Hey Patty, Gator, Mike and other mille cochin enthusiasts

[bantyman]

Hey Erin

I think this is great Then everyone can get an idea of what to expect from there chicks and what different down color might give them I have some that are about 6 weeks old and they all had the yellow down and as soon as I get the chance I will send pix to you Am also working on a partridge cross with my millies These are due to hatch next saturday so they will fall into the down color thing Will send you some pics of those results also Good idea you come up with It will help everyone alot

Mike

 

[Msbear]

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Josh, I totally understand!! This is going to be an ongoing thing so, whenever, is the key word

 

[Msbear]

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Great, Mike! And, like I told Josh... no rush. I don't want to seem presumptios either... like everyone has to contribute. If someone would like to remain privte or doesn't have the photos, that's cool... just trying to document what we can.

Alpine Farms suggested I transfer the info. to a blog site as there would be more room... That is looking like a better idea all the time because I would also like to put in there the crosses to improve type, etc. and document that as well.

My F2's have been pumping out the eggs. Im tossing 2 dozen in the bator next week and will swap out my mille roo with a big, fat, "Chow Yung Fat" to be exact!!

mottled roo. and putting my mille roo to the mottled hens... I'd like to get some birds out of them to cross back later. I saw how much progress Patty had after two generations and I was very much thrilled!! See, how all this info helps?!!

 

[DANNY]

Here is some pictures of the next generation of mille's crossed with quality cochins.

 

[Msbear]

Wow, Danny... looking good. I'll add you to the list

Whenever you get a chance

please pm me your story.. what birds you started with (include pics if you can) and any progression you have documented.. f1's through whatever generation you are on. include any other colors that might have come up or which crossings worked better. Thanks!

 

[crzy4peafowl]

Need some suggestions......... I have these mille fleur cochins that I hatched out from Lynne. I believe that they are F2s...I have 3 cockerels and 2 pullets. The boys are wanting to begin courting the girls. What should I cross them back to? The colors of cochin that I have available......SQ Black Mottled Cochins and Pet Quality Red hens, Mille Fleur Cochin Roo(Tate), and a Partridge Roo. The Roo that I purchased from Tate on eggbid back in March. Right now, that roo is in with the red hens. I have about 20 eggs in the bator right now due to hatch over the next two weeks. I did hatch a little pullet from them about a month ago and she is starting to grow in the splotchy black but no white in sight. I will try to get pics of her. She closely resembles the pullet in the second pic of Lynne's chicks

The 3 in the back are the cockerels and the 1 in front is a pullet...One of the cockerels has more mahogany red in him and the other two have more black in their feathers..... The pullet has alot of black and just splashes of brown in her chest
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb236/crzy4peafowl/eggbidb021.jpg

Here is another pic of the two pullets side by side .... The one on the right has the red with some of the black barring but not too much. No white on her at all
http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb236/crzy4peafowl/eggbidb022.jpg

Would appreciate any help and suggestions. Look forward to responses

 

[Msbear]

I think you are very fortunate to have plenty of options and I would utilize them as a breeding project like this requires genetic diversity ..you don't want to use three birds and get down the road and have problems.

Your birds from Lynne are F1's. The F2's are just hatching now. You have a gorgeous roo (the one with all the red) and two other nice ones but with too much black. And you have one nice pullet and one that will be a little too dark.

I culled my two darker roos as I don't have the space to keep all of them and plan on outcrossing them with my mottleds. But, if I did have the room, I would keep the one with best type and switch him up with your roo from Tate. By swapping roos in different pens every season, you will get genetic diversity in the chicks. Or you can keep the two roos from Lynne together in a pen with your pullets and, later in the season, swap them both with the Tate roo. You could do this with your mottleds as well. Though I would only use your red roo for that crossing. I've heard someone else on here using partridge to cross with but I would be a bit concerned of the partridge hen pattern coming back to haunt you.

Im sure someone else has a much more detailed, technical way of doing this but, either way, genetic diversity is the key while trying to move closer to correct color and all the while improving type -put darker birds with lighter birds. And, remember, even if the bird doesn't show mille pattern (like your hen with no white) they may still get white later but they absolutely carry the gene so when put back to mille fleur... will give you mille fleur. I would def keep those mille hens with your red roo for instand gratification

 

[twinlights]

ok, so my chicks from Tate are f1 or f2?
And all chicks are now showing mottling, even the chicks in the photos that had none at that point are. I will have to get some updated photos of them.
They are now 4 weeks old.

 

[Msbear]

Tate has been breeding mille's for 8 years now so they should be more stable with regard to color. I am no expert... just giving my opinion

Lynne didn't have enough mille eggs to fill my order the first time around so she sent 2 buff columbian x mille fleur. I hatched 2 pullets. One has lots of white and one is just now getting a tad bit at 5 months old... and will probably get a bit more after her molt.

I started a friend with milles and gave them a trio of my birds because I knew I was getting the next generation and, like I said before, just don't have the room to truely do what I'd like. Anyways, I gave away a dark roo, a nice pullet and one buff columbian cross (the one with more white) The one I kept is more buff columbian than mille but her type is just dy-no-mite!

Im incubating a bunch of mille f3's right now and threw this guy in with my girls for some big time fluff

 

[Krys109uk]

Twinlights, I look forward to seeing the pics of your chicks, & to see whether the black smut in the ground colour is subsiding.