My Opinion of the MF Cochin Bantam

With the pair I have now (Casey and Cashew), I plan to breed them and start by setting 5-8 eggs each hatch (unless fertility rates are low). From those chicks, I plan to select those with best type and color to breed back to Casey and Cashew. I will most likely cull the hens that are too light in color, the chicks with excess black on hackle, saddle, and/ or breast feathers. I will select the Cochins with the best cushions, width, and the roundest appearance. I will continue line breeding until I acquire some Mottled Cochin Bantams. With them, I will breed a rooster to my best hen and/or a hen to my best rooster. I want a trio with an amazingly typed rooster, a good hen, and a good frizzled hen to breed. I will take the offspring and cull all with excessive black, then pick those with best type. From the well-typed chickens, I will choose those with the best color. I plan to grow out the chicks at least 6-8 months before culling, unless I cull chicks for no feathering and middle toe. This will take a few years, I am aware, but I’m hoping to get the program up and running soon. Any thoughts from breeders I will gladly read. I would love to see what breeders think of the plans.


Hope to update soon—once chicks hatch / eggs are set / deciding culls.





Pics of the chicks:
Casey (breeder)—

Cushion

Width

Face

Wings

Hackle and Saddle

Breast

Willow and White feet

Cashew (Breeder, 2 weeks older than others)—

Cushion

Width

Face

Wings

Hackle and Saddle

Breast

Feet

Frog (potential breeder)—

Cushion

Width

Face

Wings

Hackle and Saddle

Breast

Willow or White Feet

Jesse (potential breeder)—

Cushion

Width

Face (don’t mind the glob of feathers, he was picked on when he fell weak. I separated him and he’s fine now.

Wings

Hackle and Saddle

Breast

Yellow Feet


Potential Breeder from the Past: Cindi, never got to maturity (6ish months old when she died)
Most recent pics I have—

(Note that she was very weak and pale upon taking these pics. But that’s the most recent before her death)
Do you think I picked the right rooster to breed to Casey (our only hen left), or do you think I should have chosen a different one? There’s still time left, as Casey hasn’t laid many eggs since her Dad died. And what about backup rooster?

I am just trying to build up numbers as of now, with only one hen that continues to skip on laying and sometimes lays softer shelled eggs, (I’ve tried and tried to get her calcium. There is currently oyster shells in a separate bowl for her.) I’m worried about losing her. I have three roosters to choose from if something happens to my main boy. I’ve set every single egg Casey has laid (except her first two, and all the soft shelled ones), yet we haven’t got much. I will update later, but look at this, set 6/3/21. Pic from day 4, am cheering this little fella on.

Of many many dud eggs, we came across a fertilized one (above). That one egg became a little chick (just hatched, still not completely dry).
This is Mira (Cole if a boy).

Hope to get pics of her after she’s dry. If she’s not a she, it will not be very helpful to the program unless she is the most typey rooster we have. If a girl, I can just breed to Cashew. This is the last egg we got from Casey, so hoping .

Updated (sorta) pics of the ‘breeders’:

Casey (Mom)

Frog
Jesse (*possible but unlikely* dad)

Cashew (before he really bloomed, dad) He is the oldest of the four (by a few weeks), and has filled in more within the past 2-3 weeks. This photo was taken 2-3 weeks ago.