Does Anyone Here Have Any Appenzeller Spitzhaubens?

[SandyC]

I am thinking of getting some. Most places sell the day old chicks free range and I wouldn't want to keep more than one rooster. Can they be used for meat at all?

Also, I live in an area that has harsh winters and it says they don't like confinement. So what do you do with them in the winter? Will they stay in a barn?

Thanks!

 

[Professional]

Quote:
Any chicken can be used for meat. The only questions are how much will you get, and are they efficient at converting grain into a large amount of muscle? Spithaubens are not.

Those comments about doing well in confinement or not are extremely abstract. Often they'll place breeds which are related or which have very similar temperaments in very different categories. Take them with a grain of salt. I completely ignore them. Spithaubens are very active, as are most white egg laying breeds, but if the most common egg layer, the leghorn, and it's hybrids, can be adapted to confinement, anything can.

 

[okcarla]

Hi SandyC,

I raise Spitzhaubens. Our winters aren't that bad in Oklahoma, but these birds are reported to do very well in extremely cold weather since they are originally from cold climates ... I believe Switzerland.

They are extremely hardy birds and great foragers. I hear they like to roost in trees, but mine are confined to a pen with access to a room in my barn.

 

[SandyC]

Well...I really don't want to eat them. I just don't want extra roosters. I can't imagine where they would go in the winter. I have actually been to Appenzell...several times and been in the Alps in the winter. There is NOTHING but snow!!!! Sounds like my place around Feb! I think that they would be really fun to have around. They are more than welcome to spend the non snowy times of the year in the trees and woods. I have lots of them! I have other chickens that lay eggs, so that isn't too much of an issue either.

Thanks for your comments. I think that I am going to try some.

 

[DuckLady]

Allen Wranch raises them. Scare her up and see what she has to offer.

 

[EweSheep]

I got some chicks and they did well in confinement of a small coop and large run. So are Silver Spangled Hamburgs which they do well in confinement. Not in cages tho!

I would say its all individualize in each bird and their temperments in how they would cope with confinements. If they started to peck or cannalizablize each other, then more room is necessary. As of to this date, never had a problem.

No problem for cold weathers, my month old chicks from Carla OK's are doing so well and they are pretty hardy too!

Go for them!