The "Ask Anything" to Nicalandia Thread

[3KillerBs]

Too fragile for me. And too expensive for such a fragile bird

What do you mean by fragile? I’m interested in others experiences.

I haven't had any, but I've read a lot of threads here about this breed dying as chicks, not dealing well with inclement weather of different sorts, and not living long.

Chickens *can* tolerate more inbreeding than a lot of animals, but it seems that this breed in the US was bred from so few original parents and that the high prices they fetch have tempted breeders to mass produce birds without culling the ones that didn't show adequate health and vigor that they are, overall, just not as healthy and vigorous as chickens ought to be.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Oh, I forgot to mention a biggie. Mine had a genetic predisposition for large floppy combs. Even the hens had floppy combs.

I say "had" because we had a campaign to get rid of all of them. But, truth be known, I kept a pair and have even hatched a few more lately. That's on;y because I'm really interested in feathercraft right now and the AC irridesence makes for an attractive piece that the ladies like.

Can't argue that. Only rivals I've had to that shine is my sexlink males in specific spots of their wings and chests. Not near as much as a whole hens body

 

[ChicksnMore]

They have grey meat and bicker among themselves.

Too fragile for me. And too expensive for such a fragile bird

I have one pair of cemani now but I've had them for less than a year. Just finally put some of their eggs into the incubator. Mine are both timid with other chickens and the hen lays like crazy but shows no interest in the eggs. Wasn't sure I wanted them but they were free and I'm curious about the breed. Pretty things at any rate and we're hot here so maybe they'll do ok.

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

My two I got to puberty couldn't handle the winter and most didn't make it past a week old.

Wow, that would leave a bad taste in my mouth, too! Our winters are obviously not as bad as I’m sure yours can get. What is your go to breed?

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

I haven't had any, but I've read a lot of threads here about this breed dying as chicks, not dealing well with inclement weather of different sorts, and not living long.

Chickens *can* tolerate more inbreeding than a lot of animals, but it seems that this breed in the US was bred from so few original parents and that the high prices they fetch have tempted breeders to mass produce birds without culling the ones that didn't show adequate health and vigor that they are, overall, just not as healthy and vigorous as chickens ought to be.

Well, I hate to say this out loud so as to not jinx myself, but I haven’t lost one chick that I’ve hatched or that a broody has hatched up to this point. The breeder I got my flock from had two different lines and was not opposed to culling at all.

I obtained my flock by chance, not by choice. They were the first chickens I had (I just started a year ago), and have not lost any or even had one health issue from hens to Roos to chicks, knock on wood And I have not done any inbreeding to date, and really don’t plan on it. I didnt go into it with the intentions on ever selling for the prices I’ve seen them go for, I’m more a hobbyist and just enjoy my chickens. The breeder I got them from said he put his daughter through college with them, and I believe it. I would never in a million years pay that kind of money for a chicken. I’d rather go on vacation

It’s interesting to me to see issues others have had, I’m blessed to be able to enjoy the ones I have Thank you for your thoughts.

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

Oh, I forgot to mention a biggie. Mine had a genetic predisposition for large floppy combs. Even the hens had floppy combs. Somewhere along the line, someone bred for the largest possible comb without considering the substance of the thing.

I say we "had" them because there was a recent campaign at out house to get rid of all the AC for being obnoxious. That was after we apparently flooded the local market/demand. But, truth be known, I kept a pair tucked away and have even hatched a few more lately. That's on;y because I've become really interested in feathercraft and the AC irridesence will make for an attractive piece that ladies will like.

These things are tropical. you know. Indonesia never gets cold. I don't know if being tropical is a heritable trait. RJF were tropical too at one point in their history but the Romans took care of that.

I actually did/do have a couple hens with a floppier comb. And I know that our local market has most likely been saturated with the same lines I have. I actually just acquired a new line from across the country, but we traded as kind of an experiment to see how shipping eggs and hatching shipped eggs would work.

I have noticed that the hens can be rather squaky, and my roo likes to remind us who the man is fairly often through the day, but I have a cockerel who likes to talk back. We are in the country, so to speak, so no complainers, and we don’t mind the noise. I won’t keep this flock going should anything happen to the ones I have, again, not trying to get rich. And the feathers are lovely. I just started collecting them now after one of my customers mentioned they do artwork with them, as well.

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

I have one pair of cemani now but I've had them for less than a year. Just finally put some of their eggs into the incubator. Mine are both timid with other chickens and the hen lays like crazy but shows no interest in the eggs. Wasn't sure I wanted them but they were free and I'm curious about the breed. Pretty things at any rate and we're hot here so maybe they'll do ok.

I’ve had the WORST luck hatching their eggs, but I think I narrowed down my issue. The eggs I have hatched have produced healthy chicks, and these have been the broodiest of all my hens combined, which I read was not a trait of the breed.

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

I started out being able to trade each one for a bag of feed. But, that didn;t last long and it soon got to where I couldn't give them away, much less recoup the cost of all the feed that had been poured into them.

They kinda remind me of beanie babies My grandma used to swear that my son could go to college on her collection. I ended up giving them to a church doing mission work in Mexico because I couldn’t sell them

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Wow, that would leave a bad taste in my mouth, too! Our winters are obviously not as bad as I’m sure yours can get. What is your go to breed?

Pheonixes, Cornish bantams and araucanas are my absolute favorites. Cornish bantams have to be in complete shelter for winters here and the other two did not do too well at all this last winter but the pheonixes used to do okay a good few years ago. I have probably close to 20 different breeds/combinations though

 

[ChicksnMore]

Pheonixes, Cornish bantams and araucanas are my absolute favorites. Cornish bantams have to be in complete shelter for winters here and the other two did not do too well at all this last winter but the pheonixes used to do okay a good few years ago. I have probably close to 20 different breeds/combinations though

That's a lot of chickens! Wish I had enough time/space for all the birds I'd like to have. I bred my cemanis to my alohas before I bred them to each other...just wanted to see how many shades of dun I'd get and what dun really looks like on a solid bird.