Houdans

[Tricoglossus]

They haven't quite figured out the crowing thing yet... there is a wheezy quality and abrupt finish. They sound like a squeaky dog toy equipped with an imitation rooster crow.

Ah yes I know what you mean now. They sure sound funny when they do that!
Here's another picture of Houdan 2 showing tiny comb and wattles. Such an odd bird - it definitely has those rooster saddle feathers but if it is a boy then the comb and wattle must be very very slow to catch up with the plumage - which is odd, because normally it's the big red comb that's the give away!

 

[exop]

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say "girl", but girl with surprisingly long tail feathers.

The small pale comb, but especially the mottled adult crest feathers, which are coming in blunt tipped instead of dagger shaped. Or at least, if there are dagger shaped ones I don't see any in the photo.

Are there any Crevecoeurs in Australia? I was under the impression that there weren't, or that if there ever were in the 1800s, they did not make it through to the present day...

 

[Tricoglossus]

As far as I know there are no Crevecoeurs at the moment but I think there may have been some imported as fertile eggs just recently along with about 40 or so other rare breeds (this has been a long time coming in Australia!) The eggs were imported from the UK to a quarantine facility off the Australian coast, the eggs have been hatched and are being raised there at the moment, and once all birds are pronounced disease-free they will be allowed to go to their new homes on the Australian mainland where they will form a part of breeding programs here. There are some Houdans in amongst them as well. This is very exciting for rare breeds in Australia.

 

[farmer boy]

Not familiar with the term "kicky". What does it mean?

he likes to flog people (kick people a lot) and pretty soon he might have to go into the pot and be eaten but I want to keep him because he is beautiful

 

[exop]

I had heard about that project! It's exciting, but I wonder if people appreciate that in some cases, their Australian variety may be a valuable time capsule from the past. Photos I have seen of Australia's surviving Indian Game, and Malays, look as though they fell right off the pages of a mid- 1800s Cassell's Poultry Book (and with the original breed name as well!)

I guess that most of the breeds being imported are either ones where the Australian gene pool was in serious trouble, or brand new ones, which were missing from the Australian poultry scene? I looked and found a forum post with a list of the imported breeds:
http://www.australianpoultryforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=191701#p191701

Indian Game, and Malays, are both on there, and White Faced Black Spanish... of course, I don't know how badly these breeds might need the new blood, and it would take a while for it to spread around in any case. There are some nice Mottled Houdans in the UK and hopefully the importation syndicate sourced some good ones.

 

[Chambertin]

Off topic, but had to celebrate:

My first day on the new job went great!
I'm writing manuals for the inspection equipment at an automotive factory and it was a little intimidating because I don't know how to use most of the inspection equipment (I'm a factory floor kind of guy) but with my knowledge of writing teaching manuals and some good training this will be a great fit. Might lead to a new career.

 

[Tricoglossus]

Exop, I think it was really down to the need for new blood AND having the money to do it. It was pretty expensive! So for instance there were no Sultans on that import list, and there are no Sultans in Australia (except I think someone tried to re-create the breed here). So logically you would think Sultans would be a nice choice to have here - but if no-one has the money for them, or no one wants them, they simply did not make it into these imported breeds. I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that if people want it and they have the money for it, they will get it, even if they don't necessarily need it! However, as you said, the lack of an extensive gene pool here for many rare breeds is not good for the long term viability of these birds, so I think it's been a very good decision on the whole to allow these imports into Australia. I'm looking forward to seeing the Houdans! If I had the money and the facilities to breed (which I don't at the moment, but plan to do so in the future when I finally graduate and get a job!) I would love to get some imported Houdans.

Chambertin - Good luck with the new job! Hopefully it will lead to great things.

 

[zach N houdan]

Won BIS today at an open youth show with my Houdan hen!!

 

[exop]

I think the whole importation project is pretty impressive - especially with Australia's strict quarantine laws to work around. Renting not one, but two islands? Or at least, significant parts of them. And building a dedicated facility to house the laying stock. No wonder the costs were massive. Congrats, Chambertin, is the facility in the US or in China? Hurray for the auto industry, at any rate. At least in these parts, it is one of the only reliable large scale employers.

Hey, congrats Zach! Was that you in the July Poultry Press article about York County? Thanks for all those photos, by the way.

Best - exop

 

[zach N houdan]

Yes that was my hen at york