Cochin Thread!!!

[pennyjjog]

the best place i've found wire at is www.wireclothman.com the prices are reasonable. 16 gauge 1x1, 48" wide 50' roll is $85.00 with shipping to your town, about $118 or so.
you might also check lowes, home depot and TSC... i know they've carried the coated wire before. also in a 1" hex that might work for you.

I saw the coated 1" sq and the coated hex yesterday at our TSC..didn't pay attention to the price tho..

 

[JosieChick]

Ki4got/wildwood- sent you a PM!!!

 

[Reyvaughn]

Here are pics of my white legged BC pullets. They are 4 months old.
I decided to keep them and see what I get after breeding them with Byron.
Hopefully I see lots of yellow legs and very few white legs!




Now, their coloring... Are their primaries supposed to be solid black? Or only half like you can see on my girl's?

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Here are pics of my white legged BC pullets. They are 4 months old.
I decided to keep them and see what I get after breeding them with Byron.
Hopefully I see lots of yellow legs and very few white legs!




Now, their coloring... Are their primaries supposed to be solid black? Or only half like you can see on my girl's?

Ideally I want the leading edge of the primary to be buff with the rest Black. At least that is my goal because I don't yet have any like that. The secondaries should be a line of black over more than half of the secondary and the remaining buff. maybe 60 Black/40 Buff with a crisp defining line past the shaft. Shaft to be black on both primary and secondary

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Right now mine are on dirt while the other pen gets a bit more established with the spring grass. They have been in this pen all winter and the foot feathers are as you see them. I took this photo 3 days ago. Granted, this is not a show bird but his foot feathering and that of his ladies are usually in decent shape.

 

[cochinman2005]

I think willow legs in the females may have to do with the pattern gene. It also occurs in Golden Laced.

Any one else experience willow legs in the females and not in the males?

Usually always females, unless willow legs is a breed characterisic. With yellow legged varieties, a yellow legged male can be a carrier of willow and not show it. You can use a willow legged female in your breeding program, however, I would hesitate to use the willow legged females from an original mating of yellow legged male x willow legged female. Rather, use the yellow legged offspring from this mating, and breed away from the willow legs. Craig, I had willow legs with the Partridge when I had them and you can breed away from it. A couple years ago any partridge chicks that hatched with willow legs were culled and didn't make it to the brooder. Unfortunately, what I also noted is that quite often the better patterned birds had willow legs.

I am getting plenty of willow legs this year with my large Golden Laced (females).

In the non-patterned arena, this year I crossed a Buff Leghorn Bantam male, with White Leghorn pullets (purpose is to improve type on the Buff Leghorns). I got plenty of willow legged pullets from this cross, and they have sort of a champagne colored feathers. Their legs are very green. I did get some yellow legged females too.

 

[cochinman2005]

Several posts regarding what to use for bedding with your Cochins (or any featherlegged breed) without ruining foot feathers. It always boils down to a personal preference and as Craig stated I keep my adult bantam males on 1 x 1 vinyl coated wire. The females are on pine shavings. If your birds are in a situation where they are on the grass everyday, particularly if their foot feathers are going to get wet from the dew on a daily basis, it will be a short time before they become brittle and break. The constant wet and drying from the grass breaks the feathers down and they break off. It's a personal choice you make as to whether you want them out foraging around, knowing that the foot feathers will suffer, or if you are trying to keep a bird in show condition. I rarely show a bird more than once and I know what shows I am attending usually months in advance and I plan for that. Foot feathers are just part of the total package. From an exhibition standpoint, broken footfeathering, especially significant, will be held against the bird in keen competition.

 

[Coopa Cabana]

Quote:
Hi Tom!! Thank you for the clarification on the willow legs, and also how to breed away from them. I think to this day I would have missed it in my one female GL if you hadn't pointed it out. I still have her, but she's not in the breeding cages, because she also ended up being the smuttiest.

Tom, do you have a specific culling calender that works for you, other than willow legs at hatch? i.e. what gets culled at hatch, one week, one month, etc. Just talking about general faults and confirmation, not color/pattern (unless there is something specific).

Also, what supplier do you use for your 1 x 1 vinyl-coated wire?

~Gail

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Usually always females, unless willow legs is a breed characterisic. With yellow legged varieties, a yellow legged male can be a carrier of willow and not show it. You can use a willow legged female in your breeding program, however, I would hesitate to use the willow legged females from an original mating of yellow legged male x willow legged female. Rather, use the yellow legged offspring from this mating, and breed away from the willow legs. Craig, I had willow legs with the Partridge when I had them and you can breed away from it. A couple years ago any partridge chicks that hatched with willow legs were culled and didn't make it to the brooder. Unfortunately, what I also noted is that quite often the better patterned birds had willow legs.

I am getting plenty of willow legs this year with my large Golden Laced (females).

In the non-patterned arena, this year I crossed a Buff Leghorn Bantam male, with White Leghorn pullets (purpose is to improve type on the Buff Leghorns). I got plenty of willow legged pullets from this cross, and they have sort of a champagne colored feathers. Their legs are very green. I did get some yellow legged females too.

Tom
Thanks for sharing your experience and insight. Like I said in an earlier post I was not spreading around my Partridge because of willow legs on some(too many). With only a few hens I don't like most of the choices I have to make. Good to see you keep up with the topics that pop up here.
Craig

 

[ki4got]

is there some place that i can find the SOP for color requirements of certain varieties? i saw the basics at cochins int, but it doesn't go into details on color specifics... specifically partridge and birchen, since those are new colors to me that i might be interested in, since i do have 2 nice blue partridge girls to work with and the little birchen girl is growing on me...