Cochin breeding, genetics, and showing

[lilcrow]

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Hey Mandy.......where are you? I'm going through withdrawal. I miss talking chickens sooooooooooooooo much. I just hatched 3 partridge chicks!

I'm in Arkansas right now. we got to go in the shop in TX to fix the air on the truck and then we'll try to head back home. You can always email me and congrats on the chicks

I'll be glad to see you when you get here. For a brief moment I had 3 Partridge chicks, but the first one expired. I knew it wasn't acting just right so I was preparing myself for the 3rd day, and as I anticipated, when I picked it up last evening it felt VERY light and was a bit lethargic. A few hours later I could tell very clearly that it was on it's way to leaving and this AM it was dead.

So sad, it was very sweet.

 

[Cochin378]

Sorry about the dead chick. I have been given the task of teaching my ten year old neighbor how to show chickens.Any tips? I don't want to overwhelm him or have him be extremely bored. Today will be my first day and I will give you guys updates.

 

[dak]

Where is all the talk about breeding, genetics and showing?

 

[lilcrow]

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Is this small person going to be showing at fairs or sanctioned shows? Do you know if there is a 4-H club in the area? The first thing I would do is find out about the 4-H groups and if they have one for poultry I'd take them to join and then get involved from that direction.
If there is no 4-H then I guess it's on you. Do you show? If you do then it's just a matter of passing on what you know. There is a youth or junior or some kind of division for young people at the sanctioned shows and the younger folks with children will be able to help you with that.

 

[lilcrow]

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Well this is the thread, but I think it just hasn't caught fire yet. I've got some pictures that I'm going to post today that I hope will generate some discussion. They're pics of a silver Columbian chick that I hatched out of an egg that I marked as Partridge. I could have mismarked the egg, but the only other possibility would be that it is out of my Birchens. So one way or another it is an anomaly to me. The other interesting thing about it is that it's a pullet. Based on some of the discussion from CI, I believe it would have been expected to be a cockerel.
Anyway, I'll try to get the pics up as soon as possible.

Nancy

 

[Coopa Cabana]

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Is this small person going to be showing at fairs or sanctioned shows? Do you know if there is a 4-H club in the area? The first thing I would do is find out about the 4-H groups and if they have one for poultry I'd take them to join and then get involved from that direction.
If there is no 4-H then I guess it's on you. Do you show? If you do then it's just a matter of passing on what you know. There is a youth or junior or some kind of division for young people at the sanctioned shows and the younger folks with children will be able to help you with that.

Here a is link to the APA/ABA Youth Program:

http://www.apa-abayouthpoultryclub.org/

 

[lilcrow]

OK here are the pics of the Columbian chick that is out of 1. Partridge or 2. Birchen
I can't imagine how this happened but I would certainly like to hear any ideas that folks may have on this.

Also I'd just like to show everyone some of my chicks if I may. Would appreciate critical feedback

About 7 or 8 weeks old I believe.

 

[Cochin378]

I have been to both Sanctioned shows and fairs and I have not really seen a difference between them at least in my area. I have actually asked the question on this thread because I don't see a difference.I just wanted some advice on how it make not boring and a little less complicated. Thank you coopa cabanna for the great link.


In another subject I have been thinking about breeding Charles and Camilla my pair of bantam white cochins that recently won first at a show. The problem is that Charles has some faint grey spots on his feathers and the blade of his comb turns to one side ever so slightly.On the other hand he has a great deal of long feathering on his feet and he has a nice overall body shape. Camilla is a very nice hen that has no grey spots and a excellent full cushion tail but her feet are not as profusely feathered. If I breed the two do you think I will get the best of both worlds or something bad?

I will certainly have to post pictures of those two later.

 

[dak]

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I think you wil get both, and everything in between. The trick is to hatch enough chicks and grow them out long enough to tell. That is the wonder of genetics. You can then breed then back to their parents to solidify the best traits.

 

[Cochin378]

Also I'd just like to show everyone some of my chicks if I may. Would appreciate critical feedback

I like the third chick pictured better than I like the Columbian. Forgive me if I am wrong because I don't have by standard with me, but I don't think that a Columbian pullet is supposed to have that much black in their tail. I had a Columbian hen once and she had the black lacing on her hackle feathers and some black on her primary feathers with almost no black on her back or tail.​