Lemon Blue Cochins~~***BRAND NEW PICTURES***~~~

[mibirder]

Wife-

Brown reds are the gold birchen variety. The most likely route would be to start with (silver) birchen and breed to a gold based blue. The 1st generation would include some silver gold splits. Breed the splits back to the gold based or each other and you could get a few brown reds in subsequent generations. The bad news is that's a lot time to get something you could, with searching and luck just buy outright. I wouldn't recommend trying to recreate brown red. While they're rare, they are out there to purchase.

Of course they other route is get hatching eggs and go from there.

Dave

 

[mibirder]

Mary-

Looks like a couple of good ales to get you going.

BTW, I picked up 2 birchen hens, 6 BR hens and 3 roosters to go with what I had. I'm shooting to breed with blues and my silver blues so fingers crossed for more Birchens, BR, LB, and SB next summer.lots of blues available so ill have six breeding pens I think if all work out although one BR rooster has some comb faults to work out. Looking to get started as soon as the days get them laying!

Dave

 

[SierraView]

My two main men

Handsome boys!

 

[wife2abirdman]

Wife-
Brown reds are the gold birchen variety. The most likely route would be to start with (silver) birchen and breed to a gold based blue. The 1st generation would include some silver gold splits. Breed the splits back to the gold based or each other and you could get a few brown reds in subsequent generations. The bad news is that's a lot time to get something you could, with searching and luck just buy outright. I wouldn't recommend trying to recreate brown red. While they're rare, they are out there to purchase.
Of course they other route is get hatching eggs and go from there.
Dave

Thank you very much I will try to find someone that has a couple available. It is nice to know the genetics behind the color though. Maybe I will try for some just for the fun of it. It would be neat to see what the first and second generation would give me.

 

[PerfectPoultry]

Just ordered some lemon blue cochin eggs

 

[1muttsfan]

My LB's are pretty, but I have to say the BR's have been a big bonus. They are real eye candy, and the rooster - with the exception of his not-so-perfect comb - is one of my favorite birds.

 

[wildwoodcochins]

Would like some advice~ As I start into my 2nd season of Lemon Blues, I have several nice juveniles that I am going to be pairing together. Two cockerels in particular I would like advice on what hen to breed to. I have F1 Lemon Blue Splash, Lemon Blues and Blue. What would be best paired up with these 2?


F1 Lemon Blue Hen X Splash




#2 Brown Red Roo X Lemon Blue Hen




#3 Brown Red Roo X Lemon Blue Hen

 

[mibirder]

It may seem like a cop out by answering your question this way but it depends upon what your expectations are for your birds. That is, it depends upon what traits you are looking at improving or encouraging in your birds and which you are hoping to discourage or eliminate.

Beyond the usual issues of cochin type, there are three features that I look for in either my breeders or in the chicks I expect from them.

1) Color Balance. 99% of the LBs are too orange. BR seem to range from straw to bay. As mentioned elsewhere in the thread, a uniform balance or evenness in the hackle, neck, shoulders and saddle of males.Sometimes the color spreads beyond the regions as defined in the Standard.

2) Proper breast lacing. The lacing should be present as per the standard. It is a reverse of what is found in Gold Laced in that the body of the feather should be black (or blue) and the lace part is the red (or lemon) color. This is due to the ER allele action. Other lacing coloration, too much or too little can be a problem.

3) Striping in the colored feathers on males (as mentioned by Gail) It is rare to find this correctly in many of the photos of birds that I've looked at while researching my project.

I only wish it was as easy as following my list and getting the desired results! I think the key is to spend the time looking over the birds, do test matings when starting out, match weaknesses to strengths, pay attention to related birds through good records, and work in steps rather than trying to do everything all at once. My first year was spent just getting any stock together and doing some test matings to see what genes were in the soup before trying to build a breeding plan. even with that year spent, lots of surprises pop up when least expected. I try to not raise hundreds looking for one or two, but rather try to do the best pair planning and raising just enough to make sure I'm going in the right direction.

Regardless of the Standard or ideal birds, you have to start with what you've got or can get. Sometimes that means looking a few years down the road rather than just what's in the next generation. The whole idea is to always plan to move forward toward approaching or matching the Standard or agreed upon ideal if no Standard exists (as with Mille Fleur Cochins).


Dave

 

[1muttsfan]

mibirder said exactly what I think as well. The BR roo and hen of Countryboy's are the best marked large fowl Cochins I have seen in that color, and since they are rare it will take time for breeders to correct the color issues seen in these color birds. In addition, it is wise to try to select for good type, as type is even harder to correct than color issues.

 

[wildwoodcochins]

Thanks Dave~
Some good information to steer me in the right direction. I guess it's back to the drawing board though, I was thinking that the cockerel with all the red was a pretty nice bird but he has a lot of red and no breast lacing. I guess I'm realizing that lemon blues are a lot more complex than I thought!
Thank you for your help, I have a much better understanding now of what I need to look for and what my goals need to be~