Quote:
flower, the quote thing-y is easy, just click in the "quote" in the text frame of your post and when your message reply box comes up your "quote" will be started at the top of the box. You just need to place your cursor under it and start writing. If you're unsure of how it's going to look, hit the "preview" button.
Regarding your d'Uccle, to be safe I would line up a home or homes for your babies NOW. All except for the one that isn't showing much in the way of a comb. d'Uccle are pretty distinctive in the difference in the sizes of their combs. The roos have large combs and the hens just don't have much at all. I don't know if it's possible for you to buy older, started pullets, but in your situation, you might want to see if you could find some that are already sexed. A word of caution, one roo will crow just as much or more so than two or more. If you have him with his girls he just naturally will have a few periods during the day when he will crow. He wouldn't be any good to you, or particularly his girls if he didn't. I'm not saying that ALL d'Uccle are loud, but my guy is deafening. He doesn't go on A LOT, but he is not a quiet roo. He crows more and is by far the loudest roo that I have, all the rest are bantam Cochins. If I'm unlucky enough to be standing next to him when he cuts loose, ouch!! I wouldn't even call him scrappy in particular. He is in a run with a cochin roo on either side and yes I've put hardware cloth between them for safety so they can't get a hold of each other, but for the most part he really doesn't pay much attention to the other guys.
All this talking about him kind of makes me want to show him to you.
This is Eric
It also makes me realize how terrible my pictures are of him. I spent all kind of time photographing my Birchen Cochin roo for a breeder in VA so he could see him, and I've got great shots of my Blue Cochin roo. I've even got some really nice pics of my different cochin hens, blues & blacks, columbians, but these are sorely lacking and he's one of my star roos. Guess I'd better get busy. We're going to the Marietta, OH poultry show on the 27th of this month and Eric and his harem are all going. I'm anxious to see how he does. I really do think he's going to make an impression. There are so many d'Uccle and so few that are really GOOD in type. I'm not his breeder so I'm not bragging on myself, I got him from a breeder in NY who is also an APA judge Jamie Matts. He and his wife raise the d'Uccle and Cochins. That is not to say they are without faults, but they are very nice and I have been VERY pleased with Eric and the hen I got with him.
Enough about us..................
Sorry I hadn't planned to go on so, but it's 4am and that's what I do when I can't sleep....