D'uccle Thread

[flower]

Nice post teddiliza. I do know how frustrating it is when people don't at least call if they are not coming. It makes me think that those folks are notvery serious about anything but the spur of the moment ! And they certainly have poor manners as far as consideration of others.

The chicks are fun to watch develope and grow. I can not even think of the cut cull stage. I just started the chicken acqusition and hatching fevers. My chicken buddy/neighbor and I are hoping to sell our eggs at the little local farmers market on friday mornings.

I wanted to post some pictures of mine and their setup. I use one shovel full of outside sandy dirt and pine neeles or leaves I gather and bag for addition to the cement type soil we have here in the desert. I don't like pine shaving because the birds usually fluff then into their feed. Having this in my house is dirty anyway so why not add a little more for thier dust baths. I found that they were trying to make dust baths form the feed that they always dump out of the feeder. silly birds

 

[lilcrow]

Just a word of caution about the toes. I recently read an article about the missing toenails and how it's tied in with the booted/feather-legged breeds. The way that I understand it for showing, at this time it is not a disqualification, but you definitely lose points for missing toenails. As a breeder, we need to pay close attention to who is missing nails and who is carrying the gene because it is an inherited trait and according to the article, can become a serious and tenacious problem in our lines if we ignore the trait and inadvertently breed it in to our birds, i.e. crossing two birds with missing nails, carrying the gene for it, or any combination of those traits. I have 2 Millie Fleur hens that have exceptional type, however they each are missing a toenail. My roo is fine and I have been reassured by the breeder who knows his line for 10 yrs back that he is clear. I've talked this over with several breeders and they have all said the same thing - breed them and cull, cull, cull. This puts me right back in another moral dilemma as far as I'm concerned. I lack the ability to kill anything. When I say anything, that is not a gross exaggeration, I'm perfectly serious. I consider it a fault, because I also can't kill an animal that is suffering, no matter how much I want to, know it needs to be done and feel the desperation to hurry the process. The best that I can do is run as fast as I can to find someone else to do it, all the while despising myself for prolonging the animals suffering. Back to culling, I can't cull in the typical or classic application of the term. I have no problem with the idea of GIVING them away, except for one thing.....it puts inferior breeding stock out to the unknowing public. Let's face it, almost everyone who gets d'Uccles is getting them for display and to breed.
They're no good to eat and takes a lot of eggs to make and omelet.

Enough about that. I've revealed a good deal about my personal make up in this short paragraph. It's how I spend my life......conflicted.

You know, most of what I just wrote is just my stuff anyway. It could all have been said about the toenail thing by saying, "Be careful about breeding birds with that same problem as it can make it hard to get rid of in the future since it's hereditary."
Wasn't that easy?

 

[Lynn57]

I love people like you! Just think if more people were like you there would be way less animal suffering in the world. You shouldn't feel bad about how you are, you should be proud of it.

Lynn
www.spruceviewfarms.com

 

[lilcrow]

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Thanks Lynn, believe me you are one of a rare few who feels that way or at least has verbalized so. I usually gather a great deal more grief from others, than support. Depending on the severity of the "grief," I appease myself by musing that the person just doesn't want to have to work that hard, and is looking for the easy way around. Thanks again for your kind words.
Nancy
P.S. Visited your web site and OMG Friesians! I'm sure you hear that ALL the time, but FRIESIANS!!! The ultimate horse! I am a VERY poor person and will never be able to own one, but I bought a beautiful modern type Percheron mare that I hope to breed someday to a Friesian stallion.
That is as close as I will ever come to having my Friesian and I think I can be pretty happy with that.

As an owner/breeder/exhibitor and I'm going to assume importer of Friesians, if there are issues about the recent increase of crosses made on Friesians I would like to hear them. I am not interested in taking part in a practice that is harmful to the breed. I can just as easy, or really easier, breed my mare back to the stallion I have her bred to right now, a Percheron.

 

[teddiliza]

Well, my egg buyer was a no call/ no show, so I just put 21 d'uccle eggs in the incubator tonight!

 

[upthecreek]

Do these girls set good on their own eggs ? I love the Black & white Mottled , any young one forsale ? email me at [email protected]
Thanks ,
Shannon



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[gameboygal12]

This is my blue D'uccle. his name is Mystery and he's about the nicest rooster I've ever had! he'll fall asleep when you hold him

 

[lilcrow]

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OH GOD!!!!!! He's gorgeous! Is he what's called self blue?
He's pretty enough to tempt me with some of his offspring if you have any to sell. Most of the lighter colored birds just don't show me the typed yet that I like.
Not so in his case!

 

[gameboygal12]

Awww thank you! he is a hansom one! unfortunately , I don't have any D'uccle hens. but I'm gonna try to hatch some mutts and see if they turn out pretty

 

[flower]

We want you to find a nice hen for him. He is too pretty !