Cochin Thread!!!

[lilcrow]

Quote:
When you say "couldn't/shouldn't" do you have any ideas? Does something come to mind? I know that I wish there was a way of everyone getting together more often and sitting down to kibitz. I learned SO much last fall at Sedalia and Crossroads, I wish I had enough money to do that all the time. The overnight expenses just kill me and I've tried to brainstorm about a way to make it cheaper to travel i.e., camper or some such thing. If you've got any thoughts I'd LOVE to here them.
Wish you were going to make it to Columbus and SO much wish that Gail could make it too. I'd offer my place for folks to crash at if I thought that it would help.

 

[lilcrow]

Quote:
This brings up the subject of the other Cochin thread. Gail was going to host some topics beginning with the Cochin head and the issue of crow-headedness was a big part of that. I was going to try to take some pictures of a crow headed hen that I have and do exactly as you asked since I also have some girls with gorgeous heads, but I got hung up on the lack of my camera which was on loan at the time (I now have it back).

 

[Cochin378]

Anyone out there that knows how to artificially inseminate bantam Cochin's? I have this gorgeous bantam white Cochin rooster, unfortunately, he can't get the job done because he is just too feathered and he destroys the hens. I contacted the MSU poultry extension to see if anyone could show me how to do this and I never got a reply. I would love for someone to explain the process to me in a logical manner so that I am not so afraid of attempting this by myself or better yet show me.

 

[lilcrow]

Quote:
There is a very good video on YouTube, just do a search for poultry AI.

 

[Scifisarah]

Anyone out there that knows how to artificially inseminate bantam Cochin's? I have this gorgeous bantam white Cochin rooster, unfortunately, he can't get the job done because he is just too feathered and he destroys the hens. I contacted the MSU poultry extension to see if anyone could show me how to do this and I never got a reply. I would love for someone to explain the process to me in a logical manner so that I am not so afraid of attempting this by myself or better yet show me.

Did you purchase my Hovabator a few months ago? I decided I would like to start working with mottled cochins instead of whites but wondered how you were doing with your handsome fella I saw at the Youth Fair - if you are who I am thinking of.

 

[Cochin378]

Yes, I am the person that purchased the hovabator.

 

[ki4got]

Anyone out there that knows how to artificially inseminate bantam Cochin's? I have this gorgeous bantam white Cochin rooster, unfortunately, he can't get the job done because he is just too feathered and he destroys the hens. I contacted the MSU poultry extension to see if anyone could show me how to do this and I never got a reply. I would love for someone to explain the process to me in a logical manner so that I am not so afraid of attempting this by myself or better yet show me.

actually there are a few good vids on youtube showing peoples' techniques. have you tried just trimming the fluff? i use scissors and trim it down a bit below the rooster's vent and above the girls. well, i also trim a bit below for the girls too, because i don't like dirty butts.

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

This is an article I posted on AI that was written by a now retired from Cochins Cochin Breeder. The sthingy he refers to is a small spoon I think. I use a small plastic solo spoon that I got as product samples at the grocery store. Something small and washable. Follow the # 1 rule or it does not work. I have found some birds never AI and others become so easy that you have to really be ready. It is not hard with practice. If you have questions please ask. or PM me.
Craig


Artificial Insemination for Poultry

by Karl F. Rau



Breeding Cochin Bantams can be accomplished through normal mating procedures ( Natural pen mating) or through a process of Artificial Insemination. The vast majority of cochin breeders today use A. I. Once learned its easy ...fast...and in most cases gives one 90+% fertility. I have been asked by many and often ...."how do you do it?" .... I have even been asked to demonstrate while standing in the show aisles! I will attempt to verbally demonstrate how I use A.I., there are other variations but this has worked for me for over 20 years. If you have further questions please email me.

Before I begin, I feel its necessary to explain some things that will "prohibit" successful A. I. .... if you don't heed these warnings you will probably not succeed.

1. Males must not be running with other birds at the time of A.I. Simply stated, they might have used up all their semen.... even if they are in an all male pen! We individually pen all our birds, both males and females... however, its only necessary to keep the males separate. The size of the pen they are in isn't important... whether its 2' x 2' or 10' x 10'...

2. When catching the male for A. I. it is important that he is not "chased" around the pen or cage.... if he becomes frightened, he probably will not produce semen for you.... it only makes sense...right???

3. After catching the male, the process explained below must be performed within a minute or so ( the quicker the better) ... if one waits too long you will probably fail to get semen.

