Cochin Thread!!!

[magsrags]

What she said.
Now keep on trucking .........

Quote:

 

[Hens and Roos]

we just collected eggs and my DD picked up a very small egg out of the pullet pen-we think it might be one of the Partridge Bantams that laid it since they are now about 6 months old

 

[mossfamilyfarm]

So... I am new to the whole chicken world

I just got my first chickens this Spring and I am hooked. I am REALLY hooked on the Bantam Cochins!! I know I need to do a lot of learning and reading and some trial and error, but... I am thinking about starting a search for some nice breeding stock and working on a couple of varieties. I currently have a black hen and a partridge hen. I am thinking that I would like to dabble in these varieties since that's what I have. I know that my girls that I currently have are not top quality... and I have read that partridge can be difficult

so... here's my question: (and PLEASE don't hold back... the constructive criticism will help me learn

) What do you all think of my partridge hen? What are her stregnths (if any, haha) and her faults. What should I be looking for and what are the faults that are dominant and hard to breed out??

Thanks ahead of time for your help!!

These first 4 are current pictures:

This is one from about a month or two ago: (not the best pic...)

And last... the day I brought her home:

SORRY - - I was having problems getting the right pictures up... I think I had to re-try it FOUR times!!!

 

[joanie_maine]

Quote:
Ah-ha! Another brave soul for the land of Partridges!

I'm interested in others opinions of her color - it looks better than my birds.

Your post brings up questions that I have......how to get good color and correct form at the same time. Can one work with what you have by obtaining a better bird to breed in, or does it make more sense to invest in a really great pair?

And if really great pairs are so hard to find, what's an enthusiatic Partridge newbie to do??

 

[Sweetfolly]

It's our County Fair this week - didn't let the kids enter any birds because I don't like the set-up they have in their poultry barn, it's the end of August and it's always FAR too hot and the birds look miserable - BUT, I saw this little Cochin family in the sale barn that I wanted to share a picture of (not sure if they're for sale - there was no sign on the cage, and some of the open class exotic and baby animal exhibits are in that barn too):

Anyways, I didn't manage to get all the chicks in the picture, but she had 3 or 4 Blue chicks, 3 Splash chicks, and a Black chick. Left a note with my name and phone number just in case they are for sale, because the kids want the Splash chicks.

 

[Coopa Cabana]

Quote:
Ah-ha! Another brave soul for the land of Partridges!

I'm interested in others opinions of her color - it looks better than my birds.

Your post brings up questions that I have......how to get good color and correct form at the same time. Can one work with what you have by obtaining a better bird to breed in, or does it make more sense to invest in a really great pair?

And if really great pairs are so hard to find, what's an enthusiatic Partridge newbie to do??

I wish I knew more about the Partridge variety so I could offer more help, but I'm not familiar with the color. But since getting my Golden Laced Bantams, I've been reading a lot more about "Double Mating". It advocates, in color varieties where the colors and patterns are different for the males and females, such as Partridge and Laced varieties, that you set up separate breeding pens - one to focus on breeding for quality males, and one to focus on breeding for quality females. The theory is that this is the best way to acheive the desired exhibition qualities in each sex. Breeding your best male to your best female will not guarantee that the offspring of both sexes will be correct.
Perhaps Tom can chime in here - I'm wondering if he, or anyone else here on the thread, practices Double Mating.

If you go to Tom's website and under "Photos", click on the Partridge Bantams tab, you can see some great examples of his Partridge.

It took me a long time to find good Golden Laced Bantams - I was actually told that there was no such thing as a "good" GL. The one thing I knew was that I didn't want to start with hatchery stock - I wanted to start with the best I could find. So I went to CochinsRule(International), and used the 2010 Master Breeder list. It shows the breeders that are currently earning MS points in all the different color varieties. I started at the top of the breeder list for my GL's, and got my pair from Bernita. There are several Partridge Bantam breeders on the list (including Tom!). I think you should just contact as many as possible, until you find someone who has stock available now or later this fall.
And hurry - before everyone else on this thread contacts them, too!!

 

[Coopa Cabana]

Quote:
Annarie, I feel really stupid here

, and I must apologize. Isn't that your pic in your avatar? I just always thought that you were a very intelligent, very knowledgeable and very mature teen. And now you're saying that you took your kids to the County Fair? If that's your pic, it's hard to believe that you're old enough to drive!!

Anyway, hope you're able to get both the hen and the splash chicks!!

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
Annarie, I feel really stupid here

, and I must apologize. Isn't that your pic in your avatar? I just always thought that you were a very intelligent, very knowledgeable and very mature teen. And now you're saying that you took your kids to the County Fair? If that's your pic, it's hard to believe that you're old enough to drive!!

Anyway, hope you're able to get both the hen and the splash chicks!!

LOL, not my kids - I'm the eldest of 4, so they're my younger sisters. There's a 13-year age difference between me and the youngest. Mom's a single parent and, being the eldest, I'm sort of in a weird co-parenting role. She gets free child-care, I get 6 acres to do whatever I want with - like put my 73 birds (at least, that's how many there were last time I counted! 25 of them are Bantam Cochins).

So, yes - that's me in my avatar! I'm a sophomore in college.

 

[Coopa Cabana]

Quote:
Annarie, I feel really stupid here

, and I must apologize. Isn't that your pic in your avatar? I just always thought that you were a very intelligent, very knowledgeable and very mature teen. And now you're saying that you took your kids to the County Fair? If that's your pic, it's hard to believe that you're old enough to drive!!

Anyway, hope you're able to get both the hen and the splash chicks!!

LOL, not my kids - I'm the eldest of 4, so they're my younger sisters. Mom's a single parent and, being the eldest, I'm sort of in a weird co-parenting role. She gets free child-care, I get 6 acres to do whatever I want with.

No, I'm a sophomore in college.

Thanx for setting me straight! They are obviously lucky to have you there to help - it sounds like a good trade-off.

 

[joanie_maine]

I thought I'd post another pic of one of my other bantam cochin partridge pullets.

I can really see now what Tom was talking about - the light colored quills.

Be my guest to do some critiquing on her. Now that I'm over the surprise of needing to start over, I'm hungry for some criticism and some advice!!! She's about 5 months old.