I posted this in the gender section too, but thought some D'Uccle people might be able to help too. I realize it's too soon most likely to tell if this chick is a hen or a roo, but I'll attach a pic anyway and I have a few observations I'm hoping to get some feedback on. This chick is 11 days old & common opinion is that it's most likely a Mille Fleur d'Uccle . It lives in the brooder with 5 Silkie chicks and 1 Cochin. They are all bantams. So here's what I've noticed about him/her: 1. From day one it has been an oddball. It freaks out and runs around crazy when I reach into the brooder to pick it up. When I do catch it, it chirps loudly and constantly. It will eventually settle "somewhat" in my lap, but even then chirps and objects the whole time. 2. It seems more advanced than the others. I put a branch in the brooder for them to roost/perch on and they were all freaked out by it, and then eventually simply ignored it. Today I woke up and discovered that the little oddball was on the branch, sitting there like a pro. 3. It's feathers confuse me. It's had them since day one, and I didn't think chicks had feathers yet. They're only on his wings right now, but very clearly feathers and it has a huge wing span. So I'm wondering if it's just a moody, bossy defiant hen, etc. Or it's a breed thing, and she just behaves differently than the more mellow Silkies & Cochin. OR....does all this indicate that it could be a Rooster?? Thanks in advance for any input you have about it's breed, behavior or it's sex.
Probably a mille fluer d'Uccle. If it has 'vulture hocks' that would confirm it. They grow from the back of the legs out behind the bird about the lenth of the wings when folded. Give it time to settle down. No telling about hen or roo, they all can have thier own little personalities. D'Uccles do get wing feathers and master flying early on. And they are good flyers as adults as well. Is that chick 3-4 weeks old? Some of my d'Uccles that were spastic as 'teens' settled down when they realized who was the food bringer in the family. I would milk that by letting the food run out between feedings, so that they were GLAD to see me. And when they discovered the joys of treats they were all more attentive. Now I can sit outside, reading a book, and they coe sit and talk to me. When I'm sad they push the cats out of my lap so THEY can cuddle me. Give your little one some time & patience.
Some chicks act differently than others. It is normal for chicks to get feathers when they're 2 days old. The start to get wing feathers.
It looks the same as the Millefluer D'Uccles I have in the brooder now. They do get the perch thing a lot faster than the rest of the breeds that we have. At bout 1 week old you will start to see the vulture hocks. At about 5 weeks you can see which are pullet and which are cockerals by the color of the comb. Here is a picture that my wife took for a contest and you can see the hocks at about 1- 2 weeks old. These are golden necks not Millefluer. One Roo one hen. Here is a blue millefluer Pullet at about 3-4 weeks. It is sitting with a Sil'Uccle ( Silkie X D'Uccle)
Quote:No she is actually only 11 days old in this pic. She's now 16 days old and is still the only one that perches. She's still a loud mouth too, big time! She seems very smart, is always the first to notice me peering into the brooder and checks me out inquisitively. I was hoping for more feedback on this chick; any additional opinions would be appreciated. She's sitting on my arm as I type right now, screaming like a baby, where as the others are totally happy with hanging out like that....
My d'uccles always act crazy in the brooder. When they get older, the suddenly become calm. It's weird, but true.
Your D'Uccle is acting the same way as the ones we have. We have ones that are 12 Weeks, 8 weeks, and 1 - 2 weeks and 4 days with more under the 2 broodie Silkies. The young D'Uccles are in with two Samon Faverolles chicks in the playpen in the basement. The D'Uccles get more feathering faster and more are way more panicy that the Faverolles. The older group is out in a brooder tractor and they are still flighty and panicky. They do eventually calm down. Our Hens and Roosters are very calm and come running whenever my daughter enters the area. She even has some of the hens trained to jump up on her arm on command.
