Silver laced cochins

Old McRonald

Chirping
Jun 15, 2018
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LF Silver laced cochins are hard to find in my area so I was wondering if I crossed my Silverlaced orpingtons to my black cochins what would I get for pattern? Normally I cringe at these kind of questions but it got me to wondering if I could at least come up with a feather footed laced bird. My black Cochins are from some of the best show lines and my orpingtons are English type so I think they would be a somewhat good match but if the pattern would be garbage I won't even bother. Any ideas/suggestions? I do cull heavily for pattern and type on my orps so the have very nice lacing. Leg color is a concern also.
 
I have bought both golden and silver laced Cochins from a local feed store. She gets them from Privett. Might be worth picking up 10 and see what happens with your stock. I've only had 2 of each. Goldens (2018)have heavy leg feathering, smallish, 1 has decent lacing while the other has too much brown. Silvers (2013) had very little feathering on feet and sparse on legs, too much white on one. Decent on the other. Don't have pictures so that's all I remember about them. Both groups were very broody.
 
I do not believe you’ll get birds with any lacing in the first cross. I’m working on Blue Silver-laced Orpingtons obtained by crossing my Black SLO over Blue Orpington hens. Here are two F1 pullets. You can see some very faint lacing.

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Additionally, crossing Orpingtons to Cochins you’ll have to fight with leg color and feathering, plus body shape/type. It might be less expensive in the long run to find a breeder and have eggs, chicks, or birds shipped in.
 
I did see that Murray McMurray hatchery does have them. Not a hatchery fan but I could get chicks and selectively breed for confirmation. Plus they are within driving distance and I wouldn't need to fight the battle of crossing breeds.
 
You could use your blue to bring the best of the hatchery closer to standard but I doubt you'll have good enough lacing in the hatchery stock to move forward. So that takes you back to the Orp and that route would be a long endeavor of love to fruition.

It's really about what kind of quality you're willing to settle with. If looking at a flock of poorly laced hatchery birds would make you cringe then don't even bother. Look for hatching eggs or chicks from a breeder of sliver laced Cochin. They're out there.

Dick Horstman may still sell Golden Laced Cochin. He at least is a source to find a source of Silver Laced, head you in a direction. [email protected]
 

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