Cochin Thread!!!

[NanaKat]

A Gorgeous Girl!

 

[dak]

Snapped a few pics of one of the pullets I have decided to keep. Out of the 6 I had kept to look over, I am keeping 2, and this pullet is one of them. I really like her, and think she will produce nice birds for me as well.






~Casey

Very nice!

I have two questions. Keep in mind this come from a LF person.
1. What do you think of her head?
2. Do you avoid corn in your white birds diet? ( I had a judge have a fit this weekend because I was feeding my Light Brahmas a layer with corn in it.

 

[Mr. Ree]

Wow. Thanks everyone! I am very happy with this pullet. Its kind of funny that you all mention she looks like a princess, because my nephew has named her Princess Peach. Lol. He named one of the frizzles I lost that and when I lost her, told him he had to name another one Princess Peach. He said this pullet, because she looked like she was wearing a dress like Princess Peach. Lol.

And to answer your questions Claire:

1) You cant really tell from this pic (I noticed that first thing), but her head is nicely shaped with a smaller sized, evenly pointed comb. Not the perfect head by any means, but that is something I am working on in my birds as a whole. Doesnt look bad, it isnt as wide as I would like, but I can work with this.

2) All my birds get a layer crumble year round, and a mix of that and chick grower in the winter months, and a grain scratch once in a while as a treat for them in the winter months. I dont make it a point to keep corn out of their diet, but I dont directly give it to them either. I have stated here before, I have given my birds cracked corn before and it hasnt effected them greatly, but those were desperate times. I also let me birds have access to the outdoors as well, they take dust baths and get down right filthy. Im just letting them be chickens for the time being.

Right now I am working, more or less, to get a line established that I am proud of and where I feel they should be, not keeping them conditioned for showing. Once I get them where I want, I will work more on conditioning them and keeping them clean, etc. This is my second year, after not having birds for 5-6 years, of raising birds and establishing a line so that where my focus has been. Now that its coming together, I will worry more about showing, and working with the Red variety.

~Casey

 

[bantyman]

Casey
Would chick starter and chick grower be considered the same or are they different altogether

 

[dak]

Wow. Thanks everyone! I am very happy with this pullet. Its kind of funny that you all mention she looks like a princess, because my nephew has named her Princess Peach. Lol. He named one of the frizzles I lost that and when I lost her, told him he had to name another one Princess Peach. He said this pullet, because she looked like she was wearing a dress like Princess Peach. Lol.

And to answer your questions Claire:

1) You cant really tell from this pic (I noticed that first thing), but her head is nicely shaped with a smaller sized, evenly pointed comb. Not the perfect head by any means, but that is something I am working on in my birds as a whole. Doesnt look bad, it isnt as wide as I would like, but I can work with this.

2) All my birds get a layer crumble year round, and a mix of that and chick grower in the winter months, and a grain scratch once in a while as a treat for them in the winter months. I dont make it a point to keep corn out of their diet, but I dont directly give it to them either. I have stated here before, I have given my birds cracked corn before and it hasnt effected them greatly, but those were desperate times. I also let me birds have access to the outdoors as well, they take dust baths and get down right filthy. Im just letting them be chickens for the time being.

Right now I am working, more or less, to get a line established that I am proud of and where I feel they should be, not keeping them conditioned for showing. Once I get them where I want, I will work more on conditioning them and keeping them clean, etc. This is my second year, after not having birds for 5-6 years, of raising birds and establishing a line so that where my focus has been. Now that its coming together, I will worry more about showing, and working with the Red variety.

~Casey

Thanks Casey.

I am toying with the idea of getting a few bantam Cochins for my son to show, and trying to develop my eye. He has bantam Brahmas though and I probably should look at a different class.

I don't have a problem with my females getting corn. The males are either showing some less than ideal genetics, or the effects of the sun, or corn effects them to a greater degree.

I did notice that the Brahmas had a different "White" compared to the bantam white Wyandottes next to them. Hard to explain. May be due to the dark undercolor??? Might have something to do with what is genetically "under" the white.

 

[Mr. Ree]

Thanks Casey.

I am toying with the idea of getting a few bantam Cochins for my son to show, and trying to develop my eye. He has bantam Brahmas though and I probably should look at a different class.

I don't have a problem with my females getting corn. The males are either showing some less than ideal genetics, or the effects of the sun, or corn effects them to a greater degree.

I did notice that the Brahmas had a different "White" compared to the bantam white Wyandottes next to them. Hard to explain. May be due to the dark undercolor??? Might have something to do with what is genetically "under" the white.

I see the same thing in my males. Although, not in the frizzles, only the smooths. Birds that have been fed corn the same period of time, that had the same amount of sunlight, etc yet the smooth males were the only ones who showed any signs of 'yellowing'. I didnt end up with any birds at all that turned really yellow or brassy looking, just had signs of it in the hackle and saddle, and like I said, only in the smooth cockerels.

I think you may be right. Just like white in the Columbians. The slate under color makes the white really pop, I also think the contrast to the black makes it pop as well. I also think its because the Brahmas and Columbians are silver based and a lot of Whites may not be.

~Casey

 

[dak]

just had signs of it in the hackle and saddle

Hmmmm, mine is on the wing bow.

 

[Mr. Ree]

I forgot to put in there too, that I think this shows most easily in the males because of the iridescence they have to their feathers. Areas, like the hackle, saddle, wing bow, etc show it more definitively because this is where the iridescence is more pronounced on the bird. Females also have this iridescence, but mostly in the hackle and head. Just a theory of course.


~Casey

 

[tiki244]

Casey I noticed you said that you are keeping only 2 pullets of the white variety. This makes me think I had better do some more thinning out of mine.

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Thanks Casey.

I am toying with the idea of getting a few bantam Cochins for my son to show, and trying to develop my eye. He has bantam Brahmas though and I probably should look at a different class.

I don't have a problem with my females getting corn. The males are either showing some less than ideal genetics, or the effects of the sun, or corn effects them to a greater degree.

I did notice that the Brahmas had a different "White" compared to the bantam white Wyandottes next to them. Hard to explain. May be due to the dark undercolor??? Might have something to do with what is genetically "under" the white.

I am/was having the same issues male Columbians getting brassy. I was reading somewhere on a poultry site where a man described how he got most of the brassy out in 3 generations. He commented that if they were going to turn color he was putting them outside. Kept back the whitest ones for 3 generations and eliminated much of the color issue. I did that this year and only kept 2 males 1 of which I gave to Annamay to help her flock. I ler them out everyday all summer and culled the worst/yellowest. I will tell you more in a few years if it works on Columbian Cochins.
Craig