Houdans

[aoxa]

I'm still struggling with hatching issues. I started off in 2009 with a still air incubator. Between poor fertility and crappy incubator, the year was an epic failure. Got a Brinsea but I was still have poor fertility. Then I lost hens. I took the whole of 2011 to rebuild my starter flock. Last year I began working with another who I influenced to get into houdans. In 2012 we both experimented with our incubation and are finally getting hatches but still have problems with die offs. This year I am going into breeding with 4 healthy roos: 3 young and my Asia who is turning 4 this year.

Asia has finally figured out what hens are for, kid you not. I was near pulling my hair out as he is near SOP weight & size. I have shown him and judges have awarded him. Think I could get him to mate? I even out him so he could watch the other roos but still zip. Late last year, we finally got our first fertile eggs from his hens. This year we are hoping for much better.

What about AI? Have you tried that?

Gigi was mating at 12 weeks old. I was astounded. I have never seen a rooster mate so young. There he was.. getting my huge cochin hen from behind (she didn't know it was a teenager, and squatted out of habit) she whooped his butt good afterwards.

Now I've only raised 11 houdans.. Only one died.. and it was due to a dog sitting on her. I haven't lost any others. I wonder why you have lost so many?

Right now I'm having trouble with getting eggs.. Just one is laying I believe.. if it is a houdan, and I'm too pessimistic to say yes it is for sure. I've been waiting so long.. I bought the first two in March 2012 and just got my first white egg with the possibility of it being a houdan egg. I am separating this weekend, so I will know for sure at least by the end of the week (giving them time for adjustment to the new living quarters).

I have 4 roosters and 4 hens. I won't be selling any from my top birds, as I am going to hoard them all to myself. I have one pullet who is way too white to use for anything other than making pet quality birds. I'll sell those chicks as they are. Just for people looking for interesting birds. Hopefully 2014 will be the year I have enough houdans to actually sell in bigger numbers.

 

[toybarons]

What about AI? Have you tried that?

Gigi was mating at 12 weeks old. I was astounded. I have never seen a rooster mate so young. There he was.. getting my huge cochin hen from behind (she didn't know it was a teenager, and squatted out of habit) she whooped his butt good afterwards.

Now I've only raised 11 houdans.. Only one died.. and it was due to a dog sitting on her. I haven't lost any others. I wonder why you have lost so many?

Right now I'm having trouble with getting eggs.. Just one is laying I believe.. if it is a houdan, and I'm too pessimistic to say yes it is for sure. I've been waiting so long.. I bought the first two in March 2012 and just got my first white egg with the possibility of it being a houdan egg. I am separating this weekend, so I will know for sure at least by the end of the week (giving them time for adjustment to the new living quarters).

I have 4 roosters and 4 hens. I won't be selling any from my top birds, as I am going to hoard them all to myself. I have one pullet who is way too white to use for anything other than making pet quality birds. I'll sell those chicks as they are. Just for people looking for interesting birds. Hopefully 2014 will be the year I have enough houdans to actually sell in bigger numbers.

My early losses were all on account of the incubator I was using. I was using one of those foam, still air units. I tried every darn thing I could think of to try and get the humidity to stabilize but just kept getting burnt. After 4 straight tries of 20 eggs each, only 1 hatched and only because I helped him out. So I said adios to that and got the Brinsea with a humidity pump...best money have spent.

The hatch issue now are just getting the right enviroment to increase the hatch numbers. I have been doing research into temps to hatch heritage breeds. There seems to be some support that some heritage breeds need higher temps to increase hatch rates. When I hatched out my polish along side my houdans at the same incubation enviroment, my polish came out fine but all my houdans still had their yolk sacs attached as if they were at day 19-20. When I increased my temps just slightly along with adjustments to increase humidity slightly higher than I incubate my polish at, my houdans hatched better, except they were wet and bloody. Discovered I errored in the day I should have increased my humidity. But the chicks did hatch with no yolks attached. Most did die later due to leg issues which I think had more to do with my parent stock than the chicks.

This time round I plan on using information I got from Pas Reform to set my temps and humidity at. As well I have adjusted my breeders diet. I am just waiting to set my eggs after I come back from a show I am doing Feb 16-17. Taking 4 houdans to that one.

When you do get to thinking of selling, let me know. I am looking for down the road, say 2014 or 2015. Right now I have a flock of about 16 including 3 young roos who are all randy devils and a beautiful half breed houdan who was my only success from the foam incubator days.

All the best to you and every one setting houdan eggs this season. May you each have success!

