Cochin Thread!!!

[Fyrekitten]

Congrats Kayla! That is super news for you and I'm sure you're very happy - wishing you well.

100-150 Columbians - wow that is really cool. Is there a link where I can find out more about them?

Thanks!

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Quote:
I know of no specific links about Columbian Cochins. I do plan on hatching as many Columbians as I can by June. I will be culling/sorting as needed. I culled/sorted my Columbians 4 times last year to get to the final 4 that I kept. Email me with any specific questions and I will try to answer.

 

[cochinman2005]

I couldn't find the original post but wanted to add a couple things about hatch time and how it relates to incubator temp and humidity.

Just to be clear, there are exceptions to every rule. Some people run their incubators with no water (humidity) whatsoever and have good hatch rates. The only thing I can guess on this is that they are running them in an area (basement?) that has a fairly good relative humidity already and that air is being circulated in their incubators.

The main contributor to hatch timing is temperature. Over the years we've pretty much nailed down 21 days as the average time it takes a chicken egg to hatch. However, there can be variances. Man made variances come with artificial incubation. The preferred temp for a circulated air incubator is in the neighborhood of 99.5 degrees. It's very interesting how much influence a variance of a degree one way or the other can have. Variances more than that can have detrimental effects on your hatch rates. It stands to reason that a lower temp would slow down your hatch and delay it by a day or so, and conversely, higher temps would speed up your hatch by a day or so. I use two GQF Sportmans Incubators and one GQF Sportsman hatcher. They work great for me and I am very happy with my hatch rates. These days it's possible to get your incubators with electronic thermostats. My hatcher has one that is controlled by changing dip-switch settings, and you can get to about 1/8 of a degree variance depending upon the switch settings. I have my set at right around 99 degrees. I've read that during incubation the hatching chicks actually create more heat and it's recommended that you use a bit lower temperature setting in your hatcher. If you don't have a hatcher it's really not that big a deal. My incubators are both 1202's which are a little bit older models. this spring I upgraded the 2nd one (which I got from my Dad) and added an electronic thermostat (multi-turn control). Now both are outfitted with electronic thermostats. I use the thermometers that come with them, but I also verify their temps with a digital thermometer that has a probe I can just shut in the door and it hangs there. Both run at 99.5 to 99.8 degrees. I try to keep my incubators at around 50-55% RH. I use a wich pad in my hatcher which increases the surface area of evaporating water, which raises the humidity. The pan can accomodate two wick pads but I've found that one works the best (for me). I incubate in my basement and as the outside RH increases as it warms up for spring, so does the RH of my basement, so keep that in mind when adjusting vents on your incubators.

During the process of incubation the egg loses a percentage of its moisture and the air cell size increases as hatch time nears. There are charts available (just google the topic) that show how your air cell size should look through the incubation period. This is also a reliable method to guage whether your humidity is correct. There are all kinds of little tweaks that can be done in regards to humidity and you have to determine what works best for you.

As for temps. A day early or a day late assuming your temp is low or high shouldn't have much of an impact on your hatch rate. however, longer or shorter periods can effect your chicks. Chicks that labor through hatching and take longer, either due to low temps or maybe low humidity, have a higher probability of having leg/toe/foot issues. Many times crooked toes are directly related to hatching and not genetic. Look at the chicks when they are first born. Even on a new born chick at 21 days, their toes are initially curved in toward the body, sort of tucked in like a little ball so they won't obstruct the chick as it rotates inside the egg to chisel its way out of the shell. The longer that chick has to stay inside that oval compartment, the greater the tendency for those toes to want to stay in that position. Shorter hatch times could also lead to some deformities. You don't want them to develop too fast and too high temps will just kill the embryo outright, essentially cooking it.

I have noted some other things that impact hatch timing.
Hybrid vigor - take two unrelated lines or breeds. Cross them. I am betting those eggs will be the first to hatch every time.
Slow developing breeds = Late Hatching chicks: This may just be me, but my large Whites are very slow to feather, and develop into adults. That's fine with me because the end result is worth the wait, but the eggs tend to hatch last of all the breeds/varieties I raise, sometimes as many as two days late, with no toe defects.
The breed: My wyandotte and rock bantams are always first, usually at 20.5 days, the Cochins at 21 to 21.5 days, Minorcas and Leghorns 20 to 21 days.


Just some things I've noted...

BTW...my chick total for the year is at approximately 700 and counting...

 

[dak]

I have noticed a strong tendency for some breeds/varieties to hatch at different time in relation to each other. My Lav/Self-Blue Ameraucanas hatch before my Black/Blue Ameraucanas. Then the Golden laced Cochins hatch, then the Black Cochins. I have to wonder if eggs size is involved at all since this is how they run from smallest to largest.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I bought a pair of Lavender Cochins from fattie. They arrived yesterday morning. I didn't want to stress them out more by taking their picture, plus they're kind of nasty from the shipment.

I need to give them a bath!

 

[ROCKIN R FARM]

i have heard other people giving their chickens baths. I have a new silkie rooster that I just got he is not real dirty but I think he can be cleaner how do you give a chicken/ silkie rooster a bath.
deana

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Quote:
I've given quiet a few Silkies baths in my time.

I got a medium sized deep bowl and fill it 3/4 full of warm water. Then I placed the chicken in the bowl and got the chicken all wet then I put the shampoo or what ever else you had it and scrub it it. Then just wash it all out and blow dry it..if you have a blow dryer! I don't have one that works so I just held it in a towl for about an hour so it could dry.

 

[lilcrow]

Mrs. Fluffy Puffy :

Quote:
I've given quiet a few Silkies baths in my time.

I got a medium sized deep bowl and fill it 3/4 full of warm water. Then I placed the chicken in the bowl and got the chicken all wet then I put the shampoo or what ever else you had it and scrub it it. Then just wash it all out and blow dry it..if you have a blow dryer! I don't have one that works so I just held it in a towl for about an hour so it could dry.

It's my understanding that you blow dry a Silkie in a different way than regular feathered chickens. A Cochin would be blown dry by aiming the air in the direction that the feathers grow, a Silkie..... I think you blow dry against the direction or at least pointing straight down on the bird. Tom R says to use a tiny bit of fabric softener in the rinse water and I'm just dieing to try it. I bought 4 pullets from John Burgess and I feel almost certain that's what he did to them. Their feathers were the most beautiful, and the softest feeling feathers I'd ever seen. They were/are gorgeous! As soon as the weather warms up, I'm going to bathe a BUNCH of mine just because I want to after this horrible winter.
Nancy​

 

[joanie_maine]

I'm so psyched!

I've been collecting eggs from my hens and putting them in the incubator, even though it has been so cold at night that the likelhood of the eggs being viable has been low....

And two chicks hatched today!

And they are MINE....from my birds.

Sometimes it seems each year, that the hatches will never come, with snow and cold and all the effort it takes to keep birds through the hard winters here.

And then...

 

[Hegatha]

My two 4 1/2 week olds. Thinking one roo and one pullet.
Pooh bear think hes a roo. White Cochin

Filora think shes a pullet. Gold Laced Cochin?