Cochin Thread!!!

[Featherland26]

cute chicks. sorry to hear about hatch problems, but yes, dry conditions have a lot to do with poor hatches IMO. but then i incubate everything and then give the new chicks to the broody of my choice, if i trust her. LOL

as for the chicks, barred would have a white spot on the head, so no i don't think any are. as for the black/self blue (lavender) there is no way to tell if a black is carrying self blue, unless one parent was s.b., or produces s.b. when bred to another that carries or is s.b...

as for the lighter chicks, i had several like the bottom one in the bottom pic, they were silver laced. but unless you have silver laced in your mix i honestly wouldn't know what it is.

Oh no, the silverlaced wyndotte may have jumped into the pen. I hope not! I'll post some pics in a week time..

 

[Coopa Cabana]

sounds like it's time to get out the hedge trimmers. or a new roo.

good luck on your eggs... my black/sb pen has slight fertility problems, but i think only with 1 hen, since most of the sb's eggs are fertile, and a little less than half of the black split's. before 1 went broody that is. now the roo doesn't play favorites.
Both roos are proven, and both enjoy their jobs immensely. Definitely time for the hedge trimmers!!

 

[joanie_maine]

I'm doing lousy, lousy, lousy so far this year:

5/15 - set 14 eggs; 4 fertile; 3 to hatcher; 1 hatched; "Little One" died on day 7
5/20 - set 11 eggs; none fertile
5/25 - set 9 eggs; dropped one candling; other 8 not fertile
5/30 - set 6 eggs; none fertile
6/05 - set 5 eggs; none fertile
6/10 - set 5 eggs; 2 are fertile!!
6/15 - set 6 eggs; 2 are fertile!!
6/20 - set 4 eggs

I have 7 hens, but I'm only breeding 5 of them. It's going to be a long, hot summer . . . So I'm just going to sit back and enjoy everyone else's until things pick up here.

My bantam cochins haven't been very fertile either. They are laying, but the eggs are usually duds. I don't AI, so I guess it's my fault. I have four black roos who I rotate in the black/splash breeding pen - lots of enthhusiasm but little result lol. I've even used them in the barred hen pen ( split to black) since my barred roo is a bit clueless!

My d'Uccles - on the other hand - are fertile and the eggs are hatching.

I'm not giving up - plenty of eggs here and the incubators are still ON!!!!

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Coopa and Joanie marie

If you have good birds which I know you do fertility should be almost zero unless you AI, pluck, or clip feathers. When plucking you pluck the male from the vent down and the hen vent up. You know when you have plucked enough when you put pressure on the bird like they are breeding and the vent is still clear. It will seem like a lot of feathers but they START to grow back in 6-8 weeks. Clip the feathers as you would pluck but they won't grow back until they molt. I know you know this but am posting it for all those who read our thread but never ask a question or post. I hope everyone feels they can post and get the information they are looking for.
Craig

 

[NightHeronFarm]

The bantam Cochin bug bit and boy am I in love! I picked up 6 at the feed store on a whim and was so impressed with how unbelievably sweet they are that I ordered more. Now I am up to my eyeballs in cute Cochins. So far the buff cockerel and the gold laced are my favorites. I have some extras (most likely cockerels) that I am giving away. Funny how chicken math works. I could have sworn I had room for them all.

 

[BackyardCoop]

He's large fowl. Big boy already, but I know he has growing to do. The breeder has really nice partridge hens.
I have a hen that is around 1 1/2 from the same breeder - so she is much more mature. I have no idea how long it takes them to be 100% fully mature.

This is one of the most beautiful birds I have ever seen!!
Gorgeous coloring and perfect lacing!

 

[BackyardCoop]

My handsome boy- about a month old here.

Here is a better picture of my mottled as well. 2-3 weeks old.



I call him/her "Chaps" because when it walks it looks like that what it is wearing.

 

[ki4got]

Quote:

This is one of the most beautiful birds I have ever seen!!

i agree. the black background is even more striking than my blue partridge girls, and the pattern is more distinct too, but i think that may be because mine are crossed with mille fleur. i'm hoping i get some decent partridge chicks too, so i can continue the color variety.

 

[Coopa Cabana]

Coopa and Joanie marie

If you have good birds which I know you do fertility should be almost zero unless you AI, pluck, or clip feathers. When plucking you pluck the male from the vent down and the hen vent up. You know when you have plucked enough when you put pressure on the bird like they are breeding and the vent is still clear. It will seem like a lot of feathers but they START to grow back in 6-8 weeks. Clip the feathers as you would pluck but they won't grow back until they molt. I know you know this but am posting it for all those who read our thread but never ask a question or post. I hope everyone feels they can post and get the information they are looking for.
Craig

Thank you for the encouragement, Craig! That's what Annmay said when I talked to her a couple of weeks ago - just take it as a sign that your birds have good tails/cushions. I trimmed vents 2 years ago, and got almost 100% fertility, so that's what I'm going back to. Thought I'd give this "natural breeding" a try, that I know a lot of Cochin breeders do, especially because I can't raise 100's at a time, but this has gotten to the point of ridiculous. How did this breed ever survive on it's own without us?

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Thank you for the encouragement, Craig! That's what Annmay said when I talked to her a couple of weeks ago - just take it as a sign that your birds have good tails/cushions. I trimmed vents 2 years ago, and got almost 100% fertility, so that's what I'm going back to. Thought I'd give this "natural breeding" a try, that I know a lot of Cochin breeders do, especially because I can't raise 100's at a time, but this has gotten to the point of ridiculous. How did this breed ever survive on it's own without us?

You can take what Annamay says to be the truth. Absolutely love her. As you know she raises and shows the rare varieties that everyone wants. Most don't put in the work needed to have good ones. I feel fortunate to call her a friend.

I have had some great hatches from very good birds when they molt but you can not count on that happening.
Craig