Overview
The Chantecler chicken was developed by Canadians in the early 20th century as the first Canadian breed of chicken. This breed was developed to be exclusively white, as they were more desirable for the meat industry, but a partridge variety was created a few decades after.
They created this breed by crossing the White Leghorn, Dark Cornish, White Wyandotte, Rhode Island Red and the White Plymouth J Rock. They were developed specifically for their purpose to lay through the winter, as Canadian winters can be especially harsh they needed a hardy bird.
On average they males weigh 8.5lbs (3.9kgs) and the females weigh 6.5-7.7lbs (3kg).
There is a miniaturized bantam version, weighing in at 30-34 ounces (850-965 grams).
Eggs
Size
Large size eggs
Color
Brown color eggs
Production per year
200 eggs per annum
When do they start laying eggs?
From 20 weeks old
Chantecler Characteristics
Temperament / Are they good as pets?
The Chantecler chicken is very calm and gentle and makes a good pet.
How do I tame Chanteler chickens?
The best way to tame chickens is to hold them whilst they are still young so that they get used to human contact. If you have older birds you can put some feed in the palm of your hand and try and get them to eat out of it.
How many do I need to buy?
You need at least 2 chickens as they do not fare well on their own, but we would recommend a small flock of 6.
How much space do they need?
As these chickens prefer to be free range they need at least 250 square feet per chicken.
Will they mix with my other chickens?
Yes, they’re non-aggressive so should mix well with other chickens.
Appearance
Large chicken with a small comb and no wattle. They have yellow skin and feet, tight feathers and small earlobes. There are three plumage variates: buff, white and partridge, with white being the most popular color.
Feeding
What should I feed them?
When your chicks first hatch they should be fed growers mash until they are about 6 weeks old. Growers mash has 19{cfcd481556a8b43fba6af451761032bd323e94372a0c1e607} protein and is a fine version of chicken feed that is packed with all the good stuff they need to become strong and healthy.
Once they are 6 weeks old you can switch them to standard chicken pellets which is just chicken feed pressed into pellets, this has 15-16{cfcd481556a8b43fba6af451761032bd323e94372a0c1e607} protein usually.
At 18 weeks you should gradually start feeding them growers mash or growers pellets which usually have around 16{cfcd481556a8b43fba6af451761032bd323e94372a0c1e607} protein and has everything they need to help them with egg production.
How much should I feed them?
A chicken can eat between 2.9oz (80g) to 4.2oz (120g), but on average eat ¼ of a pound (113g) a day. Start by feeding them a ¼ of a pound and then adjust the feed amount depending on what your chickens consume.
Most people leave feed in a feeder for your chickens to eat throughout the day but you can feed them morning and evening if you prefer.
What can’t they eat?
The two main foods chickens should not be fed are chocolate and beans. Beans contain phytohemagglutinin and chocolate has theobromine in it, both of these can be fatal to chickens if consumed and can cause serious health problems.
Moldy food should not be given to chickens either as this can have bad bacteria in it which can make them unwell. For this reason in the UK feeding scraps to your chickens is illegal.
What do I need to keep chickens?
The main piece of kit you need to keep chickens is a coop, the coop should have 1.1m2 or 11 square feet per chicken. The coop need to have a secure fence all the way around and over it that will keep your chickens protected at night.
The fence needs to be dug into the ground to prevent predators from burrowing under it. There should be a perch inside the coop for every bird as they sleep on these at night. You need some laying boxes that should be wooden and filled with wood shavings.
You need at least 250 square feet of extra land per bird for them to roam around on. If the land has not natural grit then you’ll need to buy some as this is needed to make eggs.
Water should always be accessible and you should buy a water container that can’t be pushed over or stood in and place it away from the sun as chickens like to drink cool water.
Breed Tip
The Chantecler chicken is very hardy, and a special quality is that its able to retain it body heat well due to its tight feathering and heavy down, so recommended if you live in a cold area.