La Fleche Thread ~ PIC of my Black La Fleche

[cgmccary]

I set my first La Fleche eggs in the incubator and have it where they should hatch News Years Day. When the weather gets warmer, I will let some of the broody hens hatch and raise some of the La Fleche, but I usually do not do that when we have at least 2-3 months of cold. I'm excited.

 

[Guccibirds423]

So who all is working with Le fleche at the moment?

 

[cgmccary]

My spare male:

 

[Fowl Mouth]

My spare male:

What a terrible looking bird!! You should send him to me so you won't have to keep looking at him.

Just kidding. He's quite a looker. I think he knows it too, seems to be strutting a bit for that photo. Gotta make sure you get his good side. lol

 

[cgmccary]

First set of La Fleche chicks hatched January 1. This picture was taken when they were 13 days old:

Since I begin using broody hens mostly for rearing, it has made me lazy as far as having a brooder indoors (as I had to do with the set of 10 above); I have been spoiled by hens taking care of them. I know using brood hens is not possible for someone hatching large numbers but my hatches are usually no more than 8-24. I had a broody Buckeye pullet available, and since I only hatched 16 La Fleche in the second hatch (7 under her & 9 in the incubator), then I just put all the chicks under her (moving the nine last night). I've only hatched in the Fall/ Winter once before (and it was an October). A hen has hatched and raised in September once, but weeks left of milder weather. In the Spring, I have plenty of broody hens available so I can put them under hens & don't have to worry about constant cold (cold mornings sometimes but that is no big deal unless it is keets you have out). I decided to let the hen raise them even if it is constant cold and see how they turn out. Anyway, here is my Buckeye hen out in one of my barns with the second set of 16 La Fleche:



I use Game hens when I can because I can turn them out. Buckeye hens won't even peck me when I pick up the chicks so I never turn them out but pen the broody and chicks. Contrastingly, a Game hen tries to attack me if I get a little close. When I was a kid in the 1960s, I had hens that raised chicks out & I never gave it a thought . . . but today, still learning best practices when it comes to broody hens raising chicks. IMHO, the chicks seem to do better when hen raised.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

I all around prefer using broodies, and you can hatch out a lot fo chicks using them. It's nice that the Buckeyes are so reliable. We use our Dorkings. Bravo on the La Fleche! We'll have to meet up sometime at the Ohio National

 

[flowerchild59]

I was wondering how the la fleche do in colder winter weather. I really like their looks and am swinging toward them as a meat dual purpose bird for our farm ratther than the houdan. I keep reading how the houdan does not do well in colder climes. We have all extremes here in southern Illinois.
I am thinking about ordering from Duane Urch. I hope he still has chicks.

 

[pgpoultry]

Hi, We have temperatures down to about 0 degrees and they cope with that, but are not as cold hardy as my Brahmas or Naked Necks.

They tend to huddle together on really cold days if outside, so I let them into my barn where they are fine.

They are great foragers and fliers.

 

[Yellow House Farm]

We've just had a ridiculous cold snap 6*F by day, Lord knows what by night. They did fine. One of our pullets actually came into lay right in the middle of it all. Then again, the strain we recently procured has been bred for 37 years in western central Maine in uninsulated accomodations, much like our own, so they're pretty darn tough at this point.

 

[chrisf]

While at the Poultry Congress in Springfield Ma., I talked to the young man who always has La Flèche for sale....He has old stock from the source in Maine....he actually didn't have anything for sale this year, but I was able to get a pullet last year to complete my pair........He did say he was going to the Ohio show and bringing birds......................................................................chrisf