Cochin Thread!!!

[Reyvaughn]

I have 2 new bantam Cochins hatched! I can't tell if they are black/blue solid/mottled yet. Look solid, but not fluffed yet. They need to get a move on before Sandy hits and knocks the power out! I have 20 more to hatch (2 others are pipped/zipping).

 

[davony's chicks]

Ok, so I went to the show in Sedalia today. My first show but I wasn't showing. I went to check out the cochins of course. I met Craig finally! Very nice to meet you Craig! And I met Anna May very nice to meet her too.

I met quite a few cochin breeders and ended up buying a few very nice birds. I got really nice black bantam Roo from Anna May, another very nice black roo from Brent Warner and several Mottleds.

It's a good thing I just moved my old coop from my old house last week. It had been sitting up there empty for a year! Now it is home to all of these new guys. I had to work fast to get the run built but finally got everyone setup just before dark. Tomorrow I will start treating with anitbiotics just to make sure nobody has anything. I probably won't introduce them to my flock until spring anyway.

You know, I met some really nice people today but I also have found that the people at the shows can kind of be back stabby a little. I met several people that talked trash about others and their birds but in front of that person they bragged about their birds and then go back to trash talking them when they left! I have seen this on BYC in some forums and it just kind of hits me wrong. Oh well... I guess people will be people.
All in all I had a great time and came home with a few too many birds!

 

[Scifisarah]

You know, I met some really nice people today but I also have found that the people at the shows can kind of be back stabby a little. I met several people that talked trash about others and their birds but in front of that person they bragged about their birds and then go back to trash talking them when they left! I have seen this on BYC in some forums and it just kind of hits me wrong. Oh well... I guess people will be people.
All in all I had a great time and came home with a few too many birds!

Sounds like I will be one of the few not trash talking other people's chickens once I start showing, just like I'm the only one not trash talking my husband the very few times I hang out with gal friends. Drives me crazy - probably why I am talking with you all on here instead! Wish more people would stick to the don't say anything if you don't have something nice to say rule...

So 4/6 eggs hatched today! It looks like I have 3 black mottled and 1 blue mottled. I have never had a blue that looks this light before, so I am excited to see what he/she turns out like. Seems like its comb is a little large already so I wonder if it is a boy? It is also a major fluffball and keeps going back to sit in the egg carton like it is a little comfy nest. Was the first out of the egg and seems impatient to get out. I have one more pipped, and one that I am thinking is a dud. I will probably wait until the pipped egg hatches out and fluffs, and then scoop out everybody if the sixth egg is still not pipped by then.

 

[Mr. Ree]

Casey- re eye worm what is the treatment if you do come across it? Thanks

I take some VetRX and do as directed in the little brochure that comes with it. Has a remedy for several things. I cant remember exactly what how it explains, but I use some on the end of a q-tip, and press against the roof of the birds mouth (you have to be easy not to hurt it) and press on the outside of the eye, the worm will pop out of the eye socket and I flush it with more VetRX and clean it nicely with a cloth rag or towel. Usually heals up nicely within a few days, if it takes any longer I would suggest antibiotics. Also, you want to quarantine the bird as it can be spread through drinking water (I think), better to be safe than sorry by any means.

Craig, building looks very nice. It is coming along great.

~Casey

 

[Mr. Ree]

I have mentioned a few times about hatching a runt bird this year. It turned out to be a pullet, and a very pretty one at that. Her only fault is she is less than half the size of all the birds hatched the same time she was. She is the only one I ended up with. My sister just loves her, calls her "Me" (her name is Felicia, she is 26 with 3 kids and is 4'11" and weights 100 lbs, soaking wet) because she says she is small like her. Lol. I have no intentions on breeding her or using her for anything, she will just be a pet, was just curious if anyone else ended up with any? I also know this is something I should have culled for, but she is healthy and I didnt notice it until they were 3-4 months old, and was curious as to see what she would turn out to be. I took a couple pics, not the best ones, but it helps give you an idea on her size, and how small she really is.


Here she is next to a frizzle pullet that was hatched in July. She is right at 3 months old, and is already bigger than this pullet.


And here she is with a pullet hatched the same time she was. She is not sickly, or weird acting, she actually fends for herself and usually wins little scuffles they have. And despite her small size, she is one of the fattest birds I have. (The birds wings to the right are not that tight to her body, I was holding her wings because she was trying to get away and get a treat. Also why she has turtle neck going on.)


Also, had talked about getting the 2 frizzle pullets I lost a while back replaced with some birds hatched from eggs I had given to a guy here locally. I got to go to his place and pick out the 2 pullets I wanted, and I brought him 2 pair in return. I was supposed to bring him a trio for 2 pullets, and brought an extra cockerel to him because I had too many still. I ended up leaving with a trio, not just 2 pullets (Go figure, huh?). And I managed to get a few pics the day before I cleaned the coop (been about 3 weeks ago now), and wanted to show them off. All 3 are, sometimes annoying, with how they follow you around all the time, lol. I am always ending up with one or more of the 3 on my shoes, or in my lap. They are older now, and have matured a lot in just 3 weeks. The cockerel I am really happy about, he looks to have good type overall, and a decent Cochin head. Only have one pullet pictured, have to get some of the other one, I know.

(Angle isnt right, but you get the idea.)







(Sorry for so many pics, lol.)
~Casey

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Just got back from Sedalia. Bantam Cochins did not go beyond BB in either show. A Buff Brahma




was best featherleg in both shows. The white hen was Best of Breed in both shows. The Birchen pullet was RB in the 1st show. In the second show a white hen that I did not get a picture of was RB. Not as many Cochins as I had hoped but quality was good overall except for a few birds that were just too young to be shown. I made a mistake and left my best Black male at home. I loaded late enough that I did not notice I picked up the wrong bird. I had to laugh about it because crying won't help.

Craig

 

[Scifisarah]

Looking at my chicks with more scrutiny now since I am hoping to breed them for more than pets. The blue mottled looks to have a slightly reddish beak and a bit of darker coloring dusted across the top of its feet. Will this go away as it gets older? Also, I know it is important to have feathering all the way down the middle toe, but is it better to have feathering on the inner toes as well, or does that not make a difference?

 

[AndyCap]

yes the light ones look to be self blue. if they have a white spot on top of their head, they would be barred. can't tell from the pic.

congrats on the chicklets.

Thanks ki4got!

We candled the last egg today and threw it away, there was no development. As soon as we did that the mom got up and took the new babies for a walk Re: the self blue, both have a yellow spot on their heads.

 

[Fancy Feathers]

Casey you're going to make me want to get into whites if you keep posting pictures like these

So far I've been resisting the temptation (if only I had another barn!) but you're making it pretty hard!!

Craig is that your birchen? That's another color I really love.. and that white hen - oh my!

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

Casey you're going to make me want to get into whites if you keep posting pictures like these

So far I've been resisting the temptation (if only I had another barn!) but you're making it pretty hard!!

Craig is that your birchen? That's another color I really love.. and that white hen - oh my!

No my friend Annamay bred , hatched and raised that bird.



She has been working to improve them for a while. Looks like she is really turning the corner! I also took a picture of a slightly younger male Birchen she had hatched. Here he is.

A few generations back she used a Matt McCammon Mottled to bring in good type and improve the combs. This is going to be a nice Birchen. He is a little younger than the pullet.