**UPDATED** 09/10/2010 PAGE 7 Brown Houdan Bantam PICS!

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Oh and I sent pics to the guy I bought them from and he claims to hatch these out all of the time and says they grow up to be normal mottleds? I don't know about you--but personally, I've never seen a chick feather out brown and black and then change to black & white later? My mille fleur cochin project birds do change (more white, less white) but not from one color to another...

 

[becky3086]

Yup, this looks like a gold laced Polish x houdan mix, I don't care what the seller says, that definitely isn't a pure houdan. It is a pretty chick though and you did a good job on straightening those toes.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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Yeah, who knows? Now I'm trying to decide--do I keep it and work on yet another color?

Or do I sell it as a pet? It has the right # of toes, the raised, cavernous nostrils and a big old puff on it's head, LOL And thanks--I did straighten out it's feet and it's running around like normal now!

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

Did anyone else notice the down on the one foot, looks kinda like stubs. I think its just a crazy throwback. Does it have the right comb type, I cant really tell from the pics.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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It does have a little stubby on it one legs but not real down...it's hard to tell if it's just shaving dust from the band-aid sticky. Yes, the comb type looks correct at this time...

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

It would be awesome if it turned out to be partridge or BBR colored, even a reddish color would be cool. Keep us posted on what she turns out to be.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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I know! I can't hardly wait for it to mature. But then what do I use to work on that color, should I pursue it?

 

[becky3086]

Well, you start with building another pen....lol. I think I would have to mate it to something but you are right, what do you mate it with? The toes definitely look good for houdan. I guess, if you keep breeding yours you will find out if this happens in this line and maybe you'll get another chick that looks like this. I still kind of doubt it though. Will be watching this thread to see how it turns out.

 

[Dane Chick]

I have a Houdan roo, that has sired "bator" chicks with hens of a variety of breed, in kind of a 'barnyard mix-match'. He is a good mix of white and black mottled feathers, not on the dark colored side. I have produced RRR, NHampshire, Gold lace wing wyandotte, Buff orph, Leghorn, Phoenix, and Seabright bantam X Mottled Houdan. One thing i have noticed is that the majority of his chicks turn out very dark, if not pure black (a beetle green shimmered black). Many have purplish bars against the greenish-black. I even had an almost pure yellow chick, that ultimately turned black (she is the spitting image of my Austrlaorp). I did a winter batch of 22 eggs, which lended a 100% hatch rate, and only 7 chicks are mottled, or white marked, and the rest are mostly black. Interestingly enough when i cross him with a White Leghorn, the chicks are almost pure white, with three to five mottled feathers, and a very tall feather headdress. I have hatched appx. 30 of his chicks and they all develop the extra toe, the flared nostril, and the tufted feathers on their head, but they do not all have the Y shaped comb. I have had a few that look like your little guy's pics, i believe they are from my Wyandotte. They are a mottled cinnamon color when they are chicks, and they mature into black background with the brown barred wings, and brown markings around their necks. I agree that the shape of your guys head is not indicative of anything i have seen produced by my Houdan roo. The poster that suggested that there might be impurities in the bloodline has an interesting hypothesis. I have some chick pics from the big winter hatch, as well as pics of them now, at 3 months old, if you would like to see them. The females are very docile and sweet. My purebred Houdan roo is also well mannered and tame, and takes very good care of his girls. Good luck with the chick, and good thing you found it a nice pet home. I actually had two Houdan roo's, and i drove one 6 hours away, when i bought my new puppy in February, and gave it to the breeders sister who raises chickens... lol. I just wanted him to have a loving home - and one crowing roo is enough for this little farm!

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Okay--here are some more pics of HER...I'm thinking it's a HER because it's REALLY dramatic, LOL

She's in that awkward "teenage" phase...

White belly patch??? Extra toes...

Check out that wild crest! LOL