Mille Cochin Info

[Mrshollywood]

I appreciate your kind words and encouragement! I would take that hen over any of mine any day... So if that is a pinched tail then mine are completely pinched LOL..... Everyone has such gorgeous little bundles of joy!

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.

 

[Fancy Feathers]

This is the cutest stinking picture, ever.

Thank you

(Sorry, didn't mean to ignore you)

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Amy: What do you think of crossing these colors? The pics do not show type, but my gosh these guys are quick! I was lucky to shoot these pics. i've got quite a few eggs hatching out of these two right now:




First chick to hatch : ) (gotta have a chick pic, right?

 

[WestKnollAmy]

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!

Nancy, I always adore the photos of Gracie! She is an absolute doll! Every photo of her is remarkable. This is a fantastic example. She is having a blast and that Silkie knows she is a great person, coming right up to her.

OMG! Dinner is really looking better and better. He is a step in the right direction for type and pattern. That pair made a very nice baby. He can't be from Wizard, as I never got anything like that from him. Ruby Rod and Inky certainly had it going on from the start or else I am going to kick Wizard's behind! LOL

The Calico looking boy I would give some time. He may pull everything together. He looks a bit long in the back yet but has many other nice features. It is nice to see a bit shorter back on boys at this age but I have waited on a few that made me happy later on. If you are very attached, I would keep him, otherwise, I would let him go because you are going to have so many more coming along.

Are you going to continue to hatch into fall? I know that your winters can be brutal so I wasn't sure your plans for late summer or fall hatching. I bet you are drinking in every day that you and Gracie get to spend outside right now. Those are some long winters you all have up there. Your farm makes it look more lovely than I remember when I visited the state.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Amy: What do you think of crossing these colors? The pics do not show type, but my gosh these guys are quick! I was lucky to shoot these pics. i've got quite a few eggs hatching out of these two right now:




First chick to hatch : ) (gotta have a chick pic, right?

Of course, you need a chick pic! LOL

I am by far, not an expert. But I am happy to give you my opinion.

Crossing these two will give you a long hard struggle to get MF. Both carry the heavy Mottled gene and it will be helpful but sometimes be over powering to the offspring. The chick shows how wrong I can be though. It shows the base gene is partridge (I think that is correct) I do not get chicks like this since this is not a gene I put into my breeding program but others have and gotten great results.
I believe you need to add lighter hens to your roo and a lighter roo to your hen but I understand we work with what we have.
I will quite anxious to see how this chick and any others looking like this mature out of this pair. More experience for us all and an exceptional learning experience.

Thank you for sharing and please keep us updated!

 

[mjgigax]

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!

Nice dark roo!
Grace looks like me when I do chores!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I appreciate your kind words and encouragement! I would take that hen over any of mine any day... So if that is a pinched tail then mine are completely pinched LOL..... Everyone has such gorgeous little bundles of joy

It just takes a bit of breeding and some hard culling to get what you want. Keep working at it. I am sure before long you will see the kind of improvements you are looking for in your own breeding program.
No one sells their best birds so you have to work at making your best. If you look at my website on my MFC page you will see what I started with and what I bred to get where I am now. I have been doing this variety for barely 3 years. I still have a long way to go.
There is nothing in my pens that I would put in front of a judge but I hope maybe I can put something out there next year. I want others at the local shows to see this variety and hopefully get more people involved with working on it.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote: You are right about that! I come in at night covered with all kinds of things from the barn and tractors. Gracie looks like she is having more fun that I usually do, though.

Nancy, what color is the Silkie? Very pretty! That is what I would like to see in my Sizzles.

 

[Fancy Feathers]

You guys dump pine shavings on your heads too?!

Dinner is definately from Ruby Rod. I think the only chick I have from Wizard is Ivan.




He's the second chick hatched (could have been the first egg laid) and is much different from any of the other chicks. Of course, the variety I have in the first batch of chicks, which are all Inky's, is amazing. I can't wait to see what my current batch has. In it I have chicks from both of my roos over 3 hens. My next batch, due to be set soon, has my Westknoll roo over 2 of my Wildwood hens

I have no plans to stop incubating any time soon. If ever. I made the mistake of completely taking my first incubator down to clean it, and now I can't get the temp to stable. Guess it needs a new thermostat, but I bought it off eBay so I'd have to buy a replacement, which I just haven't done yet. So, I'm down to one incubator, and I'm not going to ever completely dismantle it! It has slowed me down to one hatch at a time, though, which maybe isn't such a bad thing. But yeah, I may change my mind this winter!
The Silkie is a red sport that comes out of Paint breeding from time to time. I may use him in a Silkie project I have in mind...

 

[Reyvaughn]

I have a cockerel growing out that looks like Ivan, Fancy Feathers. Is he fully grown? If not, does anyone have a picture of an adult roo with that coloring as a juvenile?