The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: waterbuffalofarmer on January 14, 2017, 03:54:40 pm
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Hi guys,
could use some good advice here..... I am wanting to start up a flock, pure, of rare meat chicken breeds. I came across this fowl, which really intrigued me.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Fl%C3%A8che_chicken
Has anyone tried this before? If so could you tell me how you would rear it and what weights they would give at killing? Also are there any breeders in uk which would sell hatching eggs at all?
Thanks
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They would probably make something similar to la bresse which are hard enough to get over here!
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We're going to start off with dorking chickens wbf. Dual purpose birds. Can always cross with Indian game for meatier birds I think.
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I have cou cou de Rennes
Not eaten any as yet just have my breeding stock but project for this year
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I have cou cou de Rennes
Not eaten any as yet just have my breeding stock but project for this year
Where did you source them from [member=106584]Princessrubyk[/member] ? :)
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I have cou cou de Rennes
Not eaten any as yet just have my breeding stock but project for this year
I think you will have a lot of customers for hatching eggs and chicks! Including me!
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La Flèche are quite rare here. I've seen some at La Ferme de Beaumont, which is about 2 hours Southwest of Calais. But they are not listed in their last catalogue.
Two breeds worth considering are Transylvanian Naked Necks and Faverolles. Both are good for the table. Our TNN's lay well but are prone to broodiness, but the obvious benefit is far less feather plucking. A lot to do with the flavour is the feed. Also to keep cockerel's legs tender you need to restrict their movement and slaughter at 16 weeks, before the fighting starts. You need to be careful buying TNN's as a first cross with other breeds seems to result simply in a TNN hen with neck feathers- the true origins show at the next generation.
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We're going to start off with dorking chickens wbf. Dual purpose birds. Can always cross with Indian game for meatier birds I think.
If you get a good strain of Dorkings you'll find they make an excellent meat bird without the need for crossing. They're also very good layers and start younger than our other L/F, although we generally sell our birds on at 18 months to keep the flock young.
The problem with keeping very unusual breeds is where you source new cockerels.
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hi guys
allegedly i am one of 4 breeders in the uk
my birds originate from cobthorn trust that secured the birds from a breeding flock in france in 1988
i am going to use the birds for meat and eggs and use these for my only utility flock to replace my other birds later in the year
once i have tested fertility i will have eggs and day old chicks to POL available but will only be breeding standard birds the rest for the freezer
i have been researching how the french rear there birds and aim to use similar methods
i will keep you posted
i weighed at 19 weeks and the cock bird weighed 2.69kg and females a bit lighter
they have not had chance to free range due to the restrictions
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La Flèche are quite rare here. I've seen some at La Ferme de Beaumont, which is about 2 hours Southwest of Calais. But they are not listed in their last catalogue.
Two breeds worth considering are Transylvanian Naked Necks and Faverolles. Both are good for the table. Our TNN's lay well but are prone to broodiness, but the obvious benefit is far less feather plucking. A lot to do with the flavour is the feed. Also to keep cockerel's legs tender you need to restrict their movement and slaughter at 16 weeks, before the fighting starts. You need to be careful buying TNN's as a first cross with other breeds seems to result simply in a TNN hen with neck feathers- the true origins show at the next generation.
out of interest what do you feed your birds
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We buy Sanders Poulet Poulette (Rearers pellets), treat them to mixed grains and they have access to short grass, which they eat an awful lot of. The meat is far more fibrous than supermarket 'mush' chicken flesh and tastes very different, so it's not a texture or taste a lot of people in England are used to, or like, based on our previous experience. However it is much desired here -petit ferme (little farm), or basse-cour (farmyard) produce commands a high price.
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do you have any info on cou cou de rennes, all the literature is in french
i beleive its paul renault and family rear alot of them over there in france
thanks
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If you google 'cou cou de rennes english' wikipedia will come up in English.... hope that helps :thumbsup:
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yes it does thank you
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Out of interest I googled CCdR, my what pretty birds - how hardy are they? By that I mean some breeds will be out ranging (obviously not at the moment) whatever the weather and some will just stay inside and sulk!
