Mille Cochin Info

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
From what I can see in the photos the color may be nice for a Calico project. There is a lot of white right now but that may change, depending on what they came out of.
The roo does not have enough type for me. Boys with that long of a back in my brooders are culled from my breeding program, though I may keep them for other fun projects like Frizzles. Though they still need good type.
With the pullet, she may be usable but only to a very typy male.

I just do not look at color or pattern so much as type. A paint job can be obtained in a generation or two but type is so much harder to get. It is like starting all over again if you have to try and put type on the birds later.

My girls have been harder to get type on but I make sure never to use a "lesser" male. My boys have to be close to perfect in type to stay in the program and I know when I get girls of the same quality I will have lower egg production and pelvis problems. That happy medium is difficult to obtain with girls, imho.

As I stated before we have to cull ruthlessly. A serious breeder can not keep everything, though it is dag gone hard to let those pretty ones go.

I have it drilled into my head about type and my DH keeps me grounded in that respect. Thank goodness or I would be over run with pretty birds that I love way too much and not have gotten as far as I have in less than 2 years.

That is only my opinion. You can take it with a grain of salt but I started with very little and feel I have made a decent show of it all.

Don't despair. I have raised hundreds of chicks just to have a few to keep for breeding on. You just never know when the right pair will click and you get some that are really good.

 

[DixieChickie]

Thank you Nadine..for your honest opinion. I'm new and learning, every little bit furthers my knowledge as to where I'm headed.

 

[Cowgirlgrace]

Have a culling question for all. What is the youngest age you start culling and for what? Probably yellow legs and correct toes? and what types of things at other ages? Is there things about type you can see in a chick? I know color changes a lot so that is probably the last thing to be culling for so type would be first. Just have a bunch of chicks on the way and don't want to raise them all up if they can be culled early on for some things.

I'll try to get pics of my flock and get them posted. Have a few birds from Lynne and some very nice Buff Columbian splits. Just got a gorgeous new Mottled roo from an awesome breeder who usually cleans up at the shows around here. Tried to get eggs from a few breeders on here but everyone always seems to be going broody so I am basically starting over with the Buff Columbian splits and the Mottled Roo. Lynnes birds have great color so hoping to get something nice from them as well. Mine have not gone broody yet and am getting bazillions of eggs. Been putting them all in the bator and I think I'll be over run here soon! Anyone interested in eggs? I know, most are farther ahead and I'm just starting but so excited to see these first chicks from the Exhibition roo. He has everything, short back, huge cushion, low to the ground, perfect wings and a 5 point comb. The chicks will all hatch black, correct? With maybe brassy hackles as they get older?

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Quote:

Don't do that - keep to yourself!

I am just starting out also and at times this thread moves so very fast; it can make a person's head spin.


For me, growing them out is important, to watch the colors change and their bodies fill out. I think it is hard to tell if they will be great, good, ok, or poor until they are older (hard to wait I know) but they do change so much.

I have a little red cockerel I was so excited about a couple weeks ago, then he molted again and I thought *this is not the same bird

* but I am hoping it is just a grow out phase.


Keep taking pictures so you can monitor their changes - makes it easier when your next batch is growing out (at least for me).

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Congrats on setting and starting with so many chicks! Breed as many as you can comfortably care for and sell.

I start looking at type on my chicks at around 4 weeks. They probably show it before but I just do not care to look too closely at so many chicks knowing they will change and mature into something I'll either keep or discard. I seldom sell chicks for fear of losing something that blossoms. I have done that before and regretted it when a pet owner would not let me buy back or breed to a very nice roo. Now I have a strict policy of waiting. I have been fooled before and just wait it out for a few months.

I do check toes and feet at a young age but only for major deformities. Everything else being equal on others I could probably deal with a few imperfections. There is not a perfect bird but we do try and stay close.
I refuse to let go of any chick with a short back, good leg feathering and nice chest. Sometimes I get heads that are not very typy and I cull them, too. I like to see a big eye, classy head and pretty neck. I have not concentrated on combs much yet as that can be something to work on later, if need be. But it usually comes with good heads, I have noticed.

