D'uccle Thread

[Lorilyn Farms]

I was wondering if you but a Golden Neck under a Black Moltted, if you can get that combo.

No. The gold necks have the same buff color as the blue millies and the reg millie. Their dilute gene only affects black. You need a dilute that affects red pigment.

 

[Lorilyn Farms]

I'm working on the lemon/citron d'uccle as well. It will take at least a year or more of cross breeding to get the color into the breed, then get them back to d'uccle standards. I heard someone had them in Texas, but can't remember where I saw that info.

 

[coffeekittie]

I'm working on the lemon/citron d'uccle as well. It will take at least a year or more of cross breeding to get the color into the breed, then get them back to d'uccle standards. I heard someone had them in Texas, but can't remember where I saw that info.

Drat, there are so few here in the US.

I have a non-lemon-specific question for you experienced d'Uccle breeders. At what age do chicks show if they have good toe feathering? Specifically, the middle toe? If they have a few little feather "sprouts" when very young, does that indicate they will grow in thicker? Or do they have to have lots of feathers right away? Or, can you just not tell until they are older, say...4 months or so?

Thank you in advance for any information you can share.

 

[Lorilyn Farms]

Drat, there are so few here in the US.

I have a non-lemon-specific question for you experienced d'Uccle breeders. At what age do chicks show if they have good toe feathering? Specifically, the middle toe? If they have a few little feather "sprouts" when very young, does that indicate they will grow in thicker? Or do they have to have lots of feathers right away? Or, can you just not tell until they are older, say...4 months or so?

Thank you in advance for any information you can share.

My chicks are born with fuzz on the middle toes. If there's no fuzz, there will be no feathers. So, basically, from day one, you can tell.

 

[coffeekittie]

My chicks are born with fuzz on the middle toes. If there's no fuzz, there will be no feathers. So, basically, from day one, you can tell.

Ok, that makes sense. To refine your answer then, is there a need for a lot of fuzz, or is just the appearance of "some" fuzz is enough?

Thank you again for teaching our little group

 

[Lorilyn Farms]

Okay, I found a picture of baby fuzz. I think any fuzz will do, but it should be the length of the entire toe. Some fuzz only goes down partway, which is where the feathering will stop also.

 

[hdowden]

all of mine have lost that fuzz on their middle toes and have hardly any normal feathers to replace it and i am hoping that it is just the leg mites that they ended up getting that has caused this...I HATE MITES AND LICE

(these x's 40,000)

 

[JulieNKC]

all of mine have lost that fuzz on their middle toes and have hardly any normal feathers to replace it and i am hoping that it is just the leg mites that they ended up getting that has caused this...I HATE MITES AND LICE

(these x's 40,000)

They suck. Mine got lice at the beginning of spring. There was a cute little pair of itty bitty birds nesting in the coop. Thought they were cute and left them alone, a few weeks later I noticed lice on my birds. Yuck!

 

[wegotchickens]

Ok, that makes sense. To refine your answer then, is there a need for a lot of fuzz, or is just the appearance of "some" fuzz is enough?

Thank you again for teaching our little group

With mine, I have noticed a parallel between thick & thin fuzz, and future foot feathers. The ones with very 'hairy' feet tend to have better, thicker foot feathers. The ones with a thin line of down tend to have stubble on their middle toes and not truly good feathering.

That said, I had a pullet with stubble instead of good middle toe feathers and she now has a nice set of foot feathers. Just a late bloomer, I guess. She's a self-blue, and they tend to faether slower than my other varities.

Another key to good foot feathers, for my flock, is additional fat & protein in their diet. I try to wait until they're around 3-4 months before I seriously start on the fat & protein treats.

 

[wegotchickens]

I am currently fascinated with my self-blue flock. I added a couple of Karl Urshel pullets last year and was a little disappointed because some threw me mottled lavs instead of solid. But the babies that I kept because their type was so good have lost the white and gone all lav. And because their type is good, they are GORGEOUS. The no-longer-mottled roo is kicking the non-mottled lav roo's butt when I show them. Not only is there no white left, but I think the lavender is a little deeper, almost blue instead of lav. Absolutely gorgeous!
I also have a pullet that was also mottled but is no longer mottled, who is adorable, and the same deep color.

I am going to put Mr. Typey over my original hens, and see what I get. I only have one Karl hen left, and she is currently broody. I sure hope I keep the lovely deep lavender feathering and don't end up with any white that sticks around. Have to wait a month before I can hatch, though, or my spouse will KILL me. But I've had a lot of past compliments because my lavender was such a rich shade, instead of silvery pale, so if I can keep this in my bloodlines I should do really well on the show circuit with lavender.

We'll see how Mr. Typey does in OH in November. All of my self-blues did well at Crossroads, and I think they look even better this year.