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Out of interest I googled CCdR, my what pretty birds - how hardy are they? By that I mean some breeds will be out ranging (obviously not at the moment) whatever the weather and some will just stay inside and sulk!
very hardy never go in their coup although under cover happy to be outside especially in -1 temp this morning
so the plan, i weigh my the birds every 3 weeks and wont breed until they reach standard weight
i will be breeding to standard and hopefully create a good flock
i will put the females back to the sire and use the best male offspring according to weight at 16 week (rest go in freezer) to form a new smaller flock putting him back to the original females
ive played around with egg layers but feel this is a great opportunity to develope a flock that is pretty critical
towards end of the year i will be giving away a trio of birds to help distribute the breed
PR
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Out of interest I googled CCdR, my what pretty birds - how hardy are they? By that I mean some breeds will be out ranging (obviously not at the moment) whatever the weather and some will just stay inside and sulk!
very hardy never go in their coup although under cover happy to be outside especially in -1 temp this morning
so the plan, i weigh my the birds every 3 weeks and wont breed until they reach standard weight
i will be breeding to standard and hopefully create a good flock
i will put the females back to the sire and use the best male offspring according to weight at 16 week (rest go in freezer) to form a new smaller flock putting him back to the original females
ive played around with egg layers but feel this is a great opportunity to develope a flock that is pretty critical
towards end of the year i will be giving away a trio of birds to help distribute the breed
PR
Whereabouts are you based? :)
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I Googled Coucou de Rennes and I'm sure the third image in the top line of photographs is a Silver Laced Wyandotte.
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Out of interest I googled CCdR, my what pretty birds - how hardy are they? By that I mean some breeds will be out ranging (obviously not at the moment) whatever the weather and some will just stay inside and sulk!
very hardy never go in their coup although under cover happy to be outside especially in -1 temp this morning
so the plan, i weigh my the birds every 3 weeks and wont breed until they reach standard weight
i will be breeding to standard and hopefully create a good flock
i will put the females back to the sire and use the best male offspring according to weight at 16 week (rest go in freezer) to form a new smaller flock putting him back to the original females
ive played around with egg layers but feel this is a great opportunity to develope a flock that is pretty critical
towards end of the year i will be giving away a trio of birds to help distribute the breed
PR
Whereabouts are you based? :)
i live in leeds
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Out of interest I googled CCdR, my what pretty birds - how hardy are they? By that I mean some breeds will be out ranging (obviously not at the moment) whatever the weather and some will just stay inside and sulk!
very hardy never go in their coup although under cover happy to be outside especially in -1 temp this morning
so the plan, i weigh my the birds every 3 weeks and wont breed until they reach standard weight
i will be breeding to standard and hopefully create a good flock
i will put the females back to the sire and use the best male offspring according to weight at 16 week (rest go in freezer) to form a new smaller flock putting him back to the original females
ive played around with egg layers but feel this is a great opportunity to develope a flock that is pretty critical
towards end of the year i will be giving away a trio of birds to help distribute the breed
PR
Whereabouts are you based? :)
i live in leeds
Ah right. Well I think you would be a bit too far from me. Would be intrigued to hear how you do with them though :)
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cou cou de rennes
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Truly beautiful creatures. They kind of remind me a bit of the maran :)
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Truly beautiful creatures. They kind of remind me a bit of the maran :)
I believe they are marans ancestors(?)
How meaty are they now?
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I contacted the poultry club of britain and they are putting me in contact with the leading breeder of the cou cou de rennes in the UK, so hopefully this may turn up something? :)
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I contacted the poultry club of britain and they are putting me in contact with the leading breeder of the cou cou de rennes in the UK, so hopefully this may turn up something? :)
where you based
ye i know the breed registrar
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Truly beautiful creatures. They kind of remind me a bit of the maran :)
I believe they are marans ancestors(?)
How meaty are they now?
the cock bird is 2.9kg at 21 weeks
although been cooped us hasnt helped
i will be looking to change adapt feed for the chicks that come through try and get them a bigger size
but they are what they are and lookin forward to getting some on the table
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I contacted the poultry club of britain and they are putting me in contact with the leading breeder of the cou cou de rennes in the UK, so hopefully this may turn up something? :)
where you based
ye i know the breed registrar
Ceredigion, 11 miles south of Aberystwyth to be precise :)
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Truly beautiful creatures. They kind of remind me a bit of the maran :)
I believe they are marans ancestors(?)
They remind me of the Scots Grey - rare and a native breed.
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yes they are very much like them
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Well if they're anything like my marans and they do look like Cuckoo Marans, they'll just love being outside. When might you be selling hatching eggs Princess?
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Well if they're anything like my marans and they do look like Cuckoo Marans, they'll just love being outside. When might you be selling hatching eggs Princess?
HI POLY
once they start laying i will be filling the incubator up a couple of times to check fertility and that the chicks are right
and then will look at selling some eggs
i am hoping around march april time if that is ok
princess
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Thank you Princess that would be great, I like to do a March incubate for an April hatch so I get eggs right through the winter, so put me down for some in March please. :excited:
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We would also be interested in eggs when you have some spare for sale Princess.
Dans
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We would also be interested in eggs when you have some spare for sale Princess.
Dans
okidoki