Mille Cochin Info

[WestKnollAmy]

Charlie, I would cull out the white one. No type there. I have used those that come out that color in my Frizzle pen and gotten super coloring but they are usually more typy.
Always like a box a chocolates when breeding unknowns. But it makes the experience interesting.

You just have so many really nice ones to work with, Charlie, that I bet you can hardly wait to pair them all up. Or rather, I should say, select breeding pen flocks. It will be hard to part with any kids but you really have some awesome birds growing up. When you took the plunge you did it right! Can't wait to see your results from the breeding pens!

 

[mjgigax]

Sigh! having a great summer vacation with my Cochins. I so appreciate everyone sharing - I might be a teacher by profession but I'm a student of birds.

 

[Msbear]

Lice and mites have been driving me bananas. I am so sick of dusting that a friend told me about building the dusting boxes to contain part sand and part poultry dust but, I want to get a head start. It will be 90 degrees today so.. TODAY is BATH TIME DAY

Im taking the puppy flea and tick shampoo and making a wash station, a rinse station and a dry station... and will hit every single bird out there... all the adults anyway.. my juvies are clean. That's about 15 MFC, 15 black rosecomb, 4 wheaten rosecomb, 5 delaware, 8 welsummer, 2 wheaten ameraucana, ...and I think I'll let the turkeys and peafowl find the dust bath

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Quote:
When you are done, my birds would like to be next in line................ok I would like for my birds to be next.

This is something I need to do also. Once it warms up here.


Good luck, enjoy and take lots of pictures.

 

[Coopa Cabana]

Quote:
When you are done, my birds would like to be next in line................ok I would like for my birds to be next.

This is something I need to do also. Once it warms up here.


Good luck, enjoy and take lots of pictures.

Ditto!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

OMG! Warm up there? Please take some of the 95 degrees we are having!

Lice and mites have been bad here this year, too. I have treated every one several times and soaked all the roosting poles. Such a pain but those little suckers can suck the life out of the chicks and chickens in no time so I try and stay vigilant. So many of my local friends are really fighting them, too. I don't know why mine are having them worse this year than ever before. I had thought because I was buying cheaper shavings for the coops but I do put down DE.

I am not doing a wash day.

OMG, I could see me after doing a few birds. I would be covered with soap suds and water and the birds would be running around laughing.

Good luck and have fun with that!

 

[Funky Feathers]

Ditto here too. Sadly those nasty &$%*# killed my Splash hen "Bessie".

Dang it, I loved that hen!! I spent the day thoroughly cleaning out their pen w/soapy bleach water & a hose & scrub brush, rinsing, drying it out, putting fresh sand in it (Bessie had nothing but pine shavings in her stomach), and bathing my birds in flea shampoo, blow frying, powdering, and putting them back in their nice, clean pen w/vitamins in their water. Now I have to do the same with 3 more pens! In 100 degree heat tomorrow!

Don't wanna lose my whole flock.

 

[Msbear]

O-M-G What a day

This past weekend we had a hay wagon catch fire from a spark from the tractor and our neighbor, who we crop share with, lost $500 dollars worth of hay PLUS the wagon. Our hay is all fine but I feel guilty about it since they were the ones who did all the work (our land, their machinery) Ugh.. I lost another hatch on Saturday due to incubator malfunction (3 different times totaling near 150 eggs in 2 months). I thought my 4 year old was doing it so... when it happened again with a lock on the door.. we realized the little button that the wafer is supposed to swell and push to turn off.. was not pushing in... Anyway... so I realized I was punishing my little boy for nothing

Im sure he deserved it for something else though

Then, while on the phone with a coop order I saw my 18 month old run in holding an MFC chick... by it's head

It had passed on to chicken heaven already but I tried to maintain composure because I was on the phone... "Yes m'am... yes, we do" all the while Im grabbing the poor thing out of Roen's hand while Wyatt is screaming, "It's dead!! Mommy, Mommy" We didn't get the coop order

Monday wasn't much better... can't remember exactly but still nightmare. Yesterday, I rode a half an hour to pick up ivermectin pour on to treat my flock in order to prevent a reoccurring infestation. I got there... and realized I forgot my wallet. .. maybe it was the fight of a lifetime just to get the two boys dressed and out the door that drove me insane.. the whole time the little one is screaming because he saw a lollipop wrapper and I didn't have another **note to self.. STOCK UP** So, I drove back to get my wallet.. then back again

and was so happy to be home with my goodies including 10 bags of layer mash for only $9.50 ea. for 50lbs. (nevermind the wasted $8 in gas) As I was unloading, Roen was playing in the car and ... locked himself in... with the keys. I was trying to teach him to open the door when I saw him scrounging around in the bag from the feed store... NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

He poured it out all over my seat. ..ALL OF IT. I ran and got the spare key and called my poor poor husband to unload some steam... so, when he came home, he said he'd watch the boys and I could just relax. ahhhhh... good.

A few minutes later, I went outside and asked, "where's Roen?" So.. we went to where he was supposedly playing innocently with his older brother and I saw a delaware hen run across the yard with what looked like a peep in its mouth

I ran over and found Roen in the coop and tossing out eggs that were under a broody and were supposed to hatch today

Are you kidding? Is this really my life?

So... today.

that's my insane laugh... I went to Wyatt's swimming lesson exhausted after bathing all of my bantams (wasn't woman enough to hit the LF today) and I put Roen down to shake hands with the instructor and what does he do? He runs straight for my purse while Im not paying attention, snatches my cell and I hear a "Kurplunk" Someone said, ... "I think that was a cell phone" Oh yes.. it was THE NEW ONE I JUST GOT ON FRIDAY

I was standing right next to him! AHHH!!! sorry for the rant.. just wanted y'all to get a glimpse into Msbearland

So, yeah... what I accomplished today was a minor miracle


K.. anyway. Here's some pics from earlier today

I started with two large containers filled with water and let them bake in the sun for a couple of hours. I had oil (any kind will do) to treat scaley leg, flea and tick shampoo and dog nail clippers for nails and beak.. (If I was going through all of this, they were going to have a very spa day)

I washed them in the first container and let them sit all sidsy for a few minutes in a crate while I did more birds. I did the first rinse in tub 1 and did the final rinse in the good water then put them in crates in the yard to sun dry. I even did the broodies (They're always the worst anyway because they sit in the nest all day) I figured if the outside temps were 98 degrees.. then the eggies should probably be ok

and, if the bath unbroodied any girls, I had 6 more to replace her.

wet babies

first dry baby .. he stopped combing himself when he saw the camera.. boy, they all felt great once they dried off

My rosecombs had northern fowl mites pretty bad and had virtually no lice. My cochins were covered with lice and had very little evidence of northern fowl mite

some were pretty bad and some had almost none. I wish I had enough breeding stock to cull out birds that were more susceptible to parasites.

After a good 3 hours of drying, Rus and I cleaned all the coops, sprayed with permertherin (sp?) solution, let dry and added new bedding. I had some of last year's hay that is dry and looked nice and cozy. .. won't last as long as shavings but, it's free.

here's some pics

Broody Broody everywhere. The one on the bottom has some chicks. I kept them in a box while momma had bath time and they RAN to her when they saw her.. so sweet.

Broody battle in Coop #2

AND... the winner i-i-i-i-i-s

My chick yard.. mostly meaties

some spring girls

Barn kitties

and I think Elmer is really going to eat something goatie... at least he's thinking about it.

We've had him for a couple of weeks and I've seen him eat a nerf dart, paper feed bags, my mother's pant leg and half my garden

We love goatie but, he's just too much. He really needs a buddy and a pen and I just don't think I have the mental capability to take on anything else right now. He came from a situation where he needed a home fast and we came through but, Im in the process of rehoming him.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Quote:
Oh my goodness!

What a stressful time you've been having. Here's hoping the rest of the week is better!

Your MFC are so cute!

Love the first hen.

Do I spy grass?

Wish we had some....

~ Aspen

 

[WestKnollAmy]

For pete's sake! I'll take my stressful days over yours anytime!

How the heck did you get up the energy to bathe birds after a time like that? No way could I have done it!
I will take 700 chickens and ducks over 2 little boys any day. I know they are cute as buttons but more than a handful. You are miraculous to have the energy and patience of a saint.
I rolled off the chair laughing as you said you were punishing your little one and knows he didn't do anything to the 'bator but he has done something! Sounds like my neighbor with their two little boys! Parenting is much more of a struggle than anything else.

Hon, I think YOU need a spa day!

Great photos of the birds. Some real beauties growing up. Gave me something to drool over, yet again!