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

[Backwoods Bntms]

Here is what I am starting with. Out of 14 only 4 have the required willow legs so the rest can be project birds.

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

I got a little excited last week when this one hatched, but I think it will turn out to be silver quail.

 

[KristenG]

JJ- the males always were the challenge...wish I could find my old chicken files with my BBRs in them, I bet I have a CD of them somewhere...I'd get a lot of part-black breasts. Stippling was always a challenge for me in the females too. BBR d'Anvers were a big dream of mine back when I was a kid. I was frustrated time and time again about the availability of d'Anvers in just the Quail variety, let alone other colors. Now just look at the breed. People all over are living the same dream I had.

I was determined to make them myself, and I kinda wanted something nobody else had anyway. I don't know about anyone else but I never cared much for the phrase: oh that's a nice bird, where did you get it? I mean, it is a complement, in a way, but the underlying assumption is that the bird is so nice I couldn't have possibly bred it myself. I always wanted to be able to say..."I bred it myself! My very own line."

Seeing you with crested birds and saying the word "Watermaals" makes me very excited. I would love to have a fellow fancier in the breed.

Right now I feel like a loner. I have been working on Watermaals for over 4 years now...I started with silkie barnyard mixes. Now my birds breed true and meet all of the show criteria. I can finally stop calling them "project" birds and call them legit Watermaals. It's almost unreal. Were you part of the Watermaal Club of America when it existed for that short period of time? I got tired of paying all the dues for all the nonpaying members to keep the club an official part of the ABA so eventually I stopped paying them and the club is dormant. I'm waiting for the right time to start again. Recognized varieties are only the five for now: Black, Blue, Quail, White and Mottled.

You know, it's funny that we have these varieties in the ABA that never or only briefly existed in the US. I've heard that it comes from the fact that the ABA originally adopted standards from overseas, representing birds that were available and recognized at the time, but not necessarily in the U.S. I think that is how we got most of these recognized varieties that didn't have representative U.S. flocks.

All for now.

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

I saw them on some of the European websites while drooling over all the different colors of d'Anvers and thought they were neat. Then I saw they were list as inactive in the standard but you could still show them. I had a opportunity to get the pyncheon eggs with Watermaals in mind. That is where I am at. Do you have a copy of the standard for them. If not I will write the ABA.

jj

You listed four colors or is blue and quail instead of blue quail? never mind I put my glasses on and saw the comma.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

That makes perfect sence Kristen as far as the comment on the ABA standard goes, had often wondered about that. Yep Germany has them in as many colors as we have in old english, maybe even more, so could well have been taken from something like that. Even the medium rare class still isnt very well maintained in the US . cuckoo, mottled, milles, porcelain, ones like that. Still not very many with those either. But the 4 others have just about had to have been made from the ground up.

Thankfully, I found enough in enough colors, that the bulk of my work has been within the breed, only out crossing so far for dominate white and laced patterns. That always makes it easier.
love the d'Watermaals too by the way. Always loved then, but never knew of anyone with them... Looks like you are doing a heck of a job with them. Congrats on the progress with them. I know it feels good to get out of that "project" phase. And yep, you bb pullet does look good to just be a random pop up from generations past, that's great!

JJ,
that looks like another arrow head chick doesnt it? This was the first year any of those hatched here. I know you had a few, and I know Do got some my wife sent him. Been wodering if those end up being the columbians off the silver quail. Mark it and see what that ones does if you can. The normal quail version looks like that, but just has a white face for markings. A true 100% pure columbian wouldnt look that way, but wondering if it and the quail pattern is what is making this chick down color. Was so far behind on silver orders this year, I never really got to keep back any to test and see my self. Let me know what ends up of it. And yep, that 1 in a million could hatch any time, no rule saying it has to be the millionth egg laid.

 

[Backwoods Bntms]

Aubrey, that chick came from my chickens. The first I seen. Those stripes were real clear when it hatched, thought I had a duckwing. But I got more eggs.

The 5 of yours I hatched, only one had the arrow head but two were real light and two were white. Three of them turned out to be columbian-ish and the other two stayed solid white.

jj

 

[dtran0268]

Kristen-Thanks for the eggs you gave me, I still have 20 chicks (7 from my trio and 13 from the eggs you gave me). I'll only keep 4 hens (2 silver & 2 blue silver), let me know if you want the rest of them.

 

[KristenG]

Do, I will take any Silver Quail chicks you hatched from my eggs that you don't want to keep. PM me when you are ready for me to come pick them up.

JJ- I hatched a chick with similar markings to yours only it had gold where yours had silver and it turned out to be a Buff Columbian XQuail cross - confirming Aubrey's suspicions about the lines on the back. It turned out to be either a Quail with little black around the neck and shoulders or a VERY mossy Buff Columbian...take your pick. I would guess your suspicions about it likely being a Silver Quail or very similar are probably right on the money. Secretly I hope it's something crazy cool though, because that would be awesome for you and for the breed.

I do have a copy of the official ABA Watermaal standard. I rewrote here on the BYC website and made a separate thread just for the Watermaals under the breed section. So far I am the only person who has posted on it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...bantams-a-cousin-fo-danvers-duccles-pic-heavy
And after looking at it, looks like I forgot a variety. Buff Watermaals are also recognized. Brain fart. Make that six varieties then.

Aubrey, I think d'Anver varieties are more available on the east coast. You have no idea how difficult it was just to get Quail over here in western Washington back in 1998. Whew! You, good sir, have changed a good part of that availability issue. To that the breed owes you a great deal.

 

[NanaKat]

Quote: Aubrey...I am really partial to the Columbian Wyandotte coloring as you can see from my avatar...It is a large fowl CW chick. I'm working with a great line of CWs and breeding a Blue Columbian in the LF.

PM me for pricing on potential eggs and I will set aside a pen for breeding the CW d'Anvers. I'm always up to a new project that benefits the breeds.

 

[2StrayRoos]

Hope someone can help. My 12 week old crossbeak d'anver has a limp. Could it be injury, lack of vitamins or Mareks. Injury: I was reaching for her to file her beak and could only get a hold of her wing she may of hurt it trying to get away twisting so much. A week later she was limping. Lack of Vitamins: Being a crossbeak she seemed to be a little slower developing. She looks as big as the others and eats good so I didn't put her on any extra vitamins. Now they are on grower finisher. Funny how this started not long after that. I am giving her B complex and 3 drops of polyvisol once a day. B complex so far on it 5 days, polyvisol 3 days. I know it will take time. Mareks: got a limp but seems to have feeling in her leg. Uses it to scratch the ground while she eats. Sits alot with feet under toes curled, standing toes are not curled. Flaps her wings able to move them. No gray eyes. Does use her mouth sometimes not all the time to breath that started after eating yougart Sunday. She was covered in it. Scare to give her any more. Do crossbeaks have more sinus problems? Two months ago we clipped her beak and she swallowed some blood. She was breathing just like she does now from time to time. I bought some St. Johns wort but I have not tried it. I think it is the wrong kind. The one I got in the vitamin section. The one I saw on here is a blue tube. I also read that it could kill a chicken so I don't know what to do. I guess stick with the vitamins. MPC gave me a site Poultry Pedia. com and it highly recomends B complex and Nutri-drench. So any help on this will be greatly appreciated.