Breeding silkied Cochin bantams to the Standard

[JacinLarkwell]

I will show myself out then....

No, I'm sure it's okay, I'm just confused. One doesn't look silkied and they're not developed from either breed. The cushion combednone is neat though.

@pipdzipdnreadytogo , did you decide if the chocolates were going to be worth using?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I don't mind a little off topic banter for the record, especially if it involves silkied feathering.

@pipdzipdnreadytogo , did you decide if the chocolates were going to be worth using?

The Chocolates I hatched this year, no. They all had white skin, two of the three had terrible foot feathering, and the only one with good Cochin type has had leg issues that I don't feel comfortable risking breeding forward.

The ones I mentioned in the first post of this thread will come in the spring. Hopefully they hatch well and have decent type, as I really love Chocolates and would love to see them in silkied feathering.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I don't mind a little off topic banter for the record, especially if it involves silkied feathering.




The Chocolates I hatched this year, no. They all had white skin, two of the three had terrible foot feathering, and the only one with good Cochin type has had leg issues that I don't feel comfortable risking breeding forward.

The ones I mentioned in the first post of this thread will come in the spring. Hopefully they hatch well and have decent type, as I really love Chocolates and would love to see them in silkied feathering.

I'm not a huge fan of it, but I have yet to see silkied chocolate. Maybe that's what they need for me.

Have you gotten any splashes yet?

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I'm not a huge fan of it, but I have yet to see silkied chocolate. Maybe that's what they need for me.

I always liked Chocolate, but seeing it in person made me really fall in love with the color. They have iridescence similar to solid Black chickens, not quite as much, but just enough that they have a sort of jeweled look in the sunlight that I find so beautiful. I do worry a bit that silkied feathering will lose that effect and make them less pretty to me, but I don't find my Blacks less appealing for it, so I'm hoping the same will go for the Chocolates.

Have you gotten any splashes yet?

No. I'm putting all of my Blue pullets from this year's hatch with a Blue male next year, so here's hoping I finally get my Splash from them.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Some of the silkied Cochins today and yesterday. The youngsters are about 6 months old, (plus one 8-month-old pullet). These pullets are the biggest pain in the butt to take pictures of! I crouch down to get the shot, and they immediately run over to beg for attention instead of posing nicely!

The cockerels:

Leaning heavily toward Zeke, here, as my male for the Blue group. He just seems like he has the best type and balance thus far... but I'm reserving final decisions for a while yet.

Here's a better picture of Pete, since he was pretty young still in the picture at the beginning of the thread. He's filled in nicely since then!

Dandelion, here, is the recessive white hen I mentioned at the beginning of the thread. She's a cull, lives in my mixed pet flock now. The camera doesn't like to take good pictures of her because she's so brightly colored.

Lastly, just for fun, this hen hatched out of my Reds years ago. She's pure Cochin and her parents are both Red, she's just an oddball for coloring. She is also in the pet flock, not a breeder, but she's pretty.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Oh, and... Harley's really not having a fun time with her first adult molt.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Oh, and... Harley's really not having a fun time with her first adult molt.

View attachment 3344596View attachment 3344597

Oh, she looks like my Crispy Critter did!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Crispy Critter, oh my goodness! Did the name come first or was it inspired by the molt?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Crispy Critter, oh my goodness! Did the name come first or was it inspired by the molt?

She was a frazzle cochin that always looked like a piece of roadkill. Sweet little gal, but definitely had health issues from the double gene

This was rhe most she was ever feathered, usually most were broken off

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Ah, poor darling! Yeah, double frizzle gene birds are known to have a lot of issues, not just with their feathering but internally as well. How did she do in your Montana winters with that feathering?