Cochin breeding, genetics, and showing

Thanx Nancy!  I've subscribed.

Is thi sdedicated more toward the bantam or LF varieties? I would assume you also prefer to stick to recogonized varieties correct?

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i'm in too

I am in and I have maybe the first line of questions   (I hear those of you who know me groaning )



Vulture Hocks.


I have both hatchery bantam cochins (silver laced) and I am working on project Mille Fleur.


I have noticed with my hatchery birds (and some of my projects) that they have vulture hocks - easily seen.   But I also have some with "small" vulture hocks - at least not the length and stiffness of the larger vulture hocks - but not as soft and fluffy legged as the few I have without them (VH).


So what I wonder..............what are the genetics behind vulture hocks?   Are they dominate, recessive?  Can they be "bred" out?      Do they really come in different sizes like I see on my birds, or am I seeing something else?


do my questions even make sense? 

Here's a great article on the genetics of Vulture Hocks:
http://jhered.oxfordjournals.org/content/22/5/147.extract

They are recessive, but keep in mind, that if two birds are mated and they are both recessive (one gene), offspring will carry two genes, and the vulture hocks will be evident.  You don't want to breed siblings if they are both recessive.

I'm not sure about different sizes of vulture hocks, but you do have the definition correct - long, stiff, generally protruding downward.  On Cochins, they should be soft and curved.

I know a lot of breeders say that youngsters can "look hocky", so if yours are young, you may just need to wait for them to grow out of them.

I'm in will love reading all about it!

Feather legged breeds are more prone to VH.  It's a breed characteristic of some (i.e. Sultans), but certainly something you don't want in Cochins.  Some of the varieties are more prone to it, and we see them quite often in hatchery stock.  My experience is that in breeding, if you can avoid using a bird with VH, then do so, but if you can't then don't breed two birds with the same flaw together.  You can breed away from it, but it will take time and because it's recessive, you may not see it one year and then it crops back up the following year.  That's where good record keeping comes into play.  As stated earlier, some of the younger birds can look hocky, but may molt out those feathers and replace with less stiff feathers.  Ultimately, you want nice soft hock feathers, no matter what the variety.