Spitzhaubens

[PhoredaBurds]

Ok. Here's Charliroo:

He's wonderful. Clucks & dances for his girls when he sees food for them. He climbs into the nest box he thinks they should be laying in while dancing & clucking to them. He's always been respectful to humans too. Here he is w a couple of his girls:

The third hen in w them is brooding 5 chicks and she must have been in charge bc the whole family is careful around the chicks. They've been a great family unit. At the moment several of their eggs are on their way to Alaska. .

 

[Alaskan]

Dang those are PRETTY!!!!

 

[PhoredaBurds]

I used to think that chamois was my favorite color for spitz. But then the gold Roos have such a fantastic presence to them, and then there are the silver hens w such sweet, beautiful faces and of course a blue chicken of any shape is fantastic, let alone spitz shaped, and then everyone looks good in black...

 

[Alaskan]

I hope you have space on your property for lots of coop!

 

[eyralis]

Hi! I’ve been reading online various and conflicting opinions as to whether Spitzhaubens do well or not in confinement. What has been your experience?

 

[Metella]

I have mine in a nice run set up ... my 3 are in a coop big enough for 15 birds So they have what my husband and I call the Spitz-ma-Hall They do fine - are happy and curious - BUT I do put in large branches for them to climb - toss in stuff to get them sniffing and poking each week .... They are alert and active birds ..... I had to take mine out of the free range flock because they were determined to roost in the trees at night over the large main coop ... and I have a large barred owl that checks my place out first every night ...... NO Chicken Dinner for him !

so when we built it - the run is pretty big and all sides open for their viewing pleasure - as well as tall - so they have multiple levels to jungle gym around ....

 

[Alaskan]

Metella,

That sounds lovely!!!

 

[Faraday40]

Does anyone have tips on sexing Spitzhaubens? Is there a head shape difference when they 1st hatch? Do the females get their wing feathers slightly faster than the males? (or does wing-sexing work with this breed?) Does the crest grow in differently for each gender?

 

[Finnie]

Does anyone have tips on sexing Spitzhaubens?  Is there a head shape difference when they 1st hatch?  Do the females get their wing feathers slightly faster than the males? (or does wing-sexing work with this breed?)  Does the crest grow in differently for each gender?

Faraday! Do you have Spitzhauben chicks?!

I had one straight run Spitzhauben chick last year, and none of the tricks I could find about sexing them worked until he was old enough to start getting red on his face where his wattles were beginning to grow. I can't remember how old that was, but definitely feathered in and out of the brooder.

 

[Alaskan]

Does anyone have tips on sexing Spitzhaubens?  Is there a head shape difference when they 1st hatch?  Do the females get their wing feathers slightly faster than the males? (or does wing-sexing work with this breed?)  Does the crest grow in differently for each gender?

Nope... I really wasn't sure until they were about half grown.