D'uccle Thread

[PsycoPeep]

New pic of my d'Uccles! 2 Mille's and 1 Porcelean!

 

[Lorilyn Farms]

I keep all my d'uccles until they are about 10 months old, then give them away to local families with young children that just want fancy little friends for their children and to "feel" like they are on a farm. At this point, I am a loooong way from offering SQ birds and I know that. My biggest beef with the serama breed is that they aren't restricted to coloration breeding true. That's what I like about d'uccles. There are specific genes involved in their coloration and the breed requires that they breed true. That is my goal. I'm well aware that this will take years to accomplish this goal. But better years spent with others trying to reach the same goal, than having an enclosed project where only one breeder attempts it, then sells at outrageous prices to others because they are the only ones with, say, Citroen Mille Fleurs or Silver Millies. Does no good at getting the new coloration passed unless MANY show up with the same coloration. And you can't sell these new birds as SQ, because those colors aren't accepted yet...

Until then, I offer the leftover eggs from my "project." I don't offer grandeur promises. Only hopes my project will inspire others to join in bringing these lovely colors to American shores. Can't wait for the day!

 

[hdowden]

I do realize that.
I also realize the amount of discipline required. You can't look at a young chick and know what color it will be at maturity, and you can't know that it will breed true later on. To know if an accepted color is truly show quality, a good breeder has to wait until a bird is almost mature or even until it goes through a molt. For millies, the wait is even longer. Longtime breeders recommend keeping a bird for 2 years to know if it is TRULY show quality. For the sake of responsible breeding, I would wait until d'Uccle features are back on a bird before I would label the project a success, and even then they would still be project birds with potentially bad variables that could crop up.

For what it's worth, I have hatched dun d'Uccles and chicks like the "paint" pictured earlier, breeding strictly within my d'Uccle flock. I too have a project pen, but they are SQ d'Uccles in all ways except color. I agree with the old adage: "Build the barn before you paint it."



I am not against new varieties at all. I have my eye on some silver milles, and I know how many years the breeder has been working on them. I also know that they have years ahead of them before they can be admitted into the SOP. But they already have d'Uccle features and show well as AV.
AT THIS POINT they are a project that is ready to be shared. They are d'Uccles, not mutts. To be accepted into the SOP they will have to be shared, and shared responsibly. I have immense respect for the breeder, who is still not sure they are "good enough" to be shared. I hope that when he does share them, he picks folks with experience showing d'Uccles, so that they can continue to be improved responsibly.

can you get my name in on the silvers please? and I completely agree with what is said here.

 

[hdowden]

you do realize that serama are not APA nor ABA accepted due to them being a mixed breed bird altogether. serama's would be the last breed to choose to try and work on this particular project. I have a lemon barred cochin which would be a whole lot better to use over a serama and its iffy genetics. depending on the gender of my lemon cochin I may cross it with one of my millies to lighten the buff color up though I will also be working with the barred gene in the birds

what I want is the mahogany color in d'uccle that is a very pretty coloring for a millie bird

 

[wegotchickens]

Anyone who truly has the best in mind for a new variety, and wants them admitted to the standard, will not charge a fortune for them. It takes a lot of breeders with a lot of birds to get them admitted to the standard. Trading/ sharing is the way to see that happen.


I played a little with the mahogany mille fleur idea, and got teased by Karl Urshel because I bred a cockeral that was a mille fleur to European standards (red with black & white chest). I didn't like his type, and sold him to someone who will use him in a brown red project. His color was perfect but he was too narrow in the chest and too 'upright' for my liking.

I kept a brown-red that was from the same hatch as my European boy, but had better type. He's in with a mottled and my dun mottled. I should get some interesting colors out of that pen, all full d'Uccle. I have 2 youngsters out of my dun mottled that I suspect may be blue. Both are females. I can't wait to see how their type turns out.

I do show AoV birds from time to time, just to get feedback on type and to gauge interest.



Another problem with Serama DNA is that they carry their tail wrong. Big time issue if all the d'Uccles from them get DQ'ed for squirrel tail....

 

[laseterlass]

I hatched these from Wing shadow Haciendas eggs.

 

[joanie_maine]

Anyone who truly has the best in mind for a new variety, and wants them admitted to the standard, will not charge a fortune for them. It takes a lot of breeders with a lot of birds to get them admitted to the standard. Trading/ sharing is the way to see that happen.


I played a little with the mahogany mille fleur idea, and got teased by Karl Urshel because I bred a cockeral that was a mille fleur to European standards (red with black & white chest). I didn't like his type, and sold him to someone who will use him in a brown red project. His color was perfect but he was too narrow in the chest and too 'upright' for my liking.

I kept a brown-red that was from the same hatch as my European boy, but had better type. He's in with a mottled and my dun mottled. I should get some interesting colors out of that pen, all full d'Uccle. I have 2 youngsters out of my dun mottled that I suspect may be blue. Both are females. I can't wait to see how their type turns out.

I do show AoV birds from time to time, just to get feedback on type and to gauge interest.



Another problem with Serama DNA is that they carry their tail wrong. Big time issue if all the d'Uccles from them get DQ'ed for squirrel tail....

I have brown reds - a cockerel and four pullets.

Can't get people around here to buy them because they're not MILLES lol

So much for that project

 

[laseterlass]

I have brown reds - a cockerel and four pullets.

Can't get people around here to buy them because they're not MILLES lol

So much for that project

I am in Alaska. And I brougt up the mottled eggs because ALL WE HAVE are Millies! I had them back in the 80s I am surrounded by them here. I am soooooo sick of Millies!

 

[2seth2]

I have no isuue with new colors but I am the kind of person that thinks if it is already around get it developed first! I see so many breeds where blue and black are recognized and splash isn't and instead of passing splash they out cross and bring in completely new colors! I would love to see silver and citron milles recognized and silver milles.

 

[FairLeaBantams]

I see the term "squirrel tail" here a lot and was wondering of someone could define it for me? I assume it means the tail is held in such a way that it bends forward over the back a little? Also, cute chick pics everyone! I have been checking my eggs all day. It's only day 20, but you never know........