Cochin Thread!!!

[Mr. Ree]

Why am I not surprised that most of you missed the point? Lol.



~Casey

 

[ki4got]

Quote:

As far as I know, Bob Hawes is still breeding (and I believe showing) his beautiful Buff Bantam Cochins.

last time i talked to him, as of last fall that is, he was doing nankins and heritage rocks only. I wanted to get some 'seed stock' from him to start up my own flocks again.

the girls he gave me were mismarked blues. i'm still in love with the color but couldn't find any quality stock when i started shopping (hadn't found byc yet), so i went a different route for colors, and have blacks and lavenders now (self blue ?) my blacks should start laying soon, and i'm eager to get a breeding pen made for them. i've got 2 pullets and a cockerel. i'm extremely pleased with how they came out. now if i can get that type in my laced and calico, i'll be doing well.

 

[ShysCreations]

When I first looked to raise birds, Feathersite was eye candy and where I first saw such a color variety!! I attended a local poultry show whose cochins were only blacks & whites. Those colors didn't trip my switch but mille fleur did. I found a breeder a couple states away who made stock available. Fast forward several years later, having attended several shows, visited with long time breeders, bred & raised a few generations.....I've learned alot but always more to go. From basics of poultry husbandry (food, shelter, vet care) to more in depth study of color/pattern inheritance, foot structure, feather shape etc.

Many people don't want to raise poultry within the limits of the show standard, that's not their goal. That's ok. The owner is putting their time/$$/resources where they wish. Show standards are limiting & specific which is why when your bird places high--its an accomplishment---you've obviously put alot of time/effort into the project. Places such as BYC are helpful to sort thru info.... also going to shows to gather more knowledge and make a decision what works for you.

The availability of varieties like buff columbian, silver laced, brown red. etc, etc, are kinda difficult to find and likely hard on the checkbook. If I had the space, I'd love to raise other varieties.

BTW--i really like the Crele cochins--beautiful color & nice round rumps.

 

[Germangirlygirl]

Here is a picture of my cochin...

 

[Sweetfolly]

I've always meant to put this little girl in with my last pair of Blue Mottleds (she's in a mixed pen of "pet" chickens we're not breeding right now)... as much as I want to stick with just ONE color variety (Columbians), I think I might just have to do it this spring and see if I can manage to hatch a few of their chicks.

 

[mjgigax]

I really wished we had as much effort and as many people interested in breeding recognized varieties that are rare instead of focusing attention on "creating" a new variety that will take years and lots of money to get correct. I understand that without people doing this then we wouldnt be where we are today with the amount of vareties we have, but it just is a little disapointing that there are so many people ready to make time and spend a large amount of cash on trying to create a new variety when that time, money, and effort could be put where it needs to be and help revive some of the dying varieties that exist in Cochins today. And again, I am not knocking anyone for doing it, kudos to anyone who can make the whole way through. This is just my opinion on the issue and I soley speak for myself. Just wish we had more people working on Birchen, Red, Black-Tailed Red, SL, GL, etc instead of having so many "projects" to be working on.

And something else that really gets to me(a pet peeve I guess you would call it) is when people have imported birds of a breed and sale them for extreme prices because they were imported. I understand that every country has a different standard for what each breed then we may have, and some may be almost exact to one another, but when you buy a bird that was bred for another countries standard then how in return is that breeding birds to our standard?

Sorry to rant and rave, just my $.02.


~Casey

I think BOTH the maintainance and improvement of the recognized varietes and developement of new varieties are important to the breed.

I am certainly a novice. I have a Mille Fleur project and a Self-Blue project and I am learning so much thru these birds. I would like someday to have reds to work on. I have only seen them once and it sure would be a shame to let that beautiful color go by the wayside.

 

[mjgigax]

Let me make it clear, I do show blacks, blues, mottles & whites because we all know that is the only thing that will ever consistently place at a show. Although for showing purposes I am currently devoting myself just to blacks and whites. I do also enjoy taking on a project on occasion, but only if you are going to end up with typey birds when you are done. Keeping black and white cochins around helps you to fine tune where you want to go with any variety you are currently working on.

 

[ChickcrazyCharlie]

Twyla, here are some pictures of my mottled chicks.

 

[ki4got]

ok i've got a question... I've got a red hen, with ok type, but she's got split wings... how heritable is that? should i just delegate her to the egg pen and concentrate on what i already have?

i was contemplating breeding her to my calico, since i don't have any mf/calico hens right now, and the "mottled" chick is solid black. LOL no idea on parentage, i got it in an egg swap, but dang she's tiny and cute! a week older and half the size of some hatchery cochins i picked up today... (destined for the sale if they don't shape up nicely, but they were priced right).

picked up a frizzle too, but i'm hesitant about that, since i free range everyone... we'll see if she can learn to stay dry.

 

[lilcrow]

Unless there is some particular quality in your red hen that you just HAVE to have, it would not be a good idea to breed her. You will get some chicks with wings that are OK, but you'll end up with probably the majority that have split wing, plus the ones that don't show it, could be carrying the gene.
It is VERY heritable.

ok i've got a question... I've got a red hen, with ok type, but she's got split wings... how heritable is that? should i just delegate her to the egg pen and concentrate on what i already have?

i was contemplating breeding her to my calico, since i don't have any mf/calico hens right now, and the "mottled" chick is solid black. LOL no idea on parentage, i got it in an egg swap, but dang she's tiny and cute! a week older and half the size of some hatchery cochins i picked up today... (destined for the sale if they don't shape up nicely, but they were priced right).

picked up a frizzle too, but i'm hesitant about that, since i free range everyone... we'll see if she can learn to stay dry.