D'uccle Thread

[D'Angelo N Va.]

Can anyone tell me how to calm my D'uccles down...they are sooo flighty. I spend as much time with them as the other chickens, (speckled sussex,EE's, Faverolles, Cochins) and they are all very gentle, but the D'Uccles are crazy as a bed bug...I am thinking about just getting rid of them, but they are soo cute and are really egg laying machines and some of the best broody hens I have ever seen....

 

[NateinFL]

D'Angelo N Va. :

Can anyone tell me how to calm my D'uccles down...they are sooo flighty. I spend as much time with them as the other chickens, (speckled sussex,EE's, Faverolles, Cochins) and they are all very gentle, but the D'Uccles are crazy as a bed bug...I am thinking about just getting rid of them, but they are soo cute and are really egg laying machines and some of the best broody hens I have ever seen....

Mine can get a little flighty too and with some, that's just the way they are. Try keeping them in a smaller cage, that might calm them down. If you have them mixed in with the large fowl, they might be getting picked on which would cause them to run because of being pecked at so much...my little roosters are the friendiest, but hens can be a little jumpy.​

 

[Cetawin]

I only have 1 of mine that is flight, a hen. Everyone else is wonderfully sweet. I just pet them, hold them and love on them. I so give them treats by hand.

 

[joanie_maine]

My little flock of young self blues:

The largest blue cockerel - he has a couple of yellowish splotches, but I like him

 

[lilcrow]

Quote:
Mine can get a little flighty too and with some, that's just the way they are. Try keeping them in a smaller cage, that might calm them down. If you have them mixed in with the large fowl, they might be getting picked on which would cause them to run because of being pecked at so much...my little roosters are the friendiest, but hens can be a little jumpy.

Just my personal opinion, but I think that some lines or birds are just like that. I have just the opposite situation that other have, my rooster was a bit flighty as a kid (he's settled down now), but my hens are true love-bugs. They genuinely like to be cuddled and petted, however the roo still prefers to be left alone. I've had some birds that were real idiots and my belief is they should not be bred. I've gone through a number of d'Uccle to end up with what I have now and they are all very sweet or at the very least calm and settled birds, and that is what they produce. Don't give up on the breed, but maybe get some different birds from a breeder who you know has birds with good dispositions. Just my opinion for what it's worth.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

Thanks everyone...I was really getting discouraged and was actually thinking about giving them all away....

 

[teddiliza]

Quote:
Mine can get a little flighty too and with some, that's just the way they are. Try keeping them in a smaller cage, that might calm them down. If you have them mixed in with the large fowl, they might be getting picked on which would cause them to run because of being pecked at so much...my little roosters are the friendiest, but hens can be a little jumpy.

I agree when they are mixed with the larger ones they are on 'survival mode' and not as relaxed. I used to have mine together, but now they are all separate. It does vary though, I had a rooster that won best of breed last year but he was such a freakazoid whenever I tried to pet him, so he ended up as soup. I chose the calmer of the two who unfortunately is not throwing very good beards, so next year I'll be putting the other fellow back in with the hens, and keeping 'Bo Diddly' as a pet with my 2 pet quality hens. He is such a good boy. This year I'm really focused on personality on who I keep as most of what I enjoy about d'uccles is their personality.

You can also try picking them off the roost for a cuddle at night, wrap them in a blanket and scratch their beard and rub the back of their necks while they are cozy and won't flap all over, so they realize you are not hurting them.

 

[mstricer]

Hello everyone on the thread I have been away from the computer due to the beautiful weather. But anyways. Teddi, the eggs I got from you this winter most of chicks are growing and looking good. (I would get pic's but I just bought a smart phone, unfortunately its smarter then me) I also have had a coon snatch up a few. So my 7 are now down to 4, only 2 hen and 3 roo's one is a millie. I had to build them their own coop and lock everyone up. I'm still looking for black molten if anyone has any? Michele

 

[Diamante]

Has anyone else had a hen that ate all the food and the roo didnt get any? I feed plenty of food but hes skinny and shes nice and fat so i was thinking she was stealing all the food from him. Should i seperate them or just feed them more? They've been together since 2009 and this has never happend.

 

[Redcatcher]

The two D'Uccles that I had were just the opposite. They had all of the flight instinct bred out of them and they were a lot like Silkies. They came as extras with some Silkie eggs I bought years ago they died of old age. I would like to get more but now I am going to be careful where I get them from. I do not want flighty birds around.