D'uccle breeders Database

[lilcrow]

Well now, you don't have to import! You can have them shipped to you just like we ship birds down here........I think, and you guys can get the gorgeous lemons. Jump over on the d'Uccle genetics thread and talk with Doug the Chicken Man. He's got the lemons and they are beautiful and we will all be SOOOOOOOO jealous.

 

[shelleyd2008]

I have a question. I know this isn't the norm or there wouldn't be any SQ d'uccles, but do any of you have hens that don't lay? I have a black mottled (young) hen that might lay an egg a week if I'm lucky, then I've got 2 porcelains that haven't laid egg-1 since I got them a month ago. I realize that it might take a while for the porcelains to start back up, but the mottled? She is right at a year old, so I'd think she'd be doing better than this!

 

[lilcrow]

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I've had birds that were a bit toward the older side before they really got on board and some of them just aren't very good layers. I think this goes with some of the d'Uccle lines. Also, we're headed into the time of year when we will be loosing light and no matter what, you can have the right age, best diet and perfect conditions, but hens need a certain number of hours of light per day to lay, and we're not going to have that. I can't remember what it is exactly but it's substantial - something like 10 1/2 hrs. a day. Without that, the hormones won't kick in unless you put light on your girls to fool them into thinking it's a different time of a year. You should probably relax some of your expectations for eggs this fall and resume your watch again in the early spring.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
I've had birds that were a bit toward the older side before they really got on board and some of them just aren't very good layers. I think this goes with some of the d'Uccle lines. Also, we're headed into the time of year when we will be loosing light and no matter what, you can have the right age, best diet and perfect conditions, but hens need a certain number of hours of light per day to lay, and we're not going to have that. I can't remember what it is exactly but it's substantial - something like 10 1/2 hrs. a day. Without that, the hormones won't kick in unless you put light on your girls to fool them into thinking it's a different time of a year. You should probably relax some of your expectations for eggs this fall and resume your watch again in the early spring.

I wouldn't worry about it if it hadn't been an ongoing thing. The porcelains, yes, I realize they might not lay until spring, but the black mottled? The most I've gotten from her (I've had her since she hatched) was 1 egg every 4 days. The past few months it's been 1 egg a week, if that. I was just curious if it was something I was doing wrong (they get a 20% protein egg layer pellet and some cracked corn), or if it was 'normal' for some.

 

[Celtic Hill]

Is minimal feathering on the second toe something that can be improved with breeding?

 

[NateinFL]

Probably, but so far I have culled all the juveniles without feathers on the middle toe, as that is a d.q. but i'm kinda harsh when it comes to culling.

 

[spook]

Quote:

D'uckal

D'clay

D-Yuckle

Sometimes I just call them Mille Fleur. Whats your opinion!? (TY in advanced)​

Yep, don't let them rest for 24 hours unless it is cold where you are. I've had several people tell me that, when it's warmer, they get better hatches when they don't rest the eggs. Sometimes the eggs will start to develop while still in the box, if you rest them they might die. Make sure to keep the humidity fairly steady, the air cells will already be stretched out. I've got one egg that was shipped where the air cell is probably half the egg! It is due in a few days, but I don't hold out much hope for it. I'm sure it will be seriously smaller than the other chicks....only time will tell

It is pronounced 'dew-clay'

ETA: If you need to let them 'settle', put them in the bator but don't turn them for the first 24 hours. That way they are still 'cooking' but not moving

Hey, Thank you all, I appreciate the good wisdom ! As for calling "these" birds by a name, I agree with the "in Rome" advice. I also read an article where it was D'ooclay.​

 

[Celtic Hill]

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Well they have feathering, it's just not alot there, like small little feather. Will they grow out?

 

[wegotchickens]

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Well they have feathering, it's just not alot there, like small little feather. Will they grow out?

How old are the birds with the shortage of middle toe feathers? It takes almost a full year to really get good foot feathers, but you should only be able to see the tip of the middle toe when they are fully grown.

The goal is heavy feathering. This isn't the greatest photo of my roo, but it illustrates heavy foot-feathering...

See how long and thick they are? His middle toe has as many feathers as his outer toe, but they aren't as long. I spoke to a man who's been showing d'Uccles much longer than I, and he said knowledgable judges take marks off heavily for thin, poor or broken foot feathers.

Here is my boy when he was young, and you can see that the foot feathers aren't as developed:

Here's one in between those previous pics:

And here's a pic of the girls with their foot feathers. It really shows how little you can see of their middle toe:

 

[Lbrad7]

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Any chance you will be at the Cookville swap tomorrow with your bantams?