I have had a pair of quail D'Anvers for a couple of years and really enjoy them. The hen is friendly and constantly babbling softly when she goes about her business. The roo is not aggressive to humans, and while he did try to be the boss of the coop he was quickly put in his place by the Nankin roos who kicked his D'Anvers butt.
He also has the WORST crow I've ever heard from a bantam. It's more of a screech. And as luck would have it, he crows more than any of the other roos! First thing in the morning... "Oh, there's Spike. Time to get up."
True to the stories about D'Anvers fertility, my hen is a terrible layer. I think she has laid perhaps 2 or 3 eggs in two years! And forget about broodiness. If I ever get a fertile egg from her it will go under a Nankin hen or one of my trusty "barn bantams." From what I'm reading here, it sounds like even when they do lay, the hatchability of the eggs isn't great. Is that true?
The most aggressive roos I had were silver pencilled Sebrights. They were little buggers who would stand on something that was at my head height and cold-cock me (so now I know where that term comes from) in the head when my back was turned. I took them to the poultry auction when I had enough of them!
True to the stories about D'Anvers fertility, my hen is a terrible layer. I think she has laid perhaps 2 or 3 eggs in two years! And forget about broodiness. If I ever get a fertile egg from her it will go under a Nankin hen or one of my trusty "barn bantams." From what I'm reading here, it sounds like even when they do lay, the hatchability of the eggs isn't great. Is that true?
The most aggressive roos I had were silver pencilled Sebrights. They were little buggers who would stand on something that was at my head height and cold-cock me (so now I know where that term comes from) in the head when my back was turned. I took them to the poultry auction when I had enough of them!
