Calico Cochin Thread

[Fancy Feathers]

 

[carolynm]

Here is the start of my MF/Calico flock-thanks to Fancy Feathers. I'm only keeping 3 or max 4-if you were breeding for Calico and type which would you keep to get a nice starter flock-which colors complement each other when breeding? Note the ones I'm not keeping are going to other BYC members to start their flocks so I"d like everyone to be able to get a nice mix. I"d like to keep two pullets and a roo.



Chick 1 -Pullet?


Chick 2 Pullet?

Chick 3 Pullet?

Chick 4 Pullet or Roo-not sure-very tiny is this good or bad for breeding stock?

Chick 5 Roo?

Chick 6 on left (looks like Pullet, act likes roo), Chick 7 center-pullet?, Chick 8 on right-roo?

 

[Fancy Feathers]

It's so hard to tell sexes this early.. chicks 1 & 3 I'd say do look like pullets, the rest I'm just not sure of. Do you still have them under a heat lamp? Shipping is so hard on birds, I don't know that I'll ever ship mixed ages again.. the littlest black chick is definitely the youngest.. the first 2 chicks look like they've grown a lot!

 

[Feathersprings]

I finally got my Cochins moved into the the coop. Maybe by tomorrow they might have access to the yard as well. Im so happy to have them out of quarantine so i can get to know them better. They are very different from the Silkies

Now i need to make a proper roost and get some new feeders and waterers.

 

[Fancy Feathers]

 

[h2odogs]

Hoping someone can help me ... I've never posted to this site before

I bought a group of day old calico cochin bantams. They are now approximately 3 months old. Friendly and just so beautiful!

About a week ago, one of them started limping, then another, then another. I now have 4 that have got something wrong! They spend their days in a ground coop/chicken tractor, and nights inside the barn in raised cages. One of the 4 has BOTH legs 'out', literally going forward. The other three have one each. They haven't ever had a feather out of place, they all get along, and up until this they were all using a very low roost (about 6" off the ground). The first one to have the condition, now has his toes curled inward and is trying to use that leg as a peg leg. I am going to have to let these go to the big chicken coop in the sky, but I must know what is going on!

I've put my heart into each and every one of them. They literally come running when they see me, and want up on my arm. None of them has had a fall, or any injury that I can detect.

Any clues?? Genetics? Diet?? They are fed totally Purina unmedicated chick starter, and whatever bugs they can find. Thinking about having a bird vet do a necropsy on one when the time comes. I can't go through this again ;(

 

[sandiklaws]

it could be Mareks
http://everything-poultry.com/mareks-disease/

Hoping someone can help me ... I've never posted to this site before

I bought a group of day old calico cochin bantams. They are now approximately 3 months old. Friendly and just so beautiful!

About a week ago, one of them started limping, then another, then another. I now have 4 that have got something wrong! They spend their days in a ground coop/chicken tractor, and nights inside the barn in raised cages. One of the 4 has BOTH legs 'out', literally going forward. The other three have one each. They haven't ever had a feather out of place, they all get along, and up until this they were all using a very low roost (about 6" off the ground). The first one to have the condition, now has his toes curled inward and is trying to use that leg as a peg leg. I am going to have to let these go to the big chicken coop in the sky, but I must know what is going on!

I've put my heart into each and every one of them. They literally come running when they see me, and want up on my arm. None of them has had a fall, or any injury that I can detect.

Any clues?? Genetics? Diet?? They are fed totally Purina unmedicated chick starter, and whatever bugs they can find. Thinking about having a bird vet do a necropsy on one when the time comes. I can't go through this again ;(

 

[mibirder]

Sorry to say it sounds like classic Mareks symptoms. As there is no cure the outcome is lmost likely death. I haven't had any cases until this year and it has been my older birds. There is a vaccine but only for day old chicks injected into the neck back. I did have one affect in the eye that survived but was blind in that eye.

Mareks is a common herpes virus that is considered to be nearly always present in the soil and coop dust. Generally some birds develop immunity while others in the same flock get it. Usually if it doesn't get them in the first year, they'll be ok - except in my situation a few older ones were affected after 4-5 years. Maybe it was just old age catching up to them.

FYI people are unaffected normally by this herpes virus.

Sorry for your situation but hopefully this was just bad luck this time.

Dave

 

[ki4got]

it could be Mareks
http://everything-poultry.com/mareks-disease/
Quote: unfortunately, I agree... it seems to affect them most between 3 and 4 months old. typically if they make it to point of lay, you're safe. some people vaccinate, others don't.

I never have and don't plan to... it's a hard decision, but I feel, for my flock, genetic resistance is preferable to artificial means.

 

[h2odogs]

OH DEAR, I've had chickens for 30 plus years here and never had a case of well ... anything! I've looked it up, and it sure sounds like MD. Except none of them have any eye involvement, at least at this point. I'm going to call around tomorrow and find out if I can have a necropsy done, and in the mean time, I'm going to hope it is B-12 deficiency and I'm going to get a group that appears unaffected at this point, on vitamins.

These are my only young birds, thankfully.

I've never opted to have hatchery chicks vaccinated. And unless it is the right 'strain' of a vaccine for a virus, I don't think you get much protection. Like vaccinating for a cold...

Thank you all for such quick responses. I will update.