Mille Fleur Leghorn Thread PIC HEAVY

[johnnyohio]

Has anyone come up with a trick to try to lure a bird back.

My Mille Fleur Leghorn jumped the 4' fence yesterday after being startled by a barking dog. The other birds are out today and I was hoping she would be drawn back by her coop, food and her sisters. So far, nothing. I drove around looking for her, but this birds coloration acts as excellent camouflage.

 

[DMRippy]

Has anyone come up with a trick to try to lure a bird back.

My Mille Fleur Leghorn jumped the 4' fence yesterday after being startled by a barking dog. The other birds are out today and I was hoping she would be drawn back by her coop, food and her sisters. So far, nothing. I drove around looking for her, but this birds coloration acts as excellent camouflage.

I don't know a good trick for a hen but to get a cock back I have picked up a hen and her squawking made him run back.

 

[FVRM]

Has anyone come up with a trick to try to lure a bird back.

My Mille Fleur Leghorn jumped the 4' fence yesterday after being startled by a barking dog. The other birds are out today and I was hoping she would be drawn back by her coop, food and her sisters. So far, nothing. I drove around looking for her, but this birds coloration acts as excellent camouflage.

she will come back on her own, specially when it gets dark. I usually throw out corn and they all rush in from everywhere.

 

[johnnyohio]

Thank you. This was the first time one strayed off. Sure enough she showed up tonight at bedtime. I thought she had probably become someone's dinner.

She was gone for about 36 hours and will not tell me where she went. It would have been cool if I knew ahead of time and put a little action camera on her to see what went on.

 

[TheBanditQueen]

What a rocky start to my first year with MFLs! Lost my precious hen to a blinkety-blank dog attack. But luckily I was able to hatch out a pullet from her beforehand.

Still got my rooster! Good heavens, do I love that boy. He's worth his weight in gemstones. He breaks up fights between the other birds, keeps peace in the barnyard, protects all his hens, but isn't a bit aggressive. One of the two best roosters I've ever had (and the other best one, a Golden Duckwing Cubalaya, currently coexists with him peacefully).



And little Mary, his daughter:



I'm hooked on these birds. I love how jaunty they are when they strut about in the yard. I think I'll start nosing around for a second pair, and then I'm gonna have some fun hatching!

 

[DMRippy]

If anyone is looking for eggs https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...egg-auction-and-bin-thread/4600#post_16668854

 

[Finnie]

 
Does anyone have a rooster or two of these available, I need them for a breeding project I am currently doing.  I would need them shipped to Indiana.  Thank you

There is someone in Aurora Indiana who has MFL - I've not seen a lot of their birds, just one picture of fairly young bird, but it's worth a shot to see some more of their birds, etc -- I've been trying to talk myself out of getting any so I haven't actually been in touch with them yet -- they are "craigslist birds", but you never know when you'll find the hidden gems there.  http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/grd/5186696413.html

I bought a trio from that ad two weeks ago! I have no way to judge what's good or bad in a MFL, but they seem fine to me. He said he got his original stock from Omelet Ranch and another place that I have seen on line when I searched. He's been breeding from those for a couple of years now.

I'll add pics of the ones I bought, but they are backlit, so not the best. The seller was sure to warn me that he has found them to be not that great of layers, and personalities are flighty. But I wanted them for their looks more than those other qualities. They were hatched April and May of last year, and still not laying yet. (I can't remember if he said they were already laying before fall, but he said this breed will be the first to quit when the days get short, and the last to start back up. And quit if it gets too hot out, too.

)

(I did notice when I did a google image search to learn about MFL before I bought them, that the Craigslist ad photo is from an album here on BYC, in fact, from someone who posted in this thread early on. Not the seller's own photo.)

 

[DMRippy]

I have a breeding question. This color pattern is new to me and for the most part I would think you would breed for more spots. So I have a cockerel that is almost PERFECTLY marked for a cockerel. Spots all over his breast colored correctly in the hackles and saddle... even his wings are marked in all the right places. NOW this is my thoughts... these well marked birds didn't come from well marked birds, if I breed well marked birds to each other does that hurt the pattern or help? can they get too many spots? Should I balance this by crossing with birds not as well marked to strike a happy medium?????

 

[seabass327]

I've had them since 2009, it seems to me that you need to keep some with less white to breed. When i've bred well-marked to well marked you end up with too much white. It is a challenge to get birds with pure black primaries and tail feathers. It also depends on what you want them to look like, there are some that want lots of white. The more white in the body, the more you end up with all white feathers. They also seem to gain more white with their second or third molt. I still haven't figured it all out, but its fun.
rich

 

[DMRippy]

I've had them since 2009, it seems to me that you need to keep some with less white to breed. When i've bred well-marked to well marked you end up with too much white. It is a challenge to get birds with pure black primaries and tail feathers. It also depends on what you want them to look like, there are some that want lots of white. The more white in the body, the more you end up with all white feathers. They also seem to gain more white with their second or third molt. I still haven't figured it all out, but its fun.
rich

Thank you! That is what I was looking for! My gut was telling me it was a balancing act like all others.