D'uccle Thread

[lilcrow]

Parkers*momma :

Ok, I have to ask...are all D'uccle so darn loveable? Mills simply can't get enough of being held...he runs out to greet us when we get home kinda like a loyal dog. Sissy has him in the house tonight, she is laying on the floor and Mills sitting on her back grooming her hair. Are all D'uccle this docile and loveable? He's becoming my favorite roo.

The answer to this question unfortunately is a resounding, NO! Some breeding age roos can get pretty nasty, and some lines are not very friendly at all. I've run into a few hens that were just plan mean! I don't breed them needless to say, and I also don't breed those mean roos either. I like a roo that I can handle and go in the run with. If he's going to attack me every time I go in there, it takes all the joy out of it, so I don't like to breed those roos; but I'll warn you, there's a LOT of them out there.​

 

[Celtic Hill]

Quote:
Ummmmmm...........I think not.......I'm so totally disorganized this year. I just bought a house and it needs work, I've been sick and trying to do this work while I've been. Then I decided to try and breed on top of all of that. It was a bad decision. I should have skipped the year and focused on getting things set up here, but I was to excited about the plans that I had made for my birds.

I could add you if you want, you have gorgeous birds

 

[lilcrow]

Quote:
Ummmmmm...........I think not.......I'm so totally disorganized this year. I just bought a house and it needs work, I've been sick and trying to do this work while I've been. Then I decided to try and breed on top of all of that. It was a bad decision. I should have skipped the year and focused on getting things set up here, but I was to excited about the plans that I had made for my birds.

I could add you if you want, you have gorgeous birds

That would be very kind of you. I have Mille Fleur, Lavender, and Golden Neck at the moment. I'm curious to see what the Golden Necks will do when breed to a MF. I want to get a really nice quality blue MF, but it takes time to get to where you want to be as I'm sure you all are aware. My Lavender pair is pretty nice, but I don't know yet how they will reproduce, so breeding them will be a craps shoots until I find out what they can do genetically. I've got a trio of MF from Lynne's birds in CA. They are VERY robust and I'd really like to do a breeding with them and the lavenders, I think that would really be powerful.
Anyway, I've got enough breedings planned to keep me busy and and folks supplied with babies for a long time to come.

 

[wegotchickens]

Quote:
The answer to this question unfortunately is a resounding, NO! Some breeding age roos can get pretty nasty, and some lines are not very friendly at all. I've run into a few hens that were just plan mean! I don't breed them needless to say, and I also don't breed those mean roos either. I like a roo that I can handle and go in the run with. If he's going to attack me every time I go in there, it takes all the joy out of it, so I don't like to breed those roos; but I'll warn you, there's a LOT of them out there.

Mine are very sweet and loveable, but my MF are heritage birds. The hatchery d'Uccles are not so sweet. When I cull for temperment, mean birds are NOT rehomed. The d'Uccle is meant to be a docile, sweet bird.

My roo was very sweet until he and the girls were attacked by a small dog. It tore the roo's face up pretty bad, but the hens were all fine. Since then, my sweet boy has had a bit of an attitude but I undertand where it comes from. I've seen him put himself between the girls and danger at other times as well. But he's sweet as pie once he realizes it's just me.

Cetawin's daughter has 2 of my chicks and they ride around on her shoulders and snuzzle into her hair. Those will be sweet cuddle bugs forever!

 

[elmo]

One of our two d'Uccle pullets is our first and only truly pettable chicken. She really seems to enjoy it, and will come to your hand when you put it down just for petting even when you don't have treats. And she'll stick around for the attention. Seems she likes to hear what a pretty girl she is!

Our others are willing to tolerate being held and petted to some degree, but none of them seem to really like it like Flash does.

 

[wegotchickens]

Quote:
I was hugging my showgirl yesterday and one of the millies flew up onto my arm and tried to push Sophie away. it was too funny! Sophie was very glad to be replaced by a bird that wanted the attention!!

More than once, on bad days, my millies and lavenders have pushed the cats off my lap so they could cuddle with me instead. Its part of why I love sitting outside after a rough day

 

[Jenski]

Quote:
Ha! Let's just say I'm a bringer of dreams . . . a spreader of joy . . . oh wait that's not joy, it's - - well, never mind. I'll clean it up later.

Here are pics of one of HBuehler's new boys - - so adorable, and so sweet! The photos came out lighter than the boys' actual color due to my lack of photography skills. . .

They are getting that nice V topline, and their foot feathers are just lovely at 11 weeks or so. They are also starting to round out with that nice Baroque curviness that I just love in this breed.

 

[NellaBean]

Just found this thread.....I am just getting into D'uccles. Stumbled upon some Porcelain in the TSC bin this year...ended up with about 16 or 17 of them LOL. And then traded for some Gold Necks........also found some mottled, mille and blue mille girls in the TSC bins.....

Haven't decided how to go about mixing the colors. For now, as they are too young to lay eggs, they are all mixed together. I only have Porcelain, Gold Neck and White boys.....where would the mottled, blue mille and mille girls work best? Can I put the gold neck boy with the mille and blue mille girls and produce all blue or "splash" mille??

I do have porcelain pairs for sale as well......everyone is getting to "that age", so the boys are currently in a bachelor pad with some bantam cochin and standard marans boys. They are smart birds and while not friendly, are not too crazy either. I don't handle mine much...

 

[Gypsylion]

Quote:
Ha! Let's just say I'm a bringer of dreams . . . a spreader of joy . . . oh wait that's not joy, it's - - well, never mind. I'll clean it up later.

Here are pics of one of HBuehler's new boys - - so adorable, and so sweet! The photos came out lighter than the boys' actual color due to my lack of photography skills. . .

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/12029_2010-0617_duccles_01.jpg

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/12029_2010-0617_duccles_02.jpg

They are getting that nice V topline, and their foot feathers are just lovely at 11 weeks or so. They are also starting to round out with that nice Baroque curviness that I just love in this breed.

Nice foot feathers! Does anyone know if the foot feathering is supposed to be as prolific on the toes as well as the ankles in this breed? My first porcelain boy had great feathering on his toes AND ankles at 4 mos, but the one I have now is just now getting his ankle feathers at about 9-12 mos, and the feathering on his toes has never been very long (like Jenski's GNs in these pics)... I know they're slow to feather out, but would that be as good as a DQ at a show?

Thanks!

 

[Jenski]

Gypsylion, from the breed standard, "Shanks - medium length, the front and outside covered with feathers which are short at top and gradually increasing in length toward the bottom, stiff and turning horizontally outward with their ends curving backward. . . . plumage, outside toe and outside of middle toe covered in same manner as shanks."

For more info, you might check http://belgianduccle.hypermart.net/dUccle1page.html . Our experienced show folk might have more insight.