Dutch Bantams Breed Thread

[Adelina]

i know this is a very old thread.. but i bought a "lemon Porcelain" dutch yesterday.. .. was excited to get a dutch.. now he's going back out to be sold... oh well..

 

[Sunshine0235]

Anyone have a light brown Dutch rooster/cockerel or even chicks are eggs for ale. NPIP. I'm in south western ohio

 

[5toez]

is this a splash BLB , or did I get a couple buff Columbian Dutch in with my BLB??!

 

[JeanR]

He is not a Splash (Will try to attach a Splash picture--no two alike!). He appears to be a cross of ????? Buff Columbian cross?--few Buffcos are bred in the US, so crosses might be hard to identify. He has no blue plumage, so is not likely a BLB cross. Any other pictures of him--or your other birds? Always helps to know the breeder of your stock.

 

[5toez]

He is not a Splash (Will try to attach a Splash picture--no two alike!). He appears to be a cross of ????? Buff Columbian cross?--few Buffcos are bred in the US, so crosses might be hard to identify. He has no blue plumage, so is not likely a BLB cross. Any other pictures of him--or your other birds? Always helps to know the breeder of your stock.

yeah these birds are from Ideal... They were all supposed to be BLB. I have a splash cockerel that looks similar to yours, but now I came to the realization that they sent me 3 blacktail buff or buff Columbian whatevers . 2 identical brothers and a blue tail female....it's frustrating to get the wrong birds mixed in.that is a Columbian blue tail hen isn't it?

 

[JeanR]

Hatchery dutch are not DUTCH. Your pretty birds are crossbreds, maybe from part Dutch birds, most likely cross varieties, which without pedigree, no one knows?? Few Hatcheries offer Dutch and/or breed them. Not sure if I still have a picture of a flock of a Hatchery's OEGB, Black Rosecomb, dutc---- and their offspring are sold as dutch! There were some varieties that are not bred in dutch, and so they have to be crossbreds. No matter, unless you want Show or breeding birds--they are lovely and beautiful backyard bantams.

There are very few Buff Columbian DUTCH in the US. Only several breeders, who are hatching in very small numbers, can offer them. The Blue Buff Columbians are truly lovely. Blue to Blue is producer of "not blue". You need one of each variety or Splash are produced. Splash to Splash produces only Splash. I always keep a BLB Splash hen. Bred to LB, offspring are all BLB, but then, if you want to sell Dutch, you must have LB to go with the chicks, or the BLBs will only produce Splash--a surprise to many. You may well know this...... A bit of Genetics is important to breed DUTCH, as there are rules to learn to produce each variety. Most dutch varieties cannot be crossed to produce Standard varieties.

Enjoy your bantams, forgive the hatchery, as they do not know what day old chicks will be!! And most purchase hatching eggs and again,hope they are as represented. (I would never sell eggs to a hatchery.) They must go out day of or after hatch, and the hatchery can have no clue what that chick really is. It is just a guess what a downy chick will have as adult plumage color, if you do not know the parents! Their chicks go out, usually as several varieties of a bantam breed, as they simply do not know what that downy chick really is!
These 2 Blue Buff Columbians are brother/sister and were later, in separate breeding pens, and bred to Buff Columbians for chicks in both varieties.

 

[JeanR]

Should always add, when Hatchery rare breeds are obtained....that.we NEED our hatcheries. If you are not searching for Show or "breeding for sale" birds--and advertising them as Show birds--commercial hatcheries are so important for all of us. They are almost always, healthy chicks, our home layers and fryer/roasters! Sadly,Hatcheries often advertise their rare breeds as Show birds- and their pictures in their catalogs are misleading. No one can guarantee a chick will grow into anything except a chicken---even if from Show stock and Champion parent-birds! But serious breeders will likely have the birds you may covet and are well worth the extra cost (not as chicks) as youngsters old enough to assess their qualities! So do enjoy your hatchery chickens--and learn what you want from watching them grow and become our "friends"! Hatcheries are necessities--just not for Show birds, especially of rare breeds.

 

[AmandaMBG]

Well after months of trying to figure out what she is pretty sure she is a Dutch. Of course she is from a hatchery but I think she is really pretty.

Also a quick question. She has super neat and tidy feathers and no signs of hackle or saddle feather at around 3.5 months old. So I'm assuming she is a girl and not roo. Do Dutch mature faster like a lot of other bantams? Or could I have a late bloomer cockerel?

 

[5toez]

Well after months of trying to figure out what she is pretty sure she is a Dutch. Of course she is from a hatchery but I think she is really pretty.

Also a quick question. She has super neat and tidy feathers and no signs of hackle or saddle feather at around 3.5 months old. So I'm assuming she is a girl and not roo. Do Dutch mature faster like a lot of other bantams? Or could I have a late bloomer cockerel?

looks to me like a possible Dutch OEGB cross... Dutch bantams mature at around 12 months I think, slower than usual

 

[AmandaMBG]

looks to me like a possible Dutch OEGB cross... Dutch bantams mature at around 12 months I think, slower than usual

12 months seems crazy late. I have a Blue Rose Comb Bantam rooster and he matured at only 2.5 months old so way earlier than my non bantam roosters. That's why I figured it must be a pullet since at 3.5 months it still has no signs of anything but nice tidy rounded feathers. Guess only time will tell.