Cochin Thread!!!

[ShysCreations]

These little cuddle bugs are Boots N Spurs

Rusti went from a solid color to now getting her mille fleur pattern

 

[shay20]

Quote:
ohh very nice.

 

[artsyrobin]

these are my banty cochins- izzy aka isabelle- a mix cochin/ee maybe? and snowball, who has totally stolen my heart!

 

[shay20]

Quote:
Sooo cute, look at those feet , she is going to be full, very very nice.

Thanks, I couldn't believe how much she already has, she has more fluff than my first batch i hatched out

There outside today with mom wandering the yard. Saw there first wild birds and dogs

I love seeing the ere fuzzy feet , that is the first thing to look for the first sign of SQ.
It is so cute and funny when a bird sees another animal for teh first time, they make athat cute noise and run.

 

[Coopa Cabana]

What is the preferable/optimum age to start breeding Bantam Cochins? I'm as anxious as the next person to get to my F2's - but I'd rather wait if necessary until they age and mature a bit more rather than jumping the gun and breeding just because they've layed their first egg.
I've heard some say it's OK to start at 5 - 6 months; some say 9 months; and some say wait until they are a year old. Obviously, the longer I wait, the better chance I have to fine-tune the culling of my breeders.

Maybe some of the more experienced breeders could weigh in here - it would be appreciated. What are the pros/cons of waiting/not waiting?

 

[Sweetfolly]

Coopa Cabana - I can't help you, I've been wanting to ask that question myself - but I know what you mean about being anxious!

I'm ashamed to say that I have my incubator fired back up.

Just to test fertility....

I don't know what happened, the weather turned terrible - hot, humid, stormy with tornado watches - and suddenly ALL the birds are laying tons of eggs!

 

[usschicago1]

Quote:
It depends, i think with solids you can do it when they have there adult feathers, since as you know they molt three times before they become adults. They probably will look like that or close in further molts. I think with the millie cochins it would be best to wait until there second molt to see what else there hiding. But i'm no expert

 

[luvchicks8]

I got a new cochin again today she is a HUGE blue hen, I will get her pic tomorrw after 4h fair

 

[Hens and Roos]

Here are a couple of pictures of our Partridge Cochin Bantams-"Roo" went to fair and received a top blue, Boo is his brother, right now they are hanging out together in the boys only pen which is currently divided so they can get use to the other younger boys.

Roo:

Boo:

 

[michickenwrangler]

Well, my cochin pullets are 4 1/2 months old. I know they won't be laying anytime in the immediate future, but when can I expect them to lay? The blue and black were born in late March. The partridge and splash/white wre born early April. They are from a private breeder.