Breeding silkied Cochin bantams to the Standard

[JacinLarkwell]

That's what I'm thinking as well, though I don't know if that demand extends all the way to cute little fuzzy bantams like these guys.

Check hatchery websites real quick and see if bantams are sold out. If they are, I say go for it since you know the demand was high enough

 

[3KillerBs]

Check hatchery websites real quick and see if bantams are sold out. If they are, I say go for it since you know the demand was high enough

Good thought!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Hmm, a quick search of a few hatcheries I could think of off the top of my head looks like, with the exception of a random breed here and there, most are sold out until April at the earliest for bantam chicks... But I don't know how far any of them usually sell out by this time of year.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Hmm, a quick search of a few hatcheries I could think of off the top of my head looks like, with the exception of a random breed here and there, most are sold out until April at the earliest for bantam chicks... But I don't know how far any of them usually sell out by this time of year.

Usually I can still pick specific colors out 6 or 5 weeks before shipdate,, and assortments usually up to 3 weeks before

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I didn't think to look at assortments, but it looks like they're about what you're saying, ~2-3 weeks out. So about normal I guess.

I'll keep an eye out on some of the local sales sites and see if chicks are moving pretty quickly or not. I still have some time before I set anything because they're all little pullet eggs still. Just extra excited to get some chicks hatching over here, I guess!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I thought I posted this last night, must have been more tired than I realized! But Zinnia and two of the pullets out with Gus laid eggs yesterday! Boba for sure, so confirmed she is laying. Not sure who the third one was.

 

[miss heny]

Just so you know one of these years I may get some hatching eggs to add to my cottonball flock

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Confirmed Ottie is laying a few days ago, so that makes it for sure that 3 of the 4 pullets in that coop are laying, along with Zinnia. I haven't seen Inara in the nests at all, but she was the one that squatted for me a while back, so it's a maybe on her still.

A while back, I won a Brinsea gift card from one of the BYC contests, and I finally used it this week to get large egg carriers for my Ovation that arrived today. I have no idea why they call them 'egg carriers'; they're essentially just the turner rails for that model of Brinsea incubator. Anyway, the large ones are meant for goose eggs, but have adjustable dividers so that they can be used with smaller eggs as well. I've tested them out, and they're a perfect fit for my Cochin bantam eggs! No more hand turning for me!

I've been holding back eggs from Gus's coop and will be setting them either tomorrow or Saturday for my first batch to test fertility. Based on previous years, I'm not holding my breath for high fertility in this first batch... but you never know, right?

 

[MysteryChicken]

How's your boy with the white splotches turning out?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

He outwardly doesn't look much different than he did a month ago, a few blotches of white and some white sort-of mossiness on his chest. He's not one of my silkieds, but here was his last 'monthly' picture:

And an attempt at getting a few better shots of his chest:

The look of "Why are you doing this to me?"

He also has this really interesting-looking feather in his tail that came in in the past month:

But yeah, I don't think he's going to fully change colors or anything. It's almost like he's just decided to be mottled after being not-mottled to start with.