Cochin Thread!!!

[Sylviaanne]

I don't have lots of money either.
I love Cochin's. So since I can't afford adult birds... And no one lives near me that breeds them. I choose to ship eggs in. I was super scared too but fig I would try. So spent the money on eggs and took the risk. I make sure who I get eggs from is no Joe shmo...I buy from nice wonderful breeders who take lots of pride in their flocks. And appreciate to have the opportunity to buy their hard work.
And now I have lots of birds from diff bloodlines and breeders. I have all sorts of type, so.e poor to nice and lovely.
Its something ya might want to give a try. I'm sure glad I did and continue to do.

Did you lose many in the hatches? That is what I am afraid of. Paying for the eggs, post office does a lousy job and then I lose most of the eggs before they hatch.

 

[ThatFarmerChick]

Barter? or trade even. I have lots of stuff that I have crocheted up and just kept. There are no Chicken Swaps right now, too cold I guess.
I have been talking to my husband about checking out other breeds but I guess I did a good job of explaining why I want the Cochins because he is kind of insisting that I go ahead and get the ones I really want. I would go up a size to the Brahmas or down a size to the Orpingtons. He doesn't realize that I'm not sure I could kill and eat my Cochins. LOL Now, also, I don't know how much Brahmas or ordinary Orpingtons go for so they could be just as expensive as the Cochins I can't find. LOL

Any bird that is about to or is laying is going to be $20+. Check out the "where are you from" section of BYC and see what you can get. Then see if it is a breed that you may like.I have helped some of my friends get good deals and even free birds. It can be surprising. We do not have a lot of people from my area on BYC, but we were able to find things.

 

[mindylee]

Actually no. I have had good success. I did once get scrambled eggs. Watch PO guy bounce box hand to hand. I freaked. And unfortunately eggs was junk. BUT BUT BUT... I contacted the seller and explained what happened. Even asked to buy another batch because I wanted them so badly. And although not the sellers fault by any means... Seller met me in the middle and gave the next batch for 1/2 price. I jumped on that. And in the next set that arrived it was a awesome success!!!
And now I have some very nice blue mottled in my flock!!! And to me, they was worth it.
I can say, anyone who ships eggs that has a good reputation, they go above and beyond to make sure their eggs will make it safely. And even with a lot of damage box's that do accure out there, if ya let eggs settle, they still do well.
Its a chance ya take. And honestly, I personally think its worth it plus exciting too.
Even with my one bad batch, it won't detour me to buy eggs again. It was a accident. And matter of fact, I do have a paid order of approx 40 eggs from a breeder from another state. We are just waiting on weather to break. Then seller will ship. Even never meeting and or talking to this breeder, I did my homework and breeder has an awesome reputation. So I didn't even blink an eye pre paying months ahead. Its the risk and until ya do it, and although scary sometimes, I can say, it should be a rare case of bad eggs or shipments.

Your incubator is ur worse enemy when it come to eggs vrs the PO. If ya don't do it right it can and will harm your eggs...

I use broody hens only for shipped eggs. My bator for my eggs only! Better piece of mind for me to have my girls hatch as they are the best incubator ever!

 

[Sylviaanne]

Actually no. I have had good success. I did once get scrambled eggs. Watch PO guy bounce box hand to hand. I freaked. And unfortunately eggs was junk. BUT BUT BUT... I contacted the seller and explained what happened. Even asked to buy another batch because I wanted them so badly. And although not the sellers fault by any means... Seller met me in the middle and gave the next batch for 1/2 price. I jumped on that. And in the next set that arrived it was a awesome success!!!
And now I have some very nice blue mottled in my flock!!! And to me, they was worth it.
I can say, anyone who ships eggs that has a good reputation, they go above and beyond to make sure their eggs will make it safely. And even with a lot of damage box's that do accure out there, if ya let eggs settle, they still do well.
Its a chance ya take. And honestly, I personally think its worth it plus exciting too.
Even with my one bad batch, it won't detour me to buy eggs again. It was a accident. And matter of fact, I do have a paid order of approx 40 eggs from a breeder from another state. We are just waiting on weather to break. Then seller will ship. Even never meeting and or talking to this breeder, I did my homework and breeder has an awesome reputation. So I didn't even blink an eye pre paying months ahead. Its the risk and until ya do it, and although scary sometimes, I can say, it should be a rare case of bad eggs or shipments.

Your incubator is ur worse enemy when it come to eggs vrs the PO. If ya don't do it right it can and will harm your eggs...

I use broody hens only for shipped eggs. My bator for my eggs only! Better piece of mind for me to have my girls hatch as they are the best incubator ever!

LOL Right now the only broody I have is a Toulouse goose. There was an American Buff on the nest and at times a Chinese goose. I don't think the eggs they are sitting on are any good but I can't get to them to remove the bad ones and I don't know how many might be under there now.

Say, if you want to ship eggs, I saw something tonight. Somebody found a really old egg shipping case. It was made out of metal and it had something that looked like tin cans with both ends cut out and several cans taped to each other in like a belt. The instructions showed putting paper in the bottom of each "can" and the egg in the can on top of the paper. I didn't look any closer or read more but I thought if I did that and put foam under the cans, on top of the cans and around the outside and between the rows, the eggs should arrive in good shape. The cans should protect even if the corners of the box get mashed.

