Cochin Thread!!!

[mjgigax]

I had a wonderful time at the Knoxville show, but wish I would have had the time to introduce myself to more of you. I ended up underestimating how much time a trip to the Smokey Mountains National Park would take, but I am still glad my husband and I made the drive down there on Saturday and did a bit of hiking, as it was so beautiful and certainly like nothing we have here in Michigan! I ended up making it back to feed and water my cockerel at 5:59 pm right when lights were going out. I also forgot my camera - seems to be a trend - so have no photos of the park, OR the lovely chickens.

It was my first show ever, and my mottled cockerel placed a 2nd, so I am pretty happy with that. He is young at only 5 1/2 months so he still has quite a bit of growing in to do yet. I am tickled pink about returning home with three of Judy Gandtt's mottled lovelies. My husband had a good laugh at me, since I couldn't stop staring at them in the back of our minivan, the whole drive home to Michigan. I knew I would be getting good birds from her, but I didn't know she would be selling me the birds that would place BV and RV! They will certainly be getting the royal treatment here... I agree that a lot of the mottling is too large on many birds I see. Not necessarily too many mottled feathers, but the feathers that are mottled should have the 1/4"-3/8" chevron tip and not a big blob.

I just found out this morning that my "Cozy Cochin Cottage" was chosen as coop of the week here on BYC, so I have one more chicken-related thing to be excited about!

I ordered myself a pair of Carhartt women's coveralls this morning for when I do my chicken chores. I was complaining about the weather in Tennessee, and then return home to 15 degree Michigan weather and lots of snow fall. Um, I guess Tennessee wasn't so bad after all....

A good week for you!
I know what you mean about staring at beautiful birds.

 

[lilcrow]

Has anyone tried crossing silver laced and black? If so, how many generations did it take to get the lacing back?

I'm thinking about crossing a silver laced cochin bantam rooster with a nicely typed black hen this spring in an attempt to improve type in my SL's.

It would be great if both of you folks that are interested in the SL would join the Cochin International club. Dues are inexpensive and it will connect you with the best of the best in the way of birds and people. I don't breed the SL myself, but I'm pretty sure that Black is not the way to go with them. It might be White, or there are other more complicated crosses that can and have been done. Darrin is a member and forum participate of CI and a wonderful source of information which he is more than willing to share.
This is the link to the club website: http://www.cochinsint.com/ and if you join the club you can participate in the facebook forum.
Hope to see both of you there.

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
IMO, if better quality Columbian can be found, that would be the way to go about it, since the Columbian isn't hiding any other mutations that could cause problems down the road (like red!)

 

[3BirdGirlz]

It would be great if both of you folks that are interested in the SL would join the Cochin International club. Dues are inexpensive and it will connect you with the best of the best in the way of birds and people. I don't breed the SL myself, but I'm pretty sure that Black is not the way to go with them. It might be White, or there are other more complicated crosses that can and have been done. Darrin is a member and forum participate of CI and a wonderful source of information which he is more than willing to share.
This is the link to the club website: http://www.cochinsint.com/ and if you join the club you can participate in the facebook forum.
Hope to see both of you there.

Thanks! I'll look into the club

 

[cochins1088]

Quote:
I joined last year and I've already renewed my membership for next year.

I'm also a part of the Cochins International Facebook group.

 

[cochins1088]

Quote:
IMO, if better quality Columbian can be found, that would be the way to go about it, since the Columbian isn't hiding any other mutations that could cause problems down the road (like red!)

Yes. A columbian would be the smarter route to go. The blacks are just so convenient being that I already have them.

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

IMO, if better quality Columbian can be found, that would be the way to go about it, since the Columbian isn't hiding any other mutations that could cause problems down the road (like red!)

Where the Columbians at the Knoxville show good enough to help SL in your opinion?

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
I really don't remember paying that much attention to them, sorry... I did like the buff Columbian that was on the end corner tho, but don't think he was in the same category as the blacks and whites. but for a silver laced it would have been an improvement over most of what I've seen. (with the exception of the ones at the show possibly, they were nice).

edited to add: using a Columbian, you are limiting the number of mutations that you are playing with when out-crossing, so you only have to have the pattern and melanizing genes back 100%, rather than working with 3 if you were to cross to something else like black or white (not to mention whatever black/white are hiding). the other option IMO would be silver penciled, but again, only if the type were better than anything else available. then again, the silver penciled is on eb (partridge) e-locus, some Columbians may be on eb, eWh or eR, so that may present problems of it's own as well (unless you're sure what you're working with).

 

[lilcrow]

Thanks! I'll look into the club

 

[3BirdGirlz]

Here is a pair my SL bantams. Not the best, but people are sure liking my roo's lacing. They are sure sweet...and even though I have lots of hens, this Roo loves my one and only SL hen the most!