4. If you fail to get any semen from the male... don't keep trying...put him back and try again later in the day or the next day.

5. Even if you do all the right things... success sometimes comes only after 3 - 4 attempts (on different days). I have owned males that never did give any semen, but this is rare. Only 1 in 50 will not produce for you.

6. If you follow the procedure below and his "male parts" do not protrude with your first attempt...quit and try again later.

7. When I started breeding cochins long ago... the first time I tried I failed miserably.... should I tell you I almost cried! But before long .... I began to see success...keep at it and you will to.

The Procedure

I developed this technique so that I did not have to rely on a helper. Also I am right handed.

I catch the male and sit in my chair. I place his legs between my knees ... this might seem difficult at first, but once mastered it becomes easy. The male's head is facing to my left..tail to the right. with my left hand I place my palm on his back and with one fairly quick motion rub ( squeeze) his back in a motion towards his tail area... this is to stimulate him. When you do this ... he will (hopefully) invert (push out ) his "male parts". They are pink in color and perhaps 3/8 - 1/2" in length. Very quickly with your right thumb and first finger... squeeze /milk his male parts ... it is not necessary to squeeze hard...start close to his body and squeeze towards the right ... if you are successful and "he likes you"...haha... then you will see 2-4 drops of white semen .... previously (before starting) I had attached a white plastic sthingy ( disposable ones purchased at any store) to a table's edge using a spring clamp purchased at a hardware store. Your chair should have been positioned so that when the drops of semen become visible...you are holding the male close enough to the sthingy so that they drip into the sthingy. Once the semen is in the sthingy...return the male to his pen.

Get the female.... sit in your chair... hold the female upside down between your legs ( her head down/ tail up... your knees on either side of her wings). While holding her with your knees, get the sthingy with the semen and drip the semen into her vent... you will notice that when she feels contact with the semen... her muscles will appear to pull the semen into her body. I usually hold her upside down for 20-30 seconds, then put her back into her pen... that's it...you are done!

I have been told to use tuberculin syringes and other means for collecting the semen... I have found the sthingys to be cheap and easy to get and best of all they work!

There are varied schools of thought as to how often should one inseminate... the books say semen is good for 10 days inside the female.. I, however, dispute that. I breed each female every other day and find that if I go to every 3rd day the fertility lessens.

So that's it!!!!! Happy breeding!!!!!!!!

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Read more: http://showbirdbid.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=cif&action=display&thread=2476#ixzz28bdokOdC​

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

When you say "couldn't/shouldn't" do you have any ideas? Does something come to mind? I know that I wish there was a way of everyone getting together more often and sitting down to kibitz. I learned SO much last fall at Sedalia and Crossroads, I wish I had enough money to do that all the time. The overnight expenses just kill me and I've tried to brainstorm about a way to make it cheaper to travel i.e., camper or some such thing. If you've got any thoughts I'd LOVE to here them.
Wish you were going to make it to Columbus and SO much wish that Gail could make it too. I'd offer my place for folks to crash at if I thought that it would help.

No. I do not have anything in particular in mind but have some hairbrained ideas come up from time to time. Like why do we all do everything as an individual. As an example: We always search the Cochin Community for a particular variety to do an outcross and always have to settle for something of poorer quality than we want. Why wouldn't I just loan a QUALITY breeder bird of mine to you or you to me and after you or I get fertile eggs we get it back for use in my program. Lets say you want to do a cross to improve/bring new blood into birchens. You need a Columbian male on a Black hen to get a birchen like the hen I show. You know the outcome of that cross already. Some will be Brown Reds some Birchens. You already have a good Black hen. but no Columbian male. Why wouldn't we try to work something out that would help? Or if Gail needed a Partridge , Columbian, or Buff Columbian male to bring in more or different type.


Oh Nancy you can stay at my house anytime but then we would also have to make a road trip to see Annamay if your back can take it.. I am sure my wife would love to meet you. The breeding ideas that I got at Sedalia when Annamay and I sat down and just threw out what ifs was fun ,educational, and occasionally hilarious. I have only met Gail once and our time together at the show was much too short. The Sedalia show did show me how a show can be run. A double show in ! day and on the road before 4 in the afternoon.

 

[tiki244]

Last night I think a rat got one of my cochin babies. I have had no luck trapping those things. I feel so bad. Yesterday I was making a stupid joke about it and then last night I went out and found an older chick with its head tore off. How sad. Poor thing.