Cochin Thread!!!

[wwmicasa1]

I think anyone who complains about shipping costs is wrong. I spend hrs putting it together and driving to the PO 1/2 hr before the truck picks them up. I always send fruit of some sort in the box for a bird so they can get some moisture and some food in case of some sort of screw up. while shipping. Boxes cost about $11 a box when purchases by the case. I have heard of a few places cheaper where you have to install the protective ventilation.

The comment about Illinois not accepting birds from Ca is interesting. I do know that for me to show in Illinois I have to get an entry permit # for my birds and give a destination. My birds have never been checked while in state yet but the rules are in place to be quite restrictive.

I think one of the "big" problems with living in Ca & shipping, is the cost of the boxes. Almost all of the box suppliers are in the East. I order boxes by the case but the shipping is as much as the case of boxes costs~! I hate to have to pass it on to the customer but my only alternative is to charge more for each bird. What to do???

As for the situation in Illinois. According to the gal at Expedited Services in San Diego, the PO's in Illinois do not accept "live" shipments from Ca. It has nothing to do with NPIP. I used to be banned from sipping "lives" to VA but now there isn't a problem. Gosh it's so hard to keep up on all the rules & regulations

 

[deuxcoop]

Just chiming in to say that I love my Cochin! I have a blue hen and she is my favorite... quiet, fluffy, sweet expression, and she is just a nice calm girl. I'm hoping to grow my flock with assorted colors in the spring.

Curious though, does anyone know why Cochins aren't as popular as Orpingtons these days? It seems like people are going crazy for fluffier Orps in new colors when Cochins are just as cute and fluffy and come in those colors already... Is it just a new fad or am I missing something?

 

[Coopa Cabana]

I love Cochins! I haven't had them since high school, but now that I have my own place with my family now, I decided to hatch shipped eggs to get some colors I wanted. I have Millie's and some silver laced. The breeder sent me extras of another color, but I'm planning on giving those away.

The Silver Laced looks very promising!! From the last photo, I'm guessing they also sent you some Golden Laced. I would love to see better pics of the GL in the last photo that is sitting at 9:00 (head missing in shot.)

 

[Fancy Feathers]

Delicious eye candy!

 

[3BirdGirlz]

The Silver Laced looks very promising!!  From the last photo, I'm guessing they also sent you some Golden Laced.  I would love to see better pics of the GL in the last photo that is sitting at 9:00 (head missing in shot.)

I actually sold that GL to a 4H'er. It was a rooster and the nicest looking and laced of the bunch of GL's I hatched. I hope he does well at the fair next year!

 

[ki4got]

Yep I created an account at USPS online so I can have the "online" price instead of the "Post Office" price... bought a printer, and a special scale specifically for this (because my bathroom scale was always wrong), and apparently it's OFF! If there's a way to reconfigure it (?) it's beyond me. So I'm back to guessing again, and when you under guess you have to pay the difference, but when you over guess? (as I did with the other shipment today) you don't get reimbursed of course!

At least, so far, I haven't run into Not being able to ship to a zip!
I feel for ya Lynne, and I'm praying with you that your birds (and mine!) arrive safe and sound - and that their receivers love them!

& Amy you've hit a very good point. Lynne herself, and Westknoll Amy and Twyla and Erin, have all shipped birds to me, and if it wasn't for their willingness to do so I wouldn't have the Mille Fleur program that I have now. I'm so grateful to them.
& I'm grateful for people like you who know what you want and when you find it, don't want it for nothing!

I've been griped at because the shipping quote I gave someone was "too high" (lots of times..) even when I send someone to the USPS website and tell them to look it up themselves! (& the majority of people just don't realize shipping a bird is going to cost more then twenty bucks, and just bow out, but every now and then you get someone who gets mad about it!) I've been told I shouldn't be charging for boxes (but, I have to pay for them?) and one person even griped at me after the fact for overcharging on shipping.. this is why many breeders don't want to deal with shipping; it's hard, it's not fun, it takes all day, it's expensive, it's stressful and then to get griped at on top of it all?

But then, you know, you have people like Mike (and many others!) who love their birds from me

or like Garold who have hatched eggs from me and I get pictures and stories and some of my birds have gone on to make contributions in other people's programs. This is what makes it worthwhile, and this is why I'll keep doing it, as long as there are people who appreciate it

I use a 'fishhook scale' I got off ebay for under $10. weighs up to 45 pounds to 2 decimal places... it's VERY accurate. I use this for weighing all my boxes and compared to usps when I got it there. they agreed it was accurate enough (about .05 off or so. LOL)


pic off one of the ebay auctions

 

[Frizzled Pink]

Just chiming in to say that I love my Cochin! I have a blue hen and she is my favorite... quiet, fluffy, sweet expression, and she is just a nice calm girl. I'm hoping to grow my flock with assorted colors in the spring.

Curious though, does anyone know why Cochins aren't as popular as Orpingtons these days? It seems like people are going crazy for fluffier Orps in new colors when Cochins are just as cute and fluffy and come in those colors already... Is it just a new fad or am I missing something?

Welcome to the addicting world of cochins.

On the Orp issue, in my opinion there is a lot of discussion on these birds currently due to the difference in the American version of the SOP vs the imported English version and also side discussion on whether the English birds are adhering to their SOP or what judges are preferring in the show halls. There is an education thread on BYC addressing all these issues-it's really long but fascinating reading for someone newer to chicken world like me trying to learn all the differences in the breeds and all the variations among the breeds themselves. I personally think the English look like giant bantam cochins but i LOVE my little guys.

@3birds--Lovely baby pics, yeah for the silver laced. Coopa can guide you on the gold laced-you would be hard pressed to find better advice on that variety.

 

[hens4thehudds]

Calling all Cochin experts!!! I have updated pictures of my Partridge Cochin which I am hoping and praying is a hen...any guesses...
Keely is 4 1/2 weeks old...

 

[suncatcher]

Quote: I was looking around for something last week, and found this place in California of all places, they have shipping boxes. http://www.jedds.com/-strse-Equipme...cln-Shipping-fdsh-Mail-Baskets/Categories.bok

 

[suncatcher]

Calling all Cochin experts!!! I have updated pictures of my Partridge Cochin which I am hoping and praying is a hen...any guesses...
Keely is 4 1/2 weeks old...

Wow, lots of good picture! I am voting Pullet!!!