Large Fowl Cochin Thread

[LarissaSlates98]

I went out today an no running noSes Or anything!

 

[LarissaSlates98]

No running noses today either, I am wondering if the weather change and this bag of feed. The bag of feed I got last has been VERY dusty and when they eat it, it seems like it bothers theyre noses. So I got them a new bag of food!

 

[NanaKat]

So knowledgeable Cochin breeders....A little help please. I took pictures today of the young Cochin roos I have and would like some advice on which ones I should hold out for my breeding program. Sept 30 the boys will be 5 months old and are filling out nicely. One is from my blue pair and the others are from eggs produced by Bo's blue pens.
I realize they will look better after they molt again...but criticism and advice would be appreciated....

For the Cochin girls I have a splash pullet, two lovely white hens, 5 blues from two different bloodlines Bo's and JHeintz.

Roo 1 a Splash from Samson and Delilah -two weeks older than the others, tall stature not as full a bumm, but feathering is thick.





Roo 2 - A dark Blue with nice wing feathers, tall stature, a round bumm, wide head and foot featherin is full



Roo 3 - A Black from the blue pen eggs... nice head, wings and bumm



Roo 4 - Another dark blue built like Roo 2, but has some long wing feathers...don't know if these will molt out or not....




Roo 5 - A light Blue with a shorter stature, but broader back, full tail and nice feathers on his feet. The color is lighter of course, but consistant. I almost wonder if it is a pullet...



Roo 6 - a pale Blue bird with a short stature, round shape and loads of feathering. Wonder if it could also be a pullet sometimes.

 

[mrheinz77]

You should put #3 in a box and send him to me.

 

[Coopa Cabana]

Hi Kat,

#1 - Could be the angle of the photo, but #1 looks crow-headed - especially in the 2nd shot.

#6 - Put him in a box and send him to me.

 

[NanaKat]

Thank you for the comments Jim and Gail.
So Roo 1 is out for crow head...don't want that!
The black Roo 3 and the pale blue Roo 4 are good then. Means Roo 6 is a roo after all.

 

[mrheinz77]

I just really like the feathering on #3. How is their weight?

 

[NanaKat]

All have nice full breasts and the keel bone is nicely padded. Legs and wings are nicely muscled.
I have them separated in a bachelor pen for the time being. They get loads of exercise in the 20 by 35 foot grass pen. They don't fly of course, but try to get off the ground. There is a wooden coop inside a 6 x 10 covered chain link pen for night time security.
We have coyotes and have seen a hawk so they get locked up each night and let out each morning.

 

[Bo Garrett]

I definitely like the color of the #2 bird the best of the blues, I believe he is probably just a little darker than the standard calls for but his lacing is good and that is hard to get in a blue cochin. He will pass this on to his offspring when bred to good black hens.
I would agree with Gail that the #1 bird is weak headed and lacks the depth of body to make him nice and round when he gets mature.
On that note, I measure all my birds from the ridge of the spine to