Cochin breeding, genetics, and showing

[theimis67]

OH! He is Beautiful!!!

Thank you! I can't wait till he fills in more and gets a nice cushion. He has the feathers growing in the cushion area and keeps getting wider and wider. I have a younger one that has a nicer comb and probably a nicer profile. The hens and pullets are looking pretty nice as far as type. Now it is the balance act of too much lacing and not enough...

 

[lilcrow]

Lisa, how is your little chick? Did it make it through the night?

 

[just2rosey]

Sadly it did, but I quietly culled it while the kids were at school on Friday.

I just couldn't bear to watch it suffer any further. The other nine are doing well though.

I can't wait to see how they will grow up so we can choose which ones to keep.

 

[lilcrow]

Awwwww.........I'm really sorry you had to do that. This is the hardest part of raising chickens. I'm trying to get better about making those decisions, but sometimes it's very hard when they're on the border of cull/don't cull. I have a tendency to try to save everything and that's not good. You did the right thing, and I wish I was able to do that for my birds that need it. I'm such a woos, I have to get my friends to do my dirty work for me. I admire you, you're a good mommy.

Sadly it did, but I quietly culled it while the kids were at school on Friday.

I just couldn't bear to watch it suffer any further. The other nine are doing well though.

I can't wait to see how they will grow up so we can choose which ones to keep.

 

[just2rosey]

I really need to get some new bantam partridge breeding stock. I posted the picture of the deformed baby, well I have another chick with deformed feet. I thought it was missing the outer toes, but they are tiny and coming out from the center of the bottom of the foot. Having 2 out of 10 with deformities suggest to me that my stock is to inbred. I really need to get some different blood into my cochin flock. Any ideas where I could acquire some chicks or hatching eggs of decent quality? I have never seen partridge bantam eggs for sale on this site, does anyone ever sell any?

 

[mjgigax]

Awwwww.........I'm really sorry you had to do that. This is the hardest part of raising chickens. I'm trying to get better about making those decisions, but sometimes it's very hard when they're on the border of cull/don't cull. I have a tendency to try to save everything and that's not good. You did the right thing, and I wish I was able to do that for my birds that need it. I'm such a woos, I have to get my friends to do my dirty work for me. I admire you, you're a good mommy.

Yeah, that is hard. does it ever get easier?
My neighbor, who is my chicken mentor, was euthanizing mine for me, But I though I should do it myself if I am going to be a responsible breeder. I culled a couple myself and had terrible nightmares so I am back taking them to my neighbor again.

 

[mjgigax]

Well, here are my ten latest additions.

They are looking really good. They hatched quickly and vigorously within 12 hours start to finish, except the egg that went in 24 hrs later, which hatched 24 hrs after the first chick. They all have great foot down/feathering, and most are more the color I expected, nice dark partridge, only a couple golden chicks. One chick is having leg and foot problems. it is the biggest chick, and was the first to hatch. I wonder if the problem with the legs is genetic?

I am not sure it will make it.

I am doing what I can.



Here is the latest pics of my Christmas chick. I am sure it is a boy, the wattles are turning pink already. He is darker than I expected when his down was so golden, I think the color would be alright on a pullet, but the male partridge pattern is so different. I am curious to see how he will change as he grows.

Cute Christmas chick. I just love them at that scruffy age, half fluff and half little feathers.

 

[dak]

I really need to get some new bantam partridge breeding stock. I posted the picture of the deformed baby, well I have another chick with deformed feet. I thought it was missing the outer toes, but they are tiny and coming out from the center of the bottom of the foot. Having 2 out of 10 with deformities suggest to me that my stock is to inbred. I really need to get some different blood into my cochin flock. Any ideas where I could acquire some chicks or hatching eggs of decent quality? I have never seen partridge bantam eggs for sale on this site, does anyone ever sell any?

Deformities can also be cause by temperature spikes and improper turning during incubation.

 

[just2rosey]

I know temp spikes can cause deformities, but I didn't have any temp issues. This incubator is very stable. The only time the temps got up to 101 was if the humidity dropped, It holds like a champ at 100. I also hand turn faithfully three times a day. There deformities just seem to be varying degrees of the same thing, Genetic diversity increases vigor, so I will feel better if I add some stock from different lines.

 

[Coopa Cabana]

This is a great reference site which discusses incubation issues, including what can cause malformed chicks:

http://msucares.com/poultry/reproductions/trouble.html