Calico Cochin Thread

[sophie8808]

Where in MN are you, and where did you get them?

 

[wife2abirdman]

Who in Maine has Calico or Mille Fleur Cochins?

 

[sandiklaws]

Who in Maine has Calico or Mille Fleur Cochins?

I am on Cape Cod and could send you eggs, or try Roslyn Pickens here or on FB, or "luckypickens" on Ebay. Mine came from her and they are really lovely.

 

[wife2abirdman]

Quote: Well I have had my fill of shipped eggs, mostly of Cochins.Just for the Bantam Cochins, I had only 9 chicks to show for over 50 shipped eggs- really I only have 6 chicks, my cat ate my only 2 calicos and we had to put the third down due to missing an eye and having a crossbeak-still don't know how that one even hatched! It certainly is half my fault I got so little but there was over 20 eggs that weren't even fertile. I was hoping that someone from Maine had them and might be going to the Maine Bird Fanciers show in May. I have had my eye on your stock for some time, and when I start doing better with local eggs I will surely give you a call.

 

[mnhomestead]

Where in MN are you, and where did you get them?

I am in the Milaca area. I got them from Windland flats in Princeton, mn. I'll have eggs/chicks in the future too!

 

[sophie8808]

I am in the Milaca area. I got them from Windland flats in Princeton, mn. I'll have eggs/chicks in the future too!

That's where my girls are from, too! What a small world!

 

[sandiklaws]

Well I have had my fill of shipped eggs, mostly of Cochins.Just for the Bantam Cochins, I had only 9 chicks to show for over 50 shipped eggs- really I only have 6 chicks, my cat ate my only 2 calicos and we had to put the third down due to missing an eye and having a crossbeak-still don't know how that one even hatched! It certainly is half my fault I got so little but there was over 20 eggs that weren't even fertile. I was hoping that someone from Maine had them and might be going to the Maine Bird Fanciers show in May. I have had my eye on your stock for some time, and when I start doing better with local eggs I will surely give you a call.

9 out of 50 is not that horrible, I lost almost $300 last year on shipped eggs that did not hatch due to postal handling and other issues. Were the 20 eggs that did not develop for you clear upon breaking and looking for signs of fertility, or 20 eggs that just failed to develop? There is a HUGE difference between the 2, and there is no way other then actually setting or breaking an egg to test for actual fertility. I personally always assume 10% are not fertile from any pen of chickens I am working with, as that is the norm for ANY pen of breeding chickens. Roos play favorites, hens refuse "service" , eggs in development miss being fertilized due to stress, delay in laying (backs up the next days egg which is then rushed past the sperm reserves) , nutrition or any number of reasons. The list is pretty much endless. After subtracting your 10% of "normal" to be expected misses, a hatch rate of around 30% from shipped eggs is considered pretty good... yes some will be better, and yes some will be worse (sometimes none will hatch if the PO has been very rough w/ them), but that is the number that generally can be expected with ANYONE'S shipped eggs. I am always thrilled when my customers report better then that, but when hatching shipped eggs try to keep it in mind that it is a gamble, not a sure thing.

...also it sounds like your incubator may have been a bit on the hot side.

 

[ki4got]

Quote: sorry. i'm FROM Maine originally, but not there now. i don't know if joanie_maine has mille fleur/calico or not. you might also ask on the main cochin thread. i know she reads that one.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/195235/cochin-thread/

i also got my start, in part from rosly, in part from a couple girls i got from mandy (thecochincoop? bad memory). i'm working on growing out a bunch of roslyn's laced and red cochins right now.

 

[mindylee]

I just bought 25 eggs from LuckyPickens and had them shipped to Michigan last week. I candled them the other day and 19 of them had tiny lil heart beats going like crazy. So in my case, 19 out of 25 is AWESOME!!! I dont use a incubator as so much can happen. I always reley on my trusty broody hens...currently ALL 12 of them!

 

[ki4got]

I just bought 25 eggs from LuckyPickens and had them shipped to Michigan last week. I candled them the other day and 19 of them had tiny lil heart beats going like crazy. So in my case, 19 out of 25 is AWESOME!!! I dont use a incubator as so much can happen. I always reley on my trusty broody hens...currently ALL 12 of them!

i'm just the opposite. i don't trust my broodies as i've had hens scramble whole clutches, switch nests, give up all together, etc. so i hatch everything myself and decide who gets chicks to play with...

currently have one dorking girl in the broody house awaiting chicks - think i'm going to give her my older cochin babies, and get them out of hte house asap. then my 3 mille fleur cochin girls that are broody will co-brood (again) the batch hatching tomorrow/friday. about 40 assorted sfh cochin and blrw chicks. should split up just fine, whatever hatches, so that all girls will have enough babies to deal with. i may even split them into separate pens by chick breed... might be easier to keep track of that way.