 

[AndyCap]

So, can i ask how you made this color or is it super secret spy stuff? lol I am interested in maybe doing this as a project, but a different breed. Tia!

Sure it is no real secret. The key to this pattern lies in 3 separate genes. You need mo (mottling) Pg (Patterning gene) and Dilute. It will take quite a while but the process is as follows.

First you need to breed a bird that has pure mottling into a partridge bird that is pure for the Pg patterning gene(preferably an e^b) based bird. Once you have a line of partridges carrying mottled then you have two options to enhance the colour. You can either add in Dilute (Di) as i have in the bird above, or Mahogany (Mh). Dilute will act to enhance the pattern ina lighter shade, wheras mahogany will give a richer red colour to the line.

If that is too complex, then simply cross a good black mottled bird to a good partridge bird, breed the offspring together, and keep breeding back to the offspring that look the most like a partridge. Because the mottling gene is recessive it will stay in the line.

Feel free to drop me a message or pm if you need anything explained further, i am happy to help where i can

 

[BeachBumBiddies]

Well, I'm not trying to cheat anyone but at the same time I am not looking for show quality. We are on a fixed income and for the approximate $45 dollars I could spend on hens, I had hoped to get 3 and then produce more of my own from them. I already have a rooster, just looking for hens, I had no idea how much it would cost to raise them to breeding age.

I don't think you're trying to cheat anyone & i am not trying to insult you. I was just telling my experience & what it takes to get these chickens to point of lay. It's not cheap. I just think most people don't understand how much money, energy & time it takes to grow out nice birds; let alone the heartache when you have to cull unworthy birds. I don't care what anyone says, that's a hard thing to do even if you've done it a bunch. I hope you do find some cheap birds. You could maybe find an auction close to where you live as well as the other places people have stated. With any birds you get, be sure to quarantine. I quarantine for at least a month. You could try Craigslist as well. I have found & sell very good quality birds on there, for cheap. Buying hatching eggs is a gamble, but you will probably get at least some to hatch, & if not, a lot of people that sell eggs will send you more if you pay shipping. If you get 6 to hatch, about half (or more) will be cockerels though. lol But the good thing about chickens is, you can always eat 'em! Good luck in your search!

 

[BeachBumBiddies]

Any bird that is about to or is laying is going to be $20+. Check out the "where are you from" section of BYC and see what you can get. Then see if it is a breed that you may like.I have helped some of my friends get good deals and even free birds. It can be surprising. We do not have a lot of people from my area on BYC, but we were able to find things.

ooh, yeah. Isn't there a free section on here as well? Sylvianne might be able to find some birds on there.

 

[BeachBumBiddies]

Sure it is no real secret. The key to this pattern lies in 3 separate genes. You need mo (mottling) Pg (Patterning gene) and Dilute. It will take quite a while but the process is as follows.

First you need to breed a bird that has pure mottling into a partridge bird that is pure for the Pg patterning gene(preferably an e^b) based bird. Once you have a line of partridges carrying mottled then you have two options to enhance the colour. You can either add in Dilute (Di) as i have in the bird above, or Mahogany (Mh). Dilute will act to enhance the pattern ina lighter shade, wheras mahogany will give a richer red colour to the line.

If that is too complex, then simply cross a good black mottled bird to a good partridge bird, breed the offspring together, and keep breeding back to the offspring that look the most like a partridge. Because the mottling gene is recessive it will stay in the line.

Feel free to drop me a message or pm if you need anything explained further, i am happy to help where i can

Hi! Thanks, I really appreciate it. The layman's terms fit me better. lol I'm not new to chickens, but i am new to color genetics for sure. It can be VERY confusing! Thanks again!

 

[LovemyBabies]

I'm looking for Show Quality Black and White Standard Cochins as well as Bantam Black Cochin chicks to be shipped to Washington State or local - possible certificate of quality included stating that yes they are from top lines

 

[Sylviaanne]

I don't think you're trying to cheat anyone & i am not trying to insult you. I was just telling my experience & what it takes to get these chickens to point of lay. It's not cheap. I just think most people don't understand how much money, energy & time it takes to grow out nice birds; let alone the heartache when you have to cull unworthy birds. I don't care what anyone says, that's a hard thing to do even if you've done it a bunch. I hope you do find some cheap birds. You could maybe find an auction close to where you live as well as the other places people have stated. With any birds you get, be sure to quarantine. I quarantine for at least a month. You could try Craigslist as well. I have found & sell very good quality birds on there, for cheap. Buying hatching eggs is a gamble, but you will probably get at least some to hatch, & if not, a lot of people that sell eggs will send you more if you pay shipping. If you get 6 to hatch, about half (or more) will be cockerels though. lol But the good thing about chickens is, you can always eat 'em! Good luck in your search!

No, I didn't realize how much it costs because I bought my original chickens from a hatchery and just chose them for the looks on the charts. Then because I didn't have any specific breed in mind, I just let them breed any which way. I still don't care if my black Cochin rooster gets any color of other Cochin hen but I just want Cochins, large fowl, not bantam. LOL

Ideal has a section that says they have pullets but 2 other hatcheries say you can't sex Cochins at 1 day old. I am going to get some babies from Ideal and hope that I get mostly pullets from the ones they say are pullets. I do not expect that they will 100% be pullets but if most of them are, I will be happy and as you say, cockerels are good food. LOL