mullethunter Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 I have a slight concern about Pootle my Sablepoot cockerel (wasn’t supposed to be a cockerel and may not be able to stay but anyway...) He’s got a deformed comb and I’m worried that it may be a problem - although I doubt there’s anything I can do. See photo’s below - any comments / ideas? (My dads partner said if I blow in his beak will it pop out like an inside out rubber glove 😂). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 No ideas but he still looks gorgeous 😊 I love the idea of blowing in his beak though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted December 29, 2018 Share Posted December 29, 2018 No real advice except it's a comb fault and that he shouldn't be bred from! I imagine if it's not irritating him it's just cosmetic and leave it be, may be slightly more prone to fungal type infections? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 Not seen that before, but can't imagine that it would be a health problem. I'd want to check that it's clean every now and then though, perhaps clean with a diluted hibiscrub solution and a cotton bud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beantree Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 What a sweet little chap. I've never seen that before either, but judging by the lightening of the skin colour at the fold indicating some tension, there may be a future circulation problem? As said, just keep it clean and perhaps the movement will make the point emerge on its own? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted December 30, 2018 Author Share Posted December 30, 2018 (edited) Thanks all. Lewis and DM I had the same thought about keeping it clean - he’s super friendly and calm so that won’t be a problem. Beantree I thought it might emerge but having given it a gentle wiggle I think it’s ‘joined’ like that at the bottom. He’s not shaking his head or trying to rub it or anything so I’m assuming it’s not uncomfortable at the moment and I had no plans to breed from him. luvachicken he is beautiful. Edited December 30, 2018 by mullethunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 I really hope he doesn't get so loud that you can't keep him. Gorgeous even with a wonky top knot 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 What a pretty chap! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted January 1, 2019 Share Posted January 1, 2019 (edited) If he’s anything like my Barbu’duccle, Willy, formerly known as Millie, it’ll be very melodious. So much nicer than the raucous screech of Phillip, the silver laced Poland ! He looks very like Willy ( are the breeds related?). Never meant to keep him once he revealed his true nature, but he is sweet.... He’s fathered some very attractive offspring too this summer. This is Willie, formerly, Millie and Dilly with Madonna, the Polish Bantam who thinks she is a parrot! Edited January 1, 2019 by Patricia W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted January 1, 2019 Author Share Posted January 1, 2019 I think the barbe d’uccle and the Sablepoot are both types of Belgian bantam, but I don’t know how closely they’re actually related. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted January 1, 2019 Share Posted January 1, 2019 Sabelpoot is actually a Dutch breed. But they might well have similar ancestry. Wikipedia says this: The Barbu d'Uccle was created by Michael Van Gelder of Uccle, Belgium, in the early years of the twentieth century.[7] It is thought, but not known for certain, that he cross-bred the existing Sabelpoot and Barbu d'Anvers bantam breeds. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted January 1, 2019 Share Posted January 1, 2019 I’ll try to get a better picture of Willie formerly Millie, but he looks remarkably similar to me. Lovely little chap. Unlike Phillip 2nd who is the devil incarnate with spurs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Ooh lovely birdies - even the rubber glove one!😍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted January 4, 2019 Author Share Posted January 4, 2019 Pootle has gone to a new home now 🙁 I know he had to and I know he’ll be well looked after there but I’m still sad to see him go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 Poor you, lucky new Pootle owners. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 Poor Mullet but if you are happy that he has a good home then he's going to be well loved. Such a cutiepie! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 So sorry Pootle had to go to a new home. At least you know he'll be able to crow to his hearts content xx 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted January 5, 2019 Author Share Posted January 5, 2019 Thankyou all. His new owners posted a photo of him and one of their children in with all their hens today - they said he’s settling in well and it does look like that’s the case 😊 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajm200 Posted January 5, 2019 Share Posted January 5, 2019 54 minutes ago, mullethunter said: Thankyou all. His new owners posted a photo of him and one of their children in with all their hens today - they said he’s settling in well and it does look like that’s the case 😊 Glad he’s settled and has children to love him to bits and you are still in touch with his new family. I can’t bear the thought of hatching eggs and getting boys. Despite a farming background, Farmer Granddad, I can’t bear the though of ‘despatching’ otherwise healthy boys and I would struggle to part with them too. Our council fines up to 2k for a crowing cockerel and bans the offender from keeping chickens. We are only allowed up to 10 girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted January 6, 2019 Author Share Posted January 6, 2019 Blimey AJM where are you? I successfully hatched 6 chicks this year and bought in 2 day old chicks. Of the ones I bought I had one hen (my lovely Camilla the campine) and one male who I had to dispatch at 5 weeks because he had both slipped hocks - was the first time I’d ever done it and was horrible but not as bad as it could’ve been because I knew it was necessary. Of the 6 I hatched 5 were boys! Luckily I managed to rehome all 5 but that certainly wouldn’t be possible every time. In general I really enjoyed the hatching experience (I used a broody the first time and incubator the second time) but I’m not sure whether I’ll do it again because of the boys - I know I can dispatch when necessary but I think I’d struggle to do it ‘just because they were boys’. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajm200 Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 I live in an urban area and in a housing estate 😕. There used to be a cockerel near the local park. I could here him whenever I took the children there. The owner got in trouble with the council and got a big fine. Some of the new build estates have special covenants that ban pets so we are quite lucky for town dwellers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 There is a cockerel ban in my town as well. Only owners of “rural” proprties are allowed to keep them. But I can still here the cockerel of the “rural” property two streets away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajm200 Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 On 1/6/2019 at 11:31 AM, Cat tails said: There is a cockerel ban in my town as well. Only owners of “rural” proprties are allowed to keep them. But I can still here the cockerel of the “rural” property two streets away. I hate our cockerel ban but understand it when I see the fuss that the moaners make over fireworks, gunfire from the military academy that was there before they were, the air ambulance overhead, even emergency services sirens 🙄 Closer to persuading hubby to move to Devon after finding out that I have an auto-immune disease that means I may one day need a bungalow. Hoping that he says yes to somewhere with enough land for chickens and a cockerel or two. Maybe a little business breeding chickens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
