D'Anvers is the breed, quail is the variety. A hard variety to breed the correct color pattern. they are a clean leg breed; with beard/muffs D'Uccles is almost the same bird but with booted(feathered) shanks and feet.
D'Anvers are bred in black, blue, cuckoo(barred),mille fleur, mottled, porcelin, quail,white & self blue.

I used to breed the self blue and quail years ago. They are nice little birds, not great egg layers but they do pretty good thru the spring and into summer. Ot5her breeds are better at eggs. Some are worse.

bantie is a term used for barnyard mutts, bantams is for the breeds.

ACK!!! D'Anvers are #1 on my 'Want List'!!! Lucky you. :(

I saw some at the county fair year before last and fell in love. They are beautiful and have lovely tufted faces, and are also called Belgian D'Anvers or Quail Bantams:

http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Quail/BRKQuailBty.html

If you don't want 'em, tell your friend to contact me! I'd even pay to ship them to California...

fancifowl, I just say 'banties' as short for 'bantams', so do a lot of other chicken people I know...didn't know it was a chicken slur. *L*

Velvet ~:>

Hi Velvet!

I'll ask her about shipping to Calif. They might have some fertilized eggs that would ship better. Maybe she can ship you the chickens and some eggs. I'll ask her.

UPS can ship overnight and are pretty good. I use them for all my paintings. Never had a problem or a damaged painting.

I'm going to decide this week if I want all her chickens to start my little hatchery. I'm not sure what makes up her flock of D'Anver bantams. If there is no rooster, I'll have to get one.

At this time it is -4F outside. Wouldn't we have to wait for warm weather? I don't know if the US customs would let the live chickens across the border without a lot of inspections and paperwork. It's probably going to have to be fertilized eggs, if there's a rooster. I'll let you know what I am getting in a week or so. I would love to be able to ship you some eggs from my new hatchery! My first customer!

Even if I don't take the bantams and she has fertilized eggs, I can get some for you and ship them. I'll ask UPS about freezing. If they don't actually freeze but stay cold, will the cold temps hurt the eggs?

runningtrails, you are marvelous, thank you! :)

I'd LOVE fertile eggs, but I'd have to wait for a few weeks--my incubator is in use just now, I started a batch of eggs in it yesterday, due to hatch on March 23rd!

Maybe I can get some Quail bantam eggs from you and serama eggs from seramas! Knock two breeds off my 'want list' at once. :)

Velvet ~:>

How long can they be in shipping? I ship many paintings to Calif and regular UPS takes 6 business days. Is that too long and do they have an overnight option? I'll have to look into the best way to ship eggs and the cost. My guess for reg UPS is approx $15 shipping - 6 business days.

I don't even know if I will have fertile eggs yet. lol! I don't know if she has a rooster or just hens.

Now thats too funny!!!

Well, here's he situation:
They have 50 D'Anver quail bantam chickens they are selling for $6.00 ea. but they don't have eggs. The bantams quit laying over the winter.

We are not going to get any of the bantams. Just can't do it right now. I don't see a way to get some of the their eggs to you, Velvet. They won't have any for a bit yet. If there is someone here that is interested in the chickens, perhaps they could buy some of these and ship eggs to you when they do start laying again.

Do you know someone in Canada that the chickens could be shipped to that could take them across the border for you?

It is possible that they might have some early eggs before they are all sold. I can give you their email and you can get in touch with them. I will also explain the situation. They might have some eggs to ship you before they sell all the chickens.

They are extremely nice folks and will help out if they can. I will see what I can do about putting you in touch with them.

Yeah. Canada. I realized that after I posted. :(

Yes, please let them know that if they have fertile hatching eggs, they've got a buyer in California! :) I promise the babies a good home.

I may be able to find them a taker in Canada if I can post their info on another chicken forum I'm on, if they OK it.

Thanks runningtrails!

Velvet ~:>

I've sent them an email this morning re selling you the eggs and so forth. They're not up yet, of course. I'm the only person up at this time of the morning in the entire world.

They are so super nice, long time friends. If they have eggs, I'm sure they'll sell them to you at my request.

After looking at egg prices for that breed of bantam, I've suggested that they keep the chickens and go into business with me selling the eggs. I'll do all the selling. I don't know if they'll go for it, though. They are tired of the chicken thing. They are keeping the pheasants, though. I might be selling pheasant feathers to crafters :-) Man, I have a lot of irons in the fire as it is! I'm too busy for another business venture, but that be a fun one!

They are taking all the chickens to auction in mid-April so we'll just have to wait and see re the eggs. If you find a buyer for the chickens that you know, you'll be able to buy eggs from them when they do start laying.

Do chickens usually start laying soon or wait for the vernal equinox - March 22? That sun slant makes a big difference the further north you go.

I ship poultry and eggs all over the U.S. They are shuipped by USPS not UPS. There are special cartons approved by USPS for shipping live birds. Express mail take 24-48 hours to almost any location, about $40 to ship a pair of bantams, boxes cost around $10 each. I have never lost a bird in shipment and had good luck shipping hatchuing eggs. Commercial egg lines are selected for a longet period of production.

Hours of daylight effect rate of lay, 14 hours is optimum.

It'll have to be UPS here. Time and cost are always higher crossing the border. I guess we'll have to wait to see if they will have any eggs first.

You know the old saying....don't count your eggs before they are laid....