Cochin Thread!!!

they are brown and large. i think she only got the coloration and the ear puffs from her Americana dad.
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Coopa,
Are all Golden Laced Cochins rare, or is it just the bantams?

I think both the LF and bantams are considered rare, although you can always find LF GL eggs on eBay. (I don't know the seller, and can't speak to the quality.) My first venture into GL bantams was from eggs I found on eBay, but type was poor and I re-homed the one lone chick that hatched. So I searched and searched, and waited and waited, and finally found a pair from a breeder who is currently earning Master Breeder points with her GL's. IT WAS SO WORTH THE WAIT!

The main issue is not that they are rare - you can order them from a hatchery. The issues are 1) getting good type, and 2) getting good color/pattern, and most important 3) getting both #1 and #2 on the same bird!!

If you saw the pics I posted a week or so of the pullets I hatched this spring (all from the same sire and dam), you can see the problem - there is no uniformity in the pattern. I don't know for sure yet how they will look when they mature, but I think the majority will be culls - only pet quality. I would say they all have above-average Cochin conformation at 3 months, but most will not make the cut due to their poor lacing. Maybe they'll surprise me in another couple of months!

When I started searching in earnest for good GL's, I was told (more than once) that there was no such thing as a "good" GL. And therein, I believe, lies the problem.

Thanks! I've decided I have to have one. Now the adventure has just begun.
 
Quote:
I think both the LF and bantams are considered rare, although you can always find LF GL eggs on eBay. (I don't know the seller, and can't speak to the quality.) My first venture into GL bantams was from eggs I found on eBay, but type was poor and I re-homed the one lone chick that hatched. So I searched and searched, and waited and waited, and finally found a pair from a breeder who is currently earning Master Breeder points with her GL's. IT WAS SO WORTH THE WAIT!

The main issue is not that they are rare - you can order them from a hatchery. The issues are 1) getting good type, and 2) getting good color/pattern, and most important 3) getting both #1 and #2 on the same bird!!

If you saw the pics I posted a week or so of the pullets I hatched this spring (all from the same sire and dam), you can see the problem - there is no uniformity in the pattern. I don't know for sure yet how they will look when they mature, but I think the majority will be culls - only pet quality. I would say they all have above-average Cochin conformation at 3 months, but most will not make the cut due to their poor lacing. Maybe they'll surprise me in another couple of months!

When I started searching in earnest for good GL's, I was told (more than once) that there was no such thing as a "good" GL. And therein, I believe, lies the problem.

Thanks! I've decided I have to have one. Now the adventure has just begun.

Don't you know: You can't have just "one"!
wink.png
 
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Depends on the variety and whether they are large or bantam. some of the varieties mature quicker than others. Generally speaking, for an established line of Cochins, once you've culled for the obvious, you may have to wait until they are 10-12 months old to make your final decision as far as type. For some of the not as common varieties you can cull for type earlier because they don't have the consistency of an established line.
 
Quote:
Thanks! I've decided I have to have one. Now the adventure has just begun.

Don't you know: You can't have just "one"!
wink.png


I agree that it's not so much that they are rare (although they certainly don't exist in the numbers you'll find in Black, White, Buff), as it is that better quality birds are rare.

Some times you have to resort to hatchery stock and do some calculated crosses. Time and patience.
 
Quote:
I think both the LF and bantams are considered rare, although you can always find LF GL eggs on eBay. (I don't know the seller, and can't speak to the quality.) My first venture into GL bantams was from eggs I found on eBay, but type was poor and I re-homed the one lone chick that hatched. So I searched and searched, and waited and waited, and finally found a pair from a breeder who is currently earning Master Breeder points with her GL's. IT WAS SO WORTH THE WAIT!

The main issue is not that they are rare - you can order them from a hatchery. The issues are 1) getting good type, and 2) getting good color/pattern, and most important 3) getting both #1 and #2 on the same bird!!

If you saw the pics I posted a week or so of the pullets I hatched this spring (all from the same sire and dam), you can see the problem - there is no uniformity in the pattern. I don't know for sure yet how they will look when they mature, but I think the majority will be culls - only pet quality. I would say they all have above-average Cochin conformation at 3 months, but most will not make the cut due to their poor lacing. Maybe they'll surprise me in another couple of months!

When I started searching in earnest for good GL's, I was told (more than once) that there was no such thing as a "good" GL. And therein, I believe, lies the problem.

Thanks! I've decided I have to have one. Now the adventure has just begun.

I have a a poor quality pair for sale if you want them
wink.png
Rooster isn't bad, hen has very poor coloring and type both......her lacing is not clear.....big FAT hen though. It would be a start if you're interested.
 
Quote:
Don't you know: You can't have just "one"!
wink.png


I agree that it's not so much that they are rare (although they certainly don't exist in the numbers you'll find in Black, White, Buff), as it is that better quality birds are rare.

Some times you have to resort to hatchery stock and do some calculated crosses. Time and patience.

I've checked my catalogs but haven't found any in the standard size. Bantam only.
 

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