d'Uccle Cockerel - Crowing but STILL no spots - Mille Fleur or not???

[verycherry]

I wanted to sell this sweet boy, (2 of the 4 pullets I bought were NOT pullets) but was waiting on him to get his spots. I can't believe he still doesn't have them. The other cockerel got his months ago, as did the females. Do you think he's a Mille or possibly something else?

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

He doesn't have a beard either, so I would guess that he is very PET quality, or he is a very close mix (a millie mixed with something else that looks very similar but is solid colored). They can be very late to develop good coloring, but he should have SOMETHING by now...

 

[verycherry]

Well, he actually does have a beard. I took the photos in mid June, so it's a little fluffier now, but not as full as the 2 females I kept. The cutest one is a Blue Mille.

I also heard that it can take a while to get the spots, but I just didn't imagine it taking this long.

Here is one of the females, a Golden Neck. I don't have a pic yet of the Blue Mille Fleur. She was a mess dust bathing when I was taking this one's pic.

 

[Camelot Farms]

I agree that he is not 'all' Mille Fleur. But soooo pretty!

Mine just starting crowing also and is covered in spots.

He'll make someone a great pet!

 

[shelleyd2008]

They can take until their first molt to really start showing their spots, though mine usually do show them early, like 1-2 months.
And he does have a beard, just not a very good one.
I would say he probably is a millie, just a poor (pet) quality one.
ETA: Your golden neck looks kind of blue?? Is that right, or is it just the pic?

 

[verycherry]

shelleyd2008...
And he does have a beard, just not a very good one.
I would say he probably is a millie, just a poor (pet) quality one.
ETA: Your golden neck looks kind of blue?? Is that right, or is it just the pic?

I'd think he was pure, I got him from a hatchery. I didn't expect him to be top quality, just disappointed he wasn't a female.

The Golden Neck is just dirty, lol, no blue. Like I said, the Blue Mille Fleur was still dust bathing and was literally covered in dirt, so I didn't even bother trying to get a picture. She has a better beard than these two, and really nice leg feathering. I plan to breed her to my grown Mille Fleur rooster as soon as she's laying. Not sure I'll try to raise any chicks from the Golden Neck or not.

You never know what you might get from hatchery birds, but these were in a bin at the farm store and I couldn't just pass them by. Some are pretty nice and others just pets, but they're all very healthy and have wonderful personalities. The Golden Neck is just like a little puppy. Comes running whenever she sees me.​

 

[ChickenCharmer]

Quote:
Actually, hatchery quality chickens are often not pure. My "Dutch" rooster from Ideal hatchery is most likely a Japanese/OEGB cross and most likely has no Dutch blood in him. This is very disapointing to me, cuz I love Dutch banties and would love to get a good one from a hatchery. At least yours is mostly D'Uccle. Mine is not even part Dutch.

 

[verycherry]

You know, sometimes I think they just mess up. I raised a Sultan hen that was obviously half d'Uccle. She had to be a 50/50 cross, not just a total mutt. She looked so much like my white d'Uccle hen, and acted like a d'Uccle too. She know has a nice loving family. I also know someone who got a 50/50 cross, it was EE and something else, can't remember. I'd sure like to think they just made a mistake anyway. Of course, I know not everyone is as honest as I'd like them to be, but I'd like to think that, lol!

 

[juliechick]

Cherry, Did you get those from MPC?

 

[verycherry]

No, I got them from Atwoods Farm and Ranch which gets their chicks from Ideal. I don't order straight from Ideal, because I like to hand pick the chicks out of the bins. You generally won't find show quality, but I've gotten some decent Silkies that way. You can tell the ones that will have nice crests and good toe spacing.

Where do you get your d'Uccles? I'd like to find some nice quality females, both Mille and Blue Mille.