Cochin Thread!!!

[cochins1088]

I have 3 Cochin chicks that I recently hatched out. These are my first. For the most part it seems to me that the females feather out faster than the males in most all of the chickens that I have hatched. So I was thinking I had two pullets and a cockerel as the Cochin chicks started to feather out. However the combs on the two I thought were pullets are starting to make me doubt that theory.

What is your experience with the Cochins?

With my experience with LF cochins, the chicks that feather out slow tend to be males. Also to a certain degree, I can use the feather sexing. That may only be for my birds though because I don't hear of feather sexing cochins very often. Anyways, my slower feathering rooster chicks also tend to have the wings feathers being the the same lengh, while the faster feathering girls have primary feathers longer than their coverts. There is only one chick that got the better of me, I swear it was a rooster until she started laying eggs.

 

[davony's chicks]

I am counting down the days to the Sedaila show October 27th! I know Craig is going, is there anyone esle going?
This will be my first show I have gone to so I am very interested in seeing how things go and hopefully buying some nice birds.

 

[NanaKat]

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!!!!!!!!

Read more: [COLOR=003399] This is a huge help Craig! I was planning on AI this spring and was wondering if anyone has any real liuck with it. I have watched the YouTube videos and now I have saved this page for future reference. Gail you have beautiful birds! The difference in Calypso in one month was amazing!​

I was taught the AI process and have successfully used it with my SLW and CW flocks. I have not used it yet for the Cochins. I have plucked rather than trimmed the vent feathers. I was advised by an experienced breeder that trimmed or clipped feathers stick the hen and can cause injury to the rooster too. Instead of the sthringy, I use a tongue depressor.http://showbirdbid.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=cif[/QUOTE​

http://showbirdbid.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=cif[/QUOTE

 

[tkay6205]

Just in case you are all wondering what to get "Me" for Christmas:

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/christm...asy Gifts&pageName=Beau Coop&icid=CBF12_O5415

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Here's my recent acquisitions. No idea on parentage so any help on what their color pattern or suggestions on what color roo to use to keep the color or maybe add more buff barring would be appreciated. Thank You

The color is called 'Give it to me' its latin, basically it means, Hand them over, NOW.

 

[Coopa Cabana]

The 2013 Cochins International Calendars are here! I got a sneak preview, and Linda has done a fantastic job! They are $20 each, or if you purchase two or more, they are $18 each. Shipping is $2 per calendar, and if you order 2 calendars, the 2nd will ship for free. They will be available at the CI table at shows, or you can order by mail. These will make great Christmas gifts, so order today! If ordering by mail, make your checks out to Cochins International, and mail to Linda Tobia, 11826 Moyer Road, Webberville, MI 48892. If you have any questions about ordering, or at which shows the calendars will be available, you can contact Linda at [email protected]

And yes, I've seen all the pictures, and NO, I'm not telling!! But I can tell you that I think you will all be thrilled with the calendar and will want more than one.

ALL COCHINS ALL YEAR LONG - what more could you possibly want???

 

[Mr. Ree]

The 2013 Cochins International Calendars are here! I got a sneak preview, and Linda has done a fantastic job! They are $20 each, or if you purchase two or more, they are $18 each. Shipping is $2 per calendar, and if you order 2 calendars, the 2nd will ship for free. They will be available at the CI table at shows, or you can order by mail. These will make great Christmas gifts, so order today! If ordering by mail, make your checks out to Cochins International, and mail to Linda Tobia, 11826 Moyer Road, Webberville, MI 48892. If you have any questions about ordering, or at which shows the calendars will be available, you can contact Linda at [email protected]

And yes, I've seen all the pictures, and NO, I'm not telling!! But I can tell you that I think you will all be thrilled with the calendar and will want more than one.

ALL COCHINS ALL YEAR LONG - what more could you possibly want???

I will be getting a couple for myself. Thanks for the heads up Gail, appreciate it a lot.

~Casey

 

[DeannaOR]

I looked at the Cochin breeders directory..I didn't see one breeder listed for Oregon under LF.
Anyone?

and Thank you to those who answered me about sexing. I'm going to try and get photos tomorrow and post them, maybe get some opinions. I want to keep one and take the other two to swap. I want a girl of course.

 

[Mr. Ree]

I looked at the Cochin breeders directory..I didn't see one breeder listed for Oregon under LF.
Anyone?

and Thank you to those who answered me about sexing. I'm going to try and get photos tomorrow and post them, maybe get some opinions. I want to keep one and take the other two to swap. I want a girl of course.

Im not aware of anyone in Oregon, but Heidi Haklymae(sp) lives in WA or somewhere in the Pacific NW, and she has some LF I believe.


~Casey

 

[DeannaOR]

Im not aware of anyone in Oregon, but Heidi Haklymae(sp) lives in WA or somewhere in the Pacific NW, and she has some LF I believe.


~Casey

Thank you =)