D'uccle breeders Database

[NateinFL]

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

The way I do it is I cull the babies (I don't kill them I give them away or sell them) that have no feathers or down on their middle toe after hatch because 75% do, but 25% dont so I think I'd be working an uphill battle trying to get them to have feathers grow on the middle toe, which is requirement of the breed standard.

ETA: I'm NOT an expert (I'd like to be one day though

). Nor do I know what the experts do, haven't yet talked to them, but I go by what I feel is best.

 

[Celtic Hill]

So i just looked in my SOP the only DQ for feathers and feet are "Outter toes not feathered" however! We should be breeding with the second toe feathered also!

 

[Yeagin1]

Quote:
Here's what it says in the standard I read.

"Toes - four, straight and well and evenly spread; plumage, outside toe and outside of middle toe covered in same manner as shanks."

Defects
For All Varieties;

Large wattles and ear lobes – Neck unduly long and/or too narrow-Scantiness of feathers in beard and muffs, destroying the full look. Bare middle toe is a serious defect.


Disqualifications
For All Varieties;

Absence of Muffs and /or Beard, Severed Wattles, Squirrel Tailed, Absence of Vulture Hocks


Sandy

 

[spook]

Thank you Sandy, I appreciate your writing the SOP. I do not have a SOP book yet, I'm in hopes that Santa is going to be nice.

 

[Celtic Hill]

Quote:
Here's what it says in the standard I read.

"Toes - four, straight and well and evenly spread; plumage, outside toe and outside of middle toe covered in same manner as shanks."

Defects
For All Varieties;

Large wattles and ear lobes – Neck unduly long and/or too narrow-Scantiness of feathers in beard and muffs, destroying the full look. Bare middle toe is a serious defect.


Disqualifications
For All Varieties;

Absence of Muffs and /or Beard, Severed Wattles, Squirrel Tailed, Absence of Vulture Hocks


Sandy

if there are little feathers on the middle toe will i still be DQed?

 

[GypsyChic]

SOP, I believe, calls for moderate to full feathering. If there are only a few small feathers on mid. toe, I would expect to be knocked off heavily on points but not totally DQ'd (???)

 

[GracefulBantams]

You bird would not be disqualified. Notice the "defect" used in the Standard:

Defects
For All Varieties;

Large wattles and ear lobes – Neck unduly long and/or too narrow-Scantiness of feathers in beard and muffs, destroying the full look. Bare middle toe is a serious defect.​

 

[k0r1nag]

I love this thread! It is very informative.

I had posted in another area a question regarding genetics of good traits and maybe someone here can help me out. I am interested in which bird - male or female is responsible for what trait. Or what traits are more dominant and more likely to show up in the progeny. I am looking to learn about "breeding up" before I invest in show quality birds. It is my plan to pick out the best birds that I currently have to put together a few pairs and hatch some babies this coming Spring to see how the pairing worked out and better understand the genetics.

What I've got: I have hatchery birds and some babies from hatchery parents. Mostly Porcelain with a few Mille Fleurs. Most of my Porcelains are related and none of the Mille Fleurs are. Most of my birds were hatched this Spring so their coloring and feathering has not settled in yet. However, some of the juveniles already have better foot feathers than others and some have better coloration and some have better beards and muffs. My original Porcelain roo is beautiful and was from the beginning - great color, good tight feathers (not soft and tatty looking) large feathered feet, good beard and muff, no toe defects, nice vulture hawks. But when I bred him to the only hen I could find who had very small feathers on her feet, most of the young currently don't show great foot feathering. So is the hen more responsible for the feathers on the feet or was my roo just a "sport" with good feathering from a line of probably poor foot feathering?

Question #1: Should I keep everyone and wait until the Spring to pair up my birds in the hopes that they will show better traits or can I remove birds who, at 3-4 months haven't begun to show good traits? I know that the color improves with age – up to a point – but do beards, muffs, and foot feathers?

Question #2: I bought 2 unrelated Mille Fleur roos because they had a good mahogany coloration, but neither has a beard of muff. My Mille hen is very orange in color (she is now 2, but she has always been light), but has good a beard and muff and ok foot feathers and vulture hawks. Of the two males, one has better foot feathers than the other - so if he has no bad traits that are dominant, should I put him with my hen. If I mate the hen to the roos, I should end up with more mahogany right? And if I pair the hen with the roos, they should all have beards and muffs (more dominant than clean-faced)?

Overall Question: I guess my overriding question is, what traits are dominant? And does it matter whether the trait comes from the hen or roo? I know that they are many other factors that influence the traits and I don't know about the lineage of my birds, but I just want some rudimentary info to start with so I can learn as I go. Is there a book or site that anyone knows of that has good info on these issues for a beginner? I have tried to do research on-line but have encountered so much info that I am more confused than I was to begin with.

I will try to post some pictures of the birds I am possibly going to pair, but I have dial-up as I live in the boonies in a satellite "hole", so it might take some time.

Again, I would love to hear anyone's advice or anecdotal info. Thanks for all your help!

 

[Yeagin1]

if there are little feathers on the middle toe will i still be DQed?

First let me say, I'm new at this and still trying to learn everything I can too. No, it wouldn't DQ them but if there's another chicken as good as yours with better foot feathers you know who they'll pick to place over the one that doesn't.

The problem I had with mine trio is one hen loved to peck at their foot feathers. Both hens went broody, then into molt. They were a very sorry site but all are looking good and have foot feathers again...lolol

Here's the standard on the The Belgian d'Uccle & Booted Bantam Club. It also has the standard for the Booted.

Just a word of caution, there are some people thinking they have d'Uccles but they have Booted....maybe they don't know the difference but I feel anyone breeding SQ d'Uccles should at least know what they should look like.
There was someone on ebay selling SQ Mille Fleur d'Uccle eggs that had a pretty roo but he had huge wattles. I don't see how he could have won anything as being a d'Uccle...unless maybe a local fair with a judge that didn't know the difference in the Booted and the d'Uccle.

Both of the standards are on the Belgian d'Uccle & Booted Bantam Club site, so do your homework and ask the breeder a lot of questions and for pictures of their birds before you buy birds or eggs. If they don't know the answers to your questions, try to find a breeder that does.


Hope this helps.
Sandy​

 

[Doug the Chicken Man]

Quote:
As to question 1 we keep all of ours until atleast 10 Months to see what they are going to be like. Unless they have obvious defects. some don't start sowing the better traits until much later if they are slow developers.

2. From every pairing you will have some good birds and some poor birds. Some will have good bieards and some will have so-so beards.
If you start out with the best to the best you will improve your chances but it is not a garantee as you have no Idea of what the genetic soup is. They may have denetic issues that when paired with a specific partner they get amplified.

You must try to choose in such a manor that you balance the good from the hen and the good from the roo thyus trying to always improve what you have.


Here is a D'Uccle Genetic Thread that you may want to look into.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=331764