I like to see my youngsters with proud chests. At a month old they usually display this well. Bone structure will change some as they mature but without being put together the right way from the start they haven't the chance to mature into it. I am trying to get away from too wide of a leg set. In order to produce nice type some of my birds are getting too "squat" and their pelvis is not able to grow well. The hip sockets are not forming well enough to hold the ball joint and I have had to destroy some really awesome birds and stop that bloodline from reproducing. So be careful when breeding for very short backs and wide bodies.

Make sure the legs are strong and fit under the body well. Feathering should be coming in nicely and I avoid vulture hocks. I cull this away if I have any but so far they have been few. Again, if all else is great on the bird I may give it time as this is not a major matter for me.

In any breeding program you just have to know what your end goal is and constantly work towards it. Some aspects can be bred out and others can never be bred out.

I like a short stout back on my boys but would not ever breed a boy with a ski slope back. There are just too many really nice roos to choose from to ever need to use a roo with this conformation. I work with some girls like this but they have to have a lot of other really nice things going for them and I tag the offspring and see if I made any improvements on the first breeding from her. If not, cull. If so, I will cross the parents again and again until I have enough I can use to further my program.

Another thing. Temperament. I do not have any MF with bad dispositions but I had a nasty Mottled roo that I culled. He went in the freezer. Pretty is as pretty does and I will not tolerate a horrid temperament. This is first and foremost a pet bird for me and for the ones I can not use in my breeding program. I like to send home nice backyard beauties for people and children to enjoy and love.

It is a long learning process. We all make mistakes. Patience is a big virtue! That and being able to know when you have made a bad choice and are willing to cull ruthlessly.

I thought I was taking the long road but surprisingly I am very happy with what I have produced. I thought it would be years but amazingly I am getting decent birds. I really need to update my website but I am not sure I want to post my most fantastic breeders. I get enough inquiries as it is and stay really busy answering emails.
I seldom post any for sale because when I do decide what I want to cull the waiting list is long. I have very few left to cull out now and may wait until next spring before hatching more. (Who am I kidding?)

Everyone breeds differently. We are all basically after the same thing. However, I have always been selfish and self centered and I breed for what I like. If no one else likes it, I do not care. For this reason I do not show. I will eventually in order to get this variety recognized but if a judge does not care for my bird it better be for some other reason than too many points on a comb or broken foot feathers. I breed the whole bird and try to make a stable pet. I am not competitive either.

Forgive me for going off on a tangent there. I hope I have offered some good advice to help others. I do not express myself well but want to encourage everyone to do their best in the MF breeding program. It has been fantastic to be a part of this community of breeders working towards making the MF a recognized and gorgeous Cochin.

 

[RustyHen]

Quote:
Thank You Nadine,
This gives all of us noobs some gidelines to go by and what too look for exactly if we get the chance to find a good juvie roo or pullet to look at.

MF or Reg BC

 

[Cowgirlgrace]

Thanks Nadine for your help. I appreciate it!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

You all are more than welcome!

I can't say I am an expert. I feel very fortunate to have gotten started with what I did. If you look at my website under my MFC breed page then you can see what I started out with. I haven't posted my new up coming birds yet though I posted some ones on here I might keep.
I value the opinion of many on this thread so I post my iffy ones. At some point I will post my definite keepers on my website.

I am glad to help whomever I can. But again, I am no expert and am doing my best. I know what I like and am working towards that. I still have a ways to go. Others on here can help probably much better than I can and say it in a manner you may understand better than what I write.

But I do want to say do not give up! It can be frustrating! But there are always options.

 

[ChickcrazyCharlie]

Hi Nadine, Thanks for all the information. I think you expess yourself well. I wish I could do the same. Could you please look at this picture and tell me what you think? Its about 4 weeks old here. The down looks like its blue, is that a big issue? I know the color will change the coming months. But I dont think it will change. If breeding for the MF color I think its an issue, but what do I know. LOL

Thank you, Charlie

 

[ChickcrazyCharlie]

Now that I see the picture on here it looks like a lot of the feathers have blue in them. And the picture is not very good, I have such a terrible time getting good pictures of my chickens. Sorry.