick starter/grower, which is not finely ground (which I prefer). My bantams never seemed to have much issue with it, generally. If a certain bunch are seeming to pick around the larger pieces, I would sort of pulverize it a bit, but there are larger pieces and smaller pieces in the bag so it's rarely an issue. However, the game bird grower is higher in protein and I used to use it a bit. It's just too expensive for us. The Tucker Milling (which you can't get, being out west, I'm sure) is only 18% protein, being a combo starter/grower, but it's also only about $13/ 50 lb.

 

[Bine]

Oh, if you compare starter pellets and dog food it normally has the same protein level but it is easier to digest. Curd chees has 12 % protein and so is lower in protein than chicken starter that has about 20% protein, but like cidre vinegar it helps to build up the good germs in the intestine. Yes, meal worms are protein bombs, but on the allotment the mother hen would find worms for the chick. Since animal protein in chicken food is illegal here, i just add the animal protein mummy would feed to the chicks on the allotment. My babies and the mother hens stay inside for the first weeks,
I start with the egg after three days, they ate egg yolk for 21 days in the egg so it can't do harm, but the first three days after the hatching the hen and chick have to get to know each other and I don't want to stress the new mum, so I just set the feeder and the waterer in the maternity box and leave. After a week I add curd, yeast and spouts, with three or four weeks meal worms and dog foot. Of course you can try to feed the worms earlier, but for the first week I think the worms are too big for the tiny chicks.

 

[speckledhen]

Game Bird startena and grower as well as the Tucker Milling still have the animal protein; I know the Tucker Milling is from porcine sources. That's why I buy it and avoid the vegetarian feeds like Purina Layena and Southern States. All birds feather better with good quality animal protein in their diets.