Cochin Thread!!!

[Black Cochin Bantams]

I have a question. I am getting very bad fertility from my Cochin pens. I heard you trip around their vent so the males can do their job. So do I clip the males and females? How much do I take off?
This is one of my young breeders.

If you want to show them you pluck instead of trimming. Trimmed/cut feathers do not grow back until their next molt. If you pluck you will have 6-8 weeks of fertile egg then the fertility drops as the feathers grow back. They do look a little rough for a while.

You pluck/trim the male around his vent and below. Probably farther than you imagine. You want it so his feathers can not bend back and up to block the vent area. Just keep checking as you go.
You pluck/trim the female around the vent and above. You keep checking as you go. Again you go higher than you think. Feathers should not come down and block the vent area.

Good Luck
Craig

 

[mycutekitties]

Thanks so much for the info!

If you want to show them you pluck instead of trimming. Trimmed/cut feathers do not grow back until their next molt. If you pluck you will have 6-8 weeks of fertile egg then the fertility drops as the feathers grow back. They do look a little rough for a while.

You pluck/trim the male around his vent and below. Probably farther than you imagine. You want it so his feathers can not bend back and up to block the vent area. Just keep checking as you go.
You pluck/trim the female around the vent and above. You keep checking as you go. Again you go higher than you think. Feathers should not come down and block the vent area.

Good Luck
Craig

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Thoughts about my poultry experiences.


The only limiting factors of how large your flock will become will be your spouse, local ordinances, coop(facilities) and finances.

I have come to the conclusion that an inexpensive incubator handled incorrectly will kill many chicks in the shell and frustrates everyone. My advice on inexpensive incubators is to make small adjustments and check again in 2 hrs and to place them in an area with as little temp variation as possible. I have 2 inexpensive incubators that hatched out well for me but required regular monitoring and adjustments. I now have 2 digitally preset Hovabator Genesis units that make them load and forget for 18 days. Then I turn off the egg turner.

Chicks make lots of dust that coats everything in the same room. I really try to keep them out of the house.

If you ever want to show and do well buy from a breeder who has had success hatching and showing his own birds. I see too many 4H kids do an excellent job caring for their birds but never have a chance because the birds are genetically inferior for show purposes. Hatching eggs that are shipped are generally not a good way to get a good hatch rate. There is heat, cold, rough handling , all combining to decrease your chance of a high percentage of eggs shipped ever hatching. Please do not blame the sender because in most cases the damage to the eggs are outside their control.

Showing exhibition birds is a fun hobby but not for everyone. Only a small percentage of birds hatched are good enough to do well in a show. Certain varieties/breeds win more often than some other breeds. Decide if you want to win or just enjoy the experience. It can become expensive but it was a great way for my daughter and me to do something together that we both enjoyed. Her skill at picking which birds I should take is still much better than mine.

Some birds seem to die for no apparent reason. Birds taken to a show and newly purchased birds should be quarantined before introducing them to the flock. When hatching extra birds know what you will do with your culls. Swap meets, butcher, give away, craigslist? No matter what take good care of them.

Do not overcrowd birds.This causes all sorts of problems. Clean pens regularly and keep plenty of water available year round. Mites are a pest that requires regular checking of your flock.

Bantam eggs are smaller but just as good to eat and cook with as Large Fowl eggs. Chickens do not need a feed with a protein level higher than 18% and many do very well on 16%. Chickens love scratch feed but I limit the amount they get to insure proper overall nutrition. I do not expect chicken wire to stop a determined predator. I find 1/2 " hardware cloth gives peace of mind. A top on the run keeps hawks and owls out.

That the least practical birds may also bring the most enjoyment.

Also that no matter how old I get the feelings I have from watching eggs hatch and then develop is quite fulfilling.

You meet the nicest people at poultry shows with an occasional @55 that you should just ignore like everyone else. Most importantly do not let that @55 spoil your day.

It is SO much more fun to beat a bad loser than one of your friends.

Predators caught in my coop do not get released to harm other peoples livestock.

Sick birds MUST be separated and quarantined from the flock until healthy or culled to protect the flock.

Listen to people who have done it. What is in a book may or may not work for you. There is a difference between what they have done and what they think. Always consider the source.

Craig

 

[wildwoodcochins]

Thoughts about my poultry experiences.


The only limiting factors of how large your flock will become will be your spouse, local ordinances, coop(facilities) and finances.

I have come to the conclusion that an inexpensive incubator handled incorrectly will kill many chicks in the shell and frustrates everyone. My advice on inexpensive incubators is to make small adjustments and check again in 2 hrs and to place them in an area with as little temp variation as possible. I have 2 inexpensive incubators that hatched out well for me but required regular monitoring and adjustments. I now have 2 digitally preset Hovabator Genesis units that make them load and forget for 18 days. Then I turn off the egg turner.

Chicks make lots of dust that coats everything in the same room. I really try to keep them out of the house.

If you ever want to show and do well buy from a breeder who has had success hatching and showing his own birds. I see too many 4H kids do an excellent job caring for their birds but never have a chance because the birds are genetically inferior for show purposes. Hatching eggs that are shipped are generally not a good way to get a good hatch rate. There is heat, cold, rough handling , all combining to decrease your chance of a high percentage of eggs shipped ever hatching. Please do not blame the sender because in most cases the damage to the eggs are outside their control.

Showing exhibition birds is a fun hobby but not for everyone. Only a small percentage of birds hatched are good enough to do well in a show. Certain varieties/breeds win more often than some other breeds. Decide if you want to win or just enjoy the experience. It can become expensive but it was a great way for my daughter and me to do something together that we both enjoyed. Her skill at picking which birds I should take is still much better than mine.

Some birds seem to die for no apparent reason. Birds taken to a show and newly purchased birds should be quarantined before introducing them to the flock. When hatching extra birds know what you will do with your culls. Swap meets, butcher, give away, craigslist? No matter what take good care of them.

Do not overcrowd birds.This causes all sorts of problems. Clean pens regularly and keep plenty of water available year round. Mites are a pest that requires regular checking of your flock.

Bantam eggs are smaller but just as good to eat and cook with as Large Fowl eggs. Chickens do not need a feed with a protein level higher than 18% and many do very well on 16%. Chickens love scratch feed but I limit the amount they get to insure proper overall nutrition. I do not expect chicken wire to stop a determined predator. I find 1/2 " hardware cloth gives peace of mind. A top on the run keeps hawks and owls out.

That the least practical birds may also bring the most enjoyment.

Also that no matter how old I get the feelings I have from watching eggs hatch and then develop is quite fulfilling.

You meet the nicest people at poultry shows with an occasional @55 that you should just ignore like everyone else. Most importantly do not let that @55 spoil your day.

It is SO much more fun to beat a bad loser than one of your friends.

Predators caught in my coop do not get released to harm other peoples livestock.

Sick birds MUST be separated and quarantined from the flock until healthy or culled to protect the flock.

Listen to people who have done it. What is in a book may or may not work for you. There is a difference between what they have done and what they think. Always consider the source.

Craig

It all makes sense to me!!

 

[Lovesdisney]

Please educate me.....


We bought a coop from a local breeder. Along with the coop came Cochins. We gave our 3 Millie hens and the silver laced roo to my mil. We kept the black Cochin and she is a beauty!!
My kids show for 4h and a different local breeder who specializes in cochins donated some to my kiddos. We aquired 2 blue hens and a black roo from him. He mentioned something about split breeding? They won't mix but part will be blue and part will be black... ?? Could someone elaborate for me please?

We have fallen in love with our Cochins and while we have some other nice breeds these are the best and easiest for my special needs daughter to handle. They ride around on her power wheelchair and eat from her hands. She talks an sings to them and they just jabber right back.... We even like them over our silkies.... They are more tame and gentle

Thanks for any help! .

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Please educate me.....


We bought a coop from a local breeder. Along with the coop came Cochins. We gave our 3 Millie hens and the silver laced roo to my mil. We kept the black Cochin and she is a beauty!!
My kids show for 4h and a different local breeder who specializes in cochins donated some to my kiddos. We aquired 2 blue hens and a black roo from him. He mentioned something about split breeding? They won't mix but part will be blue and part will be black... ?? Could someone elaborate for me please?

We have fallen in love with our Cochins and while we have some other nice breeds these are the best and easiest for my special needs daughter to handle. They ride around on her power wheelchair and eat from her hands. She talks an sings to them and they just jabber right back.... We even like them over our silkies.... They are more tame and gentle

Thanks for any help! .

Hope this helps. The bottom 2 lines show you what you get with Black and Blue breeding. If you have any other questions about Cochins this is the place to ask them.

Blue to Blue = 50% Blue, 25% Splash, 25% Black
Splash to Blue = 50% Blue, 50% Splash
Splash to Black = 100% Blue
Splash to Splash = 100% Splash
Blue to Black = 50% Blue, 50% Black
Black to Black = 100% Black

Craig

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

I am looking for a good bantam male SL cochin. I have tried to contact everyone on the Cochin Breeders SL guide and Danny. I am waiting to hear back. If you have any good leads PM me.

Craig

 

[TheReidHomestead]

Quote:

What Craig posted is corrected. The Andalusion Blue gene does not breed true. It is a diluter to black. Black birds do not carry this gene. The blue birds receive one dose of this gene and the result is blue. Two copies, they are splash. The Andalusion Blue gene is not to be confused with the Self-Blue gene, also frequently referred to as Lavender, which does indeed breed true. HTH!

 

[1muttsfan]

Very practical and wise advice - always nice to hear the voice of experience! Have you checked out the BYC article contest? You may consider submitting an essay - "Voice of Experience - words of wisdom from the Chicken Breeding World"?

 

[stephanie1992]

Can anyone post a pick of a show quality black cochin bantam. im goin to a show breeders property to pick out some show birds and i want to make sure i get show quality birds and not his cull birds