Calico Cochin Thread

[sheila3935]

Thank you all. The Calicos are so pretty just unpredictable with the coloring. And yes the Cochins are very calm and friendly. I think these that I hatched were exceptionally friendly cause I hatched them in January last year and kept them in the house til April. I have 2 Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons that I got hatching eggs for Christmas and didnt put them out til March and they are super friendly too. Dont know if its the breeds or the fact that I kept them inside so long with lots of attention. I do have a couple of Hop-Sings babies right now with their momma outside but they are more of a black coloring with reddish orange in the hackles. Maybe I'll keep one of those boys and see how he does. I do know that when he hatched he was just black and white and as he matured his coloring really changed. His hatchmate Mei-Ling is lost without him. They were inseparable.

 

[KLRA]

I was sitting outside with my four calicos today and it dawned on me that I haven't heard any of them crow or even attempt to crow and their combs have not budged one bit in growth. I assumed all four were cockerels because their combs turned pink-ish at around 3-4 weeks old, but at almost 10 weeks old they haven't changed. I have a bunch of 6-week-old cockerels and they've been playing the jumping game with each other and taking turns practicing their crows. Their combs are also more grown in already than the 9-week-olds'. Is it possible I actually have four pullets? I haven't had cochins for very long so I'm not too familiar with the maturation process for them. I would appreciate anyone's observations!

 

[Fancy Feathers]

I kinda thought the chick on your knee looked like a pullet
I caught Ivan practicing his crow the other morning, oh it was cute! He's 8 1/2 weeks old..

 

[KLRA]

Thanks Nancy I'm trying realllllly hard not get my hopes up!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Back in the begining of this thread I posted a picture of Hop-Sing. He is the rooster in my avatar. Last week we lost him and a buff cochin to raccoons. He has fathered lots of babies but none close to him. I have the last of his eggs in the incubator right now. I am hoping I get one as pretty as he was. I know there will never be another like he was. He was my school rooster. When the area schools wanted me to bring in chickens to show the kids, he was always the rooster I would bring. He was so good with the kids. He would let them hold him and perch on their arm for pictures. I got eggs from an egg swap on here and out of 8 eggs that I recieved 3 hatched. The only one I have left is Mei-Ling the only girl out of the three. She was in the coop that was breeched and survived. I guess she hid. Wish me luck that I get one out of this batch that comes even close to him.

I am sorry you lost your beloved birds. It is so hard to lose our favorites! I hope you get one that is at least as sweet as he was, if not just in looks, too.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Thank you all. The Calicos are so pretty just unpredictable with the coloring. And yes the Cochins are very calm and friendly. I think these that I hatched were exceptionally friendly cause I hatched them in January last year and kept them in the house til April. I have 2 Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons that I got hatching eggs for Christmas and didnt put them out til March and they are super friendly too. Dont know if its the breeds or the fact that I kept them inside so long with lots of attention. I do have a couple of Hop-Sings babies right now with their momma outside but they are more of a black coloring with reddish orange in the hackles. Maybe I'll keep one of those boys and see how he does. I do know that when he hatched he was just black and white and as he matured his coloring really changed. His hatchmate Mei-Ling is lost without him. They were inseparable.

Thank you for adding this bit. So many people think they have to hatch a certain color to grow up to be certain colors, when in fact, this is not the case.
I, too, have hatched out chicks that look black or black Mottled only to have them mature up to be beautiful MF breeding birds. But when I show photos of them as babies and how they matured people don't want to believe it.

I am glad others are explaining what they hatch and showing photos of how they matured so others can understand how the MF and calico genes can work from chicks to adults.
Believe me, there are folks that have PM'd me that haven't any idea what these chicks are capable of maturing into even when hatched black. It takes testimonials from folks like you all to help everyone understand. I hatch hundreds out every year and yet still get people that don't want to believe me.

Thank you!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I was sitting outside with my four calicos today and it dawned on me that I haven't heard any of them crow or even attempt to crow and their combs have not budged one bit in growth. I assumed all four were cockerels because their combs turned pink-ish at around 3-4 weeks old, but at almost 10 weeks old they haven't changed. I have a bunch of 6-week-old cockerels and they've been playing the jumping game with each other and taking turns practicing their crows. Their combs are also more grown in already than the 9-week-olds'. Is it possible I actually have four pullets? I haven't had cochins for very long so I'm not too familiar with the maturation process for them. I would appreciate anyone's observations!

Sounds like you got some pretty girls!

 

[KLRA]

Well I feel a little stupid, but very happy! After looking at them some more this week it's obvious that they're pullets, and I will be needing a cockerel to go with them. I'm going to post locally but I'd also like to ask any of you that have a nice calico or mille cockerel to PM me to talk about buying and shipping when the weather cools. Thanks for your input, Amy

 

[WestKnollAmy]

You are most welcome.

I just sold a pretty roo last night. He wasn't as calico as his brother looks to be so I sold him, along with about 4 others.
I have a lot growing up and am excited about a lot of new crosses I made this spring. I am sure I will more to sell this fall but locally I am getting more recognition for the MF and calico project and getting local folks educated more about them. Some just want pretty calico birds but I am hoping to get more interested in working on the MF pattern to get them recognized.

 

[Fancy Feathers]

Chicks will fool you!
What a terrific position to be in~ I'm sure you'll have a plethera of cockerels to choose from