Breeding bantam Cochins to standard Cochins...

[Cara]

Would I use a bantam rooster and a standard hen, or a standard rooster and a bantam hen? I want to make a standard equivalent of a bantam color.

 

[Kanchii]

Ummm, generally, there is way too much of a size difference to do it safely or efficiently. The standard boy would probably hurt the bantam girl, or the bantam boy would probably not be able to get the job done with the girl.
Cochins come in the same colors both bantam and large, can't you just find some others of the size and color you are looking for?

 

[LilPeeps]

You could AI, but I've had some tiny boys successfully mate my standard cochin hen, so you never know...

 

[Kev]

Probably would need to do AI if you insist on cochins only.

However, color genes are shared through the different breeds, the genes for lacing is the same between a gold lace wyandotte and a gold laced cochin for example.

So if there's another standard breed that has the color you want to introduce into cochins, that's an feasible option especially if the breed more or less has a cochin-y look.

One alternate option, it may be possible to create the color you wanted from other existing standard cochins. Might help if you want to specify what color/pattern you want to introduce into standard cochins.

 

[Cara]

I'm wanting to use Lavender Cuckoo bantams to make standards. AI-ing a chicken sounds gruesome LOL How would a person attempt that?

 

[Kev]

Oh wow that's an uncommon color combo. As barred is a sex linked trait, you probably want to use bantam rooster over a standard cochin hen. Best if you stick with black(or barred? Are there barred cochins? If there are or you are using barred standard cochins, then it doesn't really matter which way you do the cross..) standard cochins only as breeding to standards in other colors will throw in a huge mess of colors you would have to work at getting rid of.

IThe alternative route would be breed barred standard cochins to a lavender orpington to create lavender barreds.

Don't know how to do AI.. hopefully someone will have a link to a good page.