 

[aoxa]

My early losses were all on account of the incubator I was using. I was using one of those foam, still air units. I tried every darn thing I could think of to try and get the humidity to stabilize but just kept getting burnt. After 4 straight tries of 20 eggs each, only 1 hatched and only because I helped him out. So I said adios to that and got the Brinsea with a humidity pump...best money have spent.

The hatch issue now are just getting the right enviroment to increase the hatch numbers. I have been doing research into temps to hatch heritage breeds. There seems to be some support that some heritage breeds need higher temps to increase hatch rates. When I hatched out my polish along side my houdans at the same incubation enviroment, my polish came out fine but all my houdans still had their yolk sacs attached as if they were at day 19-20. When I increased my temps just slightly along with adjustments to increase humidity slightly higher than I incubate my polish at, my houdans hatched better, except they were wet and bloody. Discovered I errored in the day I should have increased my humidity. But the chicks did hatch with no yolks attached. Most did die later due to leg issues which I think had more to do with my parent stock than the chicks.

This time round I plan on using information I got from Pas Reform to set my temps and humidity at. As well I have adjusted my breeders diet. I am just waiting to set my eggs after I come back from a show I am doing Feb 16-17. Taking 4 houdans to that one.

When you do get to thinking of selling, let me know. I am looking for down the road, say 2014 or 2015. Right now I have a flock of about 16 including 3 young roos who are all randy devils and a beautiful half breed houdan who was my only success from the foam incubator days.

All the best to you and every one setting houdan eggs this season. May you each have success!

Thanks! Yes I will let you know when I plan on selling.

I've heard polish are quite hard to incubate as well. We like our challenges, don't we?

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

I have had no success incubating out three hatches around 39 Eggs we have hatched about six, some were shipped And some we drove And got. All that hatched died within a week, now i just set 3 more they r in the hatcher And 2 days overdue.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

When we hatched we had 15 eggs. At 8 day candle I only culled 2 for no development. During hatch we got 4 out of the remainder who hatched and lived and one piped but didn't get out. All 4 that hatched were healthy and no problems. All correct and depeloped well. FYI it was not an incubator problem as in the same incubator we had 15 Salmon Fav eggs and we had 12/15 of those hatch at the same time.

 

[seminolewind]

Just liked to say that I have 2 roos that are brothers, and I don't lock them up, they roost on top of a pen. Problem is they are SO loud and continuously crowing in the morning, if the neighbors get mad, the other 6 roos will have to go, and I found the brothers a home. They will be going to the barn I keep my horse at. The owner is pretty excited about it. There are about 100 horses there, and 3 calves. It's a good place.




I have the hen (Marta), are these Houdan hens all affectionate? Mine would like to cuddle all day!

 

[Chambertin]

Houdans are extremely receptive when compared to our other chickens
From what I see on here and what I read about them from some realy old books it seems to be pretty standard with the breed.
Some days I dont even think of them as chickens when I compare them to some other breeds.

My Houdan roo is much more excitable and will start the warning call much earlier than others would. If he hears someone talking on the elevator roof he goes crazy. If there's an eg song from a girl he cant see he will cackle, so if you have two growing boys be prepared for LOTS of sound if they're anything like mine.

One good piece of news is I think we have our first broody hen. The largest silkie was on the eggs half a day yesterday and today when one of the garbage yellows tried to kick her off she wouldnt budge.
The trash bird was standing on her head and the silkie wouldnt let her near the eggs.
Gonna be a good mama!

(the girl in the picture is her laying buddy, they would always use the same next box before she went broody)

Ther's always the chance the other girl who might want to be a mama, so I'm putting 6 good eggs under the silkie and leaving 5 more in a nest box next to it. (my nest boxes are just cardboard with a towel)
Will be interesting to see what happens.


Also for the Chinese New Year we bought some Quail.
So tiny, and not nearly as flighty as I had imagined.

EDIT: Added pictures

 

[roostersandhens]

my houdan was killed by a rooster at the age of 4 or 5 months

i miss hem so much. a lady who could not keep him gave him to me she did alot of research to see if he was a rooster he never crowed or layed an egg do you think he was a rooster he was also very friendly
here are pictures




sorry sideways

 

[Chambertin]

So very sorry to hear about your loss.
I really dont know, because it doesnt sound like a roo if he didnt crow. However maybe my boys were just realy early developers.
In my flock it could be a female, but most N. American breeders go for different standards, so the wattles mean its likely a boy.

So it was likely a rooster, but it really depends on the breeders choices.

 

[Lilwanis]

So sorry for your loss! I would guess a boy on him, but I am not an expert at all. My RIR boy didn't crow until he was five months. I thought I had hit the jackpot for a while there. Now he crows in his sleep, I swear.