Cochin breeding, genetics, and showing

[lilcrow]

Quote:
I would breed her to that male from Jamie. She is penciled, it's just so heavy that it appears barred in some sections. She does have very nice type, and I'd hatch as many as you can from her and then be really strict on culling.

Great!! Thank you very much Tom, I appreciate your help.

 

[country bumpkins]

We have bantam chicks we hatched out in Oct. A few of them have a few barred feathers (not a lot...you have to look for them) however, the trio we breed with...NONE have barred feathers. So may I ask, who is the carrier? How do I determine if it's the male or which of the hens would be the culprite? Just curious as we are learning as well.

 

[just2rosey]

Thanks, Tom. Well, I guess I will keep going with what I have for now. I will be curious to see how my F1 generation turns out, the first are due to hatch in 10 days. I will keep my eyes open for a better rooster, ya never know I could get lucky and find one.

Lilcrow, your little hen does have the most precious expression.

She is darling!!!! Is she broody at all? She looks like a little momma, with that sweet expression. What does your roo look like? I would love to see pics.

Country bumpkins, are your chicks partridge, also? My partridge chicks were totally barred in their juvenile feathers, they didn't show penciling until their adult feathers came in at around 4 to 5 months of age. I don't know how typical this is, since I am new to breeding them.

 

[lilcrow]

Quote:
Yes, she'll go broody if I'm not careful and keep her eggs picked up. She's not the worst one I have, the worst hen lays a clutch in the spring and that's the end of it; she won't lay another egg for the rest of the year.

 

[country bumpkins]

Just 2 rosey:
thanks for the tid bit...I've been told birds improve in quality of lacing/feathers after each moult. I'm having the challenge of "training" my eye to pick/choose which birds to keep for our 4H project and possibly showing in the future. They are all partridge with a second brood that are partridge and some mixed with our SL. I know bantams develop slower....the first swap is in February and that would save me from posting them for sale elsewhere. Most of the over penciling exists in the tail and wing feathers...so we shall see what happens. Thanks for the update!

 

[just2rosey]

I am still training my eye also, which is why I am spending so much time on this thread. I think that the little bit of barring I am still seeing in my young birds is because they haven't fully molted, they still have junvenile feathers. Maybe they will lose those when they molt next summer/fall.

Ok, so I have a new question. How early can you see vulture hocks? If none of the parents have them can you still see them in the off spring? My 2 week old cochin chick we hatched at Christmas has feather coming in on its hocks and feet but not in between or just above the hocks, and it looks like vulture hocks. I am hoping that it is just the way the feathers are coming in, and that everything will look normal once it has fully feathered.

 

[Coopa Cabana]

For All Cochin Lovers!! The new Cochins International website is now up and running! (BYC isn't the only one that can launch a new site today!!)
Of course we encourage all interested to join CI, but the website is for EVERYONE - members and non-members alike.

Check it out: www.cochinsint.com

 

[Funky Feathers]

Hi! Just found this thread. I'm in.

 

[dak]

Ok, so I have a new question. How early can you see vulture hocks? If none of the parents have them can you still see them in the off spring? My 2 week old cochin chick we hatched at Christmas has feather coming in on its hocks and feet but not in between or just above the hocks, and it looks like vulture hocks. I am hoping that it is just the way the feathers are coming in, and that everything will look normal once it has fully feathered.

Unfortunately, VH is a recessive trait, so if both parents carry the gene, a proportion of the offspring will be affected. That said, it seems to me that quite a few youngsters look hocky and mature out of it. I wouldn't cull too soon.

 

[thecochincoop]

to me it always looks like youngsters have vulture hocks but they don't when grown so I think it's just a phase that the babies go through. unless you see it in the parents, I would give them a chance to grow out of it