Mille Cochin Info

[Outlawfarms]

Ok if I put my blue , buff along with my blue and black motttled under my millie roo then breed those pullets back to the father then i should get millies?
Also I have another question could a hen and a roo get to use to being together that they stop laying firtal eggs? My millie pair have ben togeather for at lest 3 yrs.

 

[HiddenBrookAcres]

You can try those girls but a black Mottled would work better for you. You need the white tips on those feathers but the black chevron in between the white tip and the red base of the feather. It will still take a few generations of weeding out but you could certainly get some MF eventually, depending on what is behind the calico. The girls you have may give you what you need to work with so try them and see what the kids look like at 3-6 months old.
I know it is slow but any work of art takes patience.

black mottled. I don't have any of those...yet! Just what my husband will want to hear.

 

[Mrshollywood]

Ok My friend just called me a "chicken snob"... And you know what I think she is right!!!!
I was outside with the chicks and talking to her about the coloring and shape etc.. And was pointing out all the things wrong with them...
I'm getting nice coloring, but the tails are pinched and the backs are too long. The ones that are nice shape are yucky coloring *Sigh*
I'm a little frustrated... should I sell all the chicks and buy eggs from one of you guys who have better quality? Keep trying with what I have by adding in the mottled? My original hen is from MSBear I believe so she is great, but maybe I don't have the right type of roo?
Decisions decisions!

 

[Fancy Feathers]

Chicken snob...

Love it!


I say do what makes you happy! If you've got room for more then by all means buy some hatching eggs now or wait until fall and buy some more young birds. Adding good quality stock from outside bloodlines is always a good idea.

I think it's too early to make decisions on culls right now until they grow out some, personally. But, that's just me, and I'm new to this too!

 

[Blarneyeggs]

This is the cutest stinking picture, ever.

My newest hatch!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Ok My friend just called me a "chicken snob"... And you know what I think she is right!!!!
I was outside with the chicks and talking to her about the coloring and shape etc.. And was pointing out all the things wrong with them...
I'm getting nice coloring, but the tails are pinched and the backs are too long. The ones that are nice shape are yucky coloring *Sigh*
I'm a little frustrated... should I sell all the chicks and buy eggs from one of you guys who have better quality? Keep trying with what I have by adding in the mottled? My original hen is from MSBear I believe so she is great, but maybe I don't have the right type of roo?
Decisions decisions!

Hi Chicken Snob! You sound smart!

Don't get frustrated, get motivated. You can certainly work with those girls so don't give up. The wrong color and pattern? That's okay, you have something to work with in the type dept. Too long and too pinched? Find a fantastic roo, everyone seems to have extras. Hatching eggs from someone will give you even more to use next year.

It can take ages to get the right pattern, type and color all together. The fun is in the making of them. Meanwhile, you still have some pretties and with your sharp eye then you know the road you need to take to make them perfect!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

To show an example of how we all can get frustrated here is a pullet that hatched back in Jan. I really had high hopes as she was maturing that her type was going to be a lot better considering her parents but she still wound up being a bit pinched in the rump and longer in the back than I wanted. Still and all, she makes a nice breeder. She will bring some really nice genetics to the breeding pen with the right roo. She has only started laying so I won't hatch from her for a few more months, depending on what her eggs look like at that time.




And though I do not like her over all shape, I think her chest is fairly nice. As you all probably know, I do not concentrate on color as much as type. That pattern will come together, I am not worried with it so much now. Type is giving me the most fits and that is something I want past me before I work out the little details of pattern and such.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Here is a little roo out of KK that I think may be promising. I still have tons growing up and I finally remembered my camera when it was "spa" day in the brooder room. The chicks do not think of it as spa day but I call it that when I have to trim nails, beaks, check genders and color to start sorting them out into other grow out pens. I take this time to band the ones I think I may want for myself since they are finally big enough for numbered leg tags and then I can put them together from different parents and know who they are. I don't like zips or bands on mine when they are little. They grow faster than I can snip them off and replace since I usually have well over 100 at any given time.



I am sure he will lose much of this white but I am hoping for a decent pattern with great type.



I had to take the photos before I worked on nails or beak or I would never have gotten them to stay put for photos. They get really ticked after all that and their feathers are always a bit scraggly.
And I am not near the photographer that Nancy is!

 

[Fancy Feathers]

You're silly, Amy - I love your pictures! & I learn a lot from your posts, too.

 

[Fancy Feathers]

Speaking of pattern, I'm really happy with how Dinner is coming along. He gets prettier every day.


How much CAN you tell type on young chicks? Take this guy (I thought? but maybe not) for example, he's 7 weeks old. Thoughts on him?



And... I'd just like to share....... this picture clearly illlustrates why I prefer to do my chores without Gracie, but also why I have to let her come along once in awhile, too!