Ribh's D'Coopage

[Shadrach]

CHOOK OF THE WEEK:
HA'PENNY​

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I always knew I was going to have Campines ~ just when was the thing. Although we'd kept chooks before I really didn't know much about the different breeds & I was nervous about starting up again [a little learning being a dangerous thing] so I did my research & went with calm, docile breeds to start: BRs & Australorps. Everyone forgot to mention how dominant they are ~ though now I just have the BRs they are much calmer.

The Campine originated in northern Belgium ['Ello Poirot] & is considered both rare & endangered [it's on the critical list in the USA]~ a good reason for keeping them in my book. It is related to the Fayoumi [Egyptian breed that looks a bit like a large Sebright].

So when I did my 2nd buy I knew I wanted to come home with Campines. Silver were my preference but we ended up with goldies. These girls aren't the easiest chickens. They are flighty, skittish birds that are excellent fliers, don't much like being handled & screamers. I wasn't expecting the screaming. I got conflicting advice on confinement but I have found they settle well to confinement now they know trust their chicken keeper. They do like to forage & are happiest where the litter is deepest.

Ha'penny is the more dominant of my 2 Campines. She has the blue ear~lobes. Tuppence's are whiter. She was also the first to calm down around me & allow me to handle her without hitting the panic button. She actually enjoys people company so long as you don't want to pet her & they are talkers! Possibly the loudest of my girls. They do have quite loud raucous voices but they are gentle when hand fed & incredibly inquisitive. Two of my smarter birds.

Campines are a medium sized bird ~ quite fragile when handling. They were bred as egg layers & then primarily for showing so not a good dual purpose bird. Their eggs are white medium sized eggs but my girls lay well & consistently & produce a lovely egg. They don't eat as much as my bigger girls either though there's nothing wrong with their appetites!

I absolutely adore these birds. They are smart, funny, whimsical & worth the time & energy needed to calm them down enough to be handled. And they are downright gorgeous eye candy!

They do look a bit Fayoumish. There is a man further up the mountain that keeps Fayoumy chickens. He has them as breeding pairs and they free range.
Lovely looking from what I've seen. Unfortunatley because I keep chickens I can't go near his. He's spent a long time and a massive amount of time establishing his pairs.
I'm tempted to take a pair off him rather than the Asils I've got my eye on.

 

[Ribh]

They do look a bit Fayoumish. There is a man further up the mountain that keeps Fayoumy chickens. He has them as breeding pairs and they free range.
Lovely looking from what I've seen. Unfortunatley because I keep chickens I can't go near his. He's spent a long time and a massive amount of time establishing his pairs.
I'm tempted to take a pair off him rather than the Asils I've got my eye on.

I don't know much about the Asils [just what google says...] but the Campines do tend to have that more upright game bird stance rather than the puffy, rounded shape of the heavier chickens I have. Everything I read said they weren't great layers but mine do great [1st season though] & I get about 7~9 eggs a week from 2 birds.
They are an older European breed & far more feral in nature than the more domesticated breeds I own ~ & they rarely go broody! I wasn't sure how I'd go managing them, so many people warned against them because they are so flighty but I prefer them to some of the dumber lot I own.

 

[Ribh]

@Shadrach: does this mean a 4th tribe beginning?

 

[Shadrach]

I don't know much about the Asils [just what google says...] but the Campines do tend to have that more upright game bird stance rather than the puffy, rounded shape of the heavier chickens I have. Everything I read said they weren't great layers but mine do great [1st season though] & I get about 7~9 eggs a week from 2 birds.
They are an older European breed & far more feral in nature than the more domesticated breeds I own ~ & they rarely go broody! I wasn't sure how I'd go managing them, so many people warned against them because they are so flighty but I prefer them to some of the dumber lot I own.

Interesting that you find them 'smarter' than your regular flock.
Part of what I've been doing here is trying to find out if 'normal' breeds get more feral smart as they get more feral, if that makes sense.
Their behavior undoubtedly changes and each generation seems to learn from the one before. The assumption is that the smarter chickens are the ones that survive here (there is always an element of chance). There is no doubt that chickens learn and adapt so the possibility of an increase in 'smartness' may be produced by particular stimulation.

 

[Shadrach]

@Shadrach: does this mean a 4th tribe beginning?

5th.
The problem I have is lack of funds more than anything else. Each tribe needs the opportunity to roost in a tribe coop and coops cost money.
I applied for a grant from a UK university that has a department doing some good work on chicken behaviour studies. It looks like I'm going to get it. It won't be much but it will be enough to build another coop and cover the expenses.
The problem is the study they want is on hens nesting stratagy which is hard to bend into can I get some more chickens.

 

[Ribh]

Interesting that you find them 'smarter' than your regular flock.
Part of what I've been doing here is trying to find out if 'normal' breeds get more feral smart as they get more feral, if that makes sense.
Their behavior undoubtedly changes and each generation seems to learn from the one before. The assumption is that the smarter chickens are the ones that survive here (there is always an element of chance). There is no doubt that chickens learn and adapt so the possibility of an increase in 'smartness' may be produced by particular stimulation.

I was putting it down to being flightier & thus more aware of their surroundings coupled with a really inquisitive nature. The island is pretty predator free so their run is more to keep them out of my veggie patch than to keep the chooks safe. My Campines will often go over the fence. They don't normally go down the hill into the ferns [or into my garden] but they love the edge where there is a build up of leaf litter.

They aren't high ranking birds [being lighter & less dominant than the BRs & even the favorelleX] but as I replace birds I think I will go with more Campines & that will be interesting to see how the flock dynamics evolve.

 

[Ribh]

5th.
The problem I have is lack of funds more than anything else. Each tribe needs the opportunity to roost in a tribe coop and coops cost money.
I applied for a grant from a UK university that has a department doing some good work on chicken behaviour studies. It looks like I'm going to get it. It won't be much but it will be enough to build another coop and cover the expenses.
The problem is the study they want is on hens nesting stratagy which is hard to bend into can I get some more chickens.

Oh, gosh, yes! Can I get some more chickens? The drawback with the less popular breeds is expense! My neighbours, both lots, know nothing about chickens were shocked when I said I had some rather expensive birds in the coop.

Congratulations on the grant! I will be very interested in your findings.

 

[Ribh]

That's a frameable photo of Ha'penny Ribh. Beautiful girl too!

Thanks ACM! Sometimes you get lucky with the camera.

 

[Ribh]

Just before sunset yesterday

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Oh. Wow. Wonderful shot! We are just getting haze @ present. Makes everything look blurry.

 

[drumstick diva]

Bob looks like a storm coming or going