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

[Cetawin]

I just wanted to say *ahem* that I had a conversation with Rose and Blossom this evening which are my two porcelain d'Uccle women ... I told them about the new studmuffin coming to town. They are both very interested in the little mille d'Anver as their previous man was a mille d'Uccle. So, My Little Love has two hotties waiting for him after his quarantine is up. Muahahaha. They were very happy to learn that even though he looks different that he is also a Belgian. LOL

 

[speckledhen]

Would like to see that, Kathryn! I haven't gone out there yet this morning since it's pretty frosty. I'm anxious to verify that Aimee is actually also broody, not just identifying with her sister. I was sort of thinking I might just load up that broody pen in their coop with hay, give them two or three of their own eggs each and let them sit together in there. Would make caring for them easier, but poor little Carly and Shadow, having the three little roosters all to themselves! Ack! It'd almost be better if those two would also go broody. The Phoenix and my big Buff Orp hen can fend off the little man-beasts much better than tiny Carly or Shadow.

Cetawin, you cannot prepare Rose and Blossom for the studliness that is Rufus. He is a sight to behold, that comb, those spots!

ETA: Yup, they're both broody.

Setting up the broody pen in the storage area for them both. Will give them four eggs each and see if they'll sit there. Poor little Carly, losing both sisters at once to hormonal insanity. Will have to take her to the other side of the wall to visit daily so she can see they haven't really left.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

yep, with all the gravy talk going on, and her buddies disappearing one by one, she may worry herself to death if you dont Cyn... lol

 

[Cetawin]

BBB is such an instigator...we never eat the girls only the really bad boys. *smirk*

Cyn...may the force be with you. You know, you could put one of the big girls from main flock in there to keep those sex maniac d'anvers under control. Ummmm maybe Barbara or Fern. Muahahaha or the terrorist for about 20 mins. Hehehe

 

[NanaKat]

Here are a few views of the nestbox....just big enough for a nice nest and tall enough for the penquin stance for laying. Mine sits in the floor of the pen but slips out the cage door vertical. You could drill a few holes in the back board to hang it on a wall or set it on a 12 inch board surface. Made of 1/2 inch and 3/8 inch plywood...Moms don't weigh very much. LOL
Dimentions 9 inch wide, 8 inch deep, 13 inch tall. Nest compartment is 3.5 inch high . The sides have a little L and the top..the roo sits on while the hen is in the nest. The back has two air vents: one at top and one at nest level. Could add a ramp for the babies to get in and out of the nest....

 

[speckledhen]

That's very useful, Kathryn. Love the dog, too! Aimee is settled on her eggs. Penny got off for her dustbath, food and water and is having trouble getting settled in there again. I did show Carly where the sisters went so she wouldn't worry. Aimee tried pulling Penny's eggs under her, too, but I rather doubt she could handle all eight of them since three of those belong to my banty Cochin, whose eggs are much fatter than the D'Anver eggs.


ETA pics:

Penny, b4 she got off




Aimee:




Here you can see how close the door into their coop is. They can hop down, run into the coop and out the pop door into the pen for a dustbath and to stretch their legs. I hope I can train them to hop back up into the cage to their eggs. I'm betting Tom can-he has great luck with teaching them routines like that.




I think I'll try to make some of those portable nests you showed me, Kathryn. I'll have to round up some supplies. I have some milk crates, which could work turned on their sides with the addition of a board across the front to keep eggs from rolling out, but they are sometimes a bit tight. If I could use your idea, but maybe make it slightly larger than a milk crate, it would work great and leave room for chicks to get out from under mama.

 

[lcw1995]

im hoping my partridge cochin goes broody today. shes on the nest now, and is acting a bit funny. hopefully if she is, shell stay long enough to hatch my egggs im supposed to be getting from aubrey.

 

[speckledhen]

While Aimee has settled nicely, Penny refused to sit on eggs in that cage after a couple of hours in there messing around, so I let her out. She went to the coop and got on the nest she wanted. I gave her the four eggs and tonight, after dark, I'll more her and her eggs to the nest in the cage next to Aimee so she can't see to get off. I figure after sitting there all night long, she ought to be settled down then.

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

Aubrey, I got a few questions for a professional breeder. First I am looking at next year. If I keep a dozen of my best hens from each color, how many roosters should I have per color? This makes two weeks in a row that none of the eggs out of my bb red pen were fertile. I have a bb red rooster and a quail hen. She went broody earlier and hatched one when it was real cold, so the rooster was good. The rooster is kinda of small, smaller than the rest of my d'Anvers and meaner. Any ideas?

jj

 

[NanaKat]

That's very useful, Kathryn. Love the dog, too! Aimee is settled on her eggs. Penny got off for her dustbath, food and water and is having trouble getting settled in there again. I did show Carly where the sisters went so she wouldn't worry. Aimee tried pulling Penny's eggs under her, too, but I rather doubt she could handle all eight of them since three of those belong to my banty Cochin, whose eggs are much fatter than the D'Anver eggs.


ETA pics:

Penny, b4 she got off




Aimee:




Here you can see how close the door into their coop is. They can hop down, run into the coop and out the pop door into the pen for a dustbath and to stretch their legs. I hope I can train them to hop back up into the cage to their eggs. I'm betting Tom can-he has great luck with teaching them routines like that.




I think I'll try to make some of those portable nests you showed me, Kathryn. I'll have to round up some supplies. I have some milk crates, which could work turned on their sides with the addition of a board across the front to keep eggs from rolling out, but they are sometimes a bit tight. If I could use your idea, but maybe make it slightly larger than a milk crate, it would work great and leave room for chicks to get out from under mama.

Sounds like a good plan. Thank you for the comment on Red. He loves all the babies and lays on the ground by the pens to touch noses. Great chicken protector too.