d'uccles- which rooster to keep for breeding

[lilcrow]

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Absolutely! It would seem that most of the d'Uccles mature at a very late age; however I did notice that Lynne said her birds are ready to lay by the time they are 6 mo old. I'm impressed! I may have seen this on another thread, but I did see it.
Nathan, you've GOT to go cruisin' on that link that ummmmmm........I think it was bantamF gave us. It the French fella. There are some of the most beautiful d'Uccles on there you could ever dream of. Now there would be something we could all work toward. Maybe we could get a group of folks together that want to pool their money and bring a small flock over and we'd have some REAL d'Uccles. Oh it makes my heart flutter and my hands tremble just thinking about it.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Hey Lilcrow,
As for the overseas deal, you're right, in most part, they have better genetic over there, because, I feel more people over there put their hearts into their breed of choice and really try to make it the best they can. I was wanting some d'anvers as theirs are just drop dead gorgeous too. But you cant do it any more, it's not the other countries export laws, it's our import laws. Since the A.I. scare over there, the U.S. pretty much closed it's borders to fowl. With the proper parers, you may still be able to, with a 1 month USDA quarantine, but I think after 2002, they just banned it altogether

 

[lilcrow]

Rats!

What about eggs? As many people that fly back and forth, it would seem that there should be someone on the coast that would be willing to incubate eggs. Then if it was possible to get someone to oh, I don't know maybe........hand carry eggs.

They could pack them in a carry on. Think about it, there are folks that hop back and forth like it's nothing, what they take with them really isn't that big a deal. I've got a friend in NY that might even know some of these folks.
I may have to bang my head up against this wall for a while before I surrender to it's total failure.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

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HA I hear ya there!

Basic point is though, It's illegal. When I went to the P.O. to try to send some to the U.K. this year, they looked it up for me and the law read something to the extent of......Any poultry, poultry parts, or poultry by-products were no longer allowed to be send into or out of the US.

Also, even if you did, Sneak them back, you'd have to pass the bag they were in threw and x-ray machine I'm sure, and we all know what that does to hatching eggs even if they didnt catch you with them.... It was ruff for me to except too, I really wanted to get a lot of the d'anvers over there in Germany, but just cant happen, legally at least.
I even sent some to Guam this year, a US territory with all the papers and everything, customs got them and destroyed all of them for no given reason....

 

[lilcrow]

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Awh!!! No!! Dang it!! It sounds like you've already banged your head a few times on this. So even if they are tested on the other end, that makes no difference to them, there is nothing that can be done to convince them they are disease free?

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

NOPE, after the Avian Influenza deal they are dealing with over there, they put a stop to it. There may be special permits from licensed breeder over seas, but I dont think so any more, when you could do it, all imports had to go threw a 1 month USDA quarenteen that you have to pay for on top of the cost of the bird and shipping, so even then, it was horrible on the cost.
I never went any furthur after that, you could contact the USDA and see what their current laws are on imports, but I am almost possitive, it's zero

 

[lilcrow]

Evidently, you're right. I just talked with a gal that tried to get some eggs through Guam, and they destroyed them on the spot. What a bummer.

 

[lilcrow]

I guess that means we just have to work extra hard and be really picky.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Yep, if more people would do that here, we could drastically improve our native stocks. The genetics are here, just need more people willing to do a little work with them, and not be scared to cull, instead of breeding everything they have. If more would do that, we'd be in good shape and have a lot more excellent quality of birds to choose from....

 

[NateinFL]

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I agree with you there. Ever see fancy fish from other countries, particularly Japan, oh man its totally different, the standards are so much higher, its pitiful in some respects. Should I go ahead and just cull this roo? I wouldnt kill him I sell them cheap on CL. (Theres actually a lady that buys all my unwanted chickens she just likes to watch them) This trio I hatched from eggs I purchased on Eggbid. I'm a little disappointed as they dont have the right coloring to be a true mille fleur d'uccle. Should I just scrap them and start off with better stock? I do want to show them, that is my goal.

Next question, does anybody have pictures of what Ideal's looks like once they mature? Mine are still teenagers, no telling what they'll look like in a few months. Here's the trio, I took these pics this morning: