Large Fowl Cochin Thread

[hamzah17082000]

Hello again. I have a question for everyone, especially the more experienced breeders. I have been looking for a good black cochin female which I have finally found yet there is a small hitch. My black male is from a blue bloodline but this female is from a Cuckoo bloodline. Will I get pure chicks of Cuckoo and black or mixed colors. And will the chicks breed true?

 

[hamzah17082000]

Please reply as soon as possible because I need to confirm to the breeder whether or not I will buy the female from him. If she will not breed true with my black male then I won't buy her
Thanks in advance

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Please reply as soon as possible because I need to confirm to the breeder whether or not I will buy the female from him. If she will not breed true with my black male then I won't buy her
Thanks in advance

Well, I am not strong on genetics but I think the answer is that some of your chicks will be black but there is a possiblity that some will be another color depending on each ones previous genetic history. Black is a dominate trait so I would think that the majority of the chicks would breed true but there is a chance that some will throw an odd color if there is a recessive trait coming from both sides.

You might post the color question on the general breeding forum and get a more expert answer.

 

[hamzah17082000]

Thanks a lot!!

 

[elaineinspain]

@Puddin Fluff

How are your chicks doing? Here are some photos of my two cochins and two buff orpingtons. The cochins are really taking their time to feather out. They are already 10 weeks old and still have naked bits! I'm giving them high protein treats - hopefully this will help...

 

[Puddin Fluff]

I'm currently sitting outside with them. They are doing well but also feathering in slower than I am used to. It must be a breed thing. They are 3 and a half weeks now. I think I am looking at 3 girls and 5 boys. Always too many boys.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

If you zoom in you can see they are more fluff than feathers.

Yours are looking nice.

 

[elaineinspain]

oh! They're looking great! and now I see how being hatched and raised by a mother hen is advantageous to incubators and brooding lamps - Yours are outside already with only 3 and half weeks, and they have the mum to show them the ropes!

I wished we lived nearer, then I could take one of the male cochins off your hands, if they truly ARE males - it's so difficult to tell when they're so young....
Quote: The breeder where I got my cochins said that on average he has more females hatch than males.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

oh! They're looking great! and now I see how being hatched and raised by a mother hen is advantageous to incubators and brooding lamps - Yours are outside already with only 3 and half weeks, and they have the mum to show them the ropes!

I wished we lived nearer, then I could take one of the male cochins off your hands, if they truly ARE males - it's so difficult to tell when they're so young....
The breeder where I got my cochins said that on average he has more females hatch than males.

Well, he's fortunate. Most hatches I have a close to even split. Never understood why mother nature insists on a 50% male to female ratio when we know that we don't need nearly as many males! Lol!.

Wish I could send you one. I think one day when I am old I will have a rooster refuge where I will just have a pasture full of boys who can just live out their lives like spoiled children.

 

[elaineinspain]

Wish I could send you one. I think one day when I am old I will have a rooster refuge where I will just have a pasture full of boys who can just live out their lives like spoiled children.

That's a wonderful idea! I could do the same here in Spain and we can swap stories and photos about them!
For me the chickens are to help in the garden, tilling, clearing the veggie patch at the end of the season, to make compost and to catch bugs under the apple trees (Codling moth in particular. That bug ruined my whole apple harvest last season - I heard the only sure fire way to rid your apple orchard of codling moth is to get chickens!) If they lay an egg or two, that's an added bonus. And their characters are developing - The Orpington who has already developed a red comb and wattles is the top of the pecking order, that's for sure!

And I'm lucky here - very few predators! Occasionally I see a raptor overhead, but there are plenty of trees and shrubs that the chickens can forage and hide under. And I'm always planting more!