Chantecler chickens
were developed in Canada. They can handle cold well; but have little tolerance
to heat. They have a tight feathered plumage with a thick under layer of down.
They are a
dual-purpose chicken. They lay four to seven medium, brown eggs a week and are
large enough to be suitable for good meat production. They mature quickly and
lay consistently far into the cold months producing as many as 210 eggs a year.
Chanteclers
reflect their environment. Hardy, rugged, and ready to face the cold, they
prefer the outdoors to confinement. A little high strung, they will tolerate
the coop but will grow temperamental when confined for long periods of time.
Owners rate Chanteclers as non-aggressive toward humans. If handled early, they
prove amenable to training. The hens have broody tendencies. However, once the
eggs hatch, they make good mothers.
Chantecler chickens
were developed originally with white plummage but they can be found in buff and
partridge. They sport a small cushion comb and diminutive wattles purposefully
introduced to the breed to avoid frostbite. A tall and meaty fowl with abundant
plumage, the average Chantecler weighs seven or eight pounds.
Only choose
Chanteclers if you live in a cold climate with long winters. Feed them ad
libidum with a high quality layer food that supplements the calcium and protein
lost in their prodigious egg production. Give your Chanteclers plenty of room
to roam and forage. Build a large coop with adequate space for the occasional
times of confinement. Keep confinement times to a minimum. Breed and cull the
rare Chanteclers carefully with the goal of increasing the breed's quality and
numbers.
About Chantecler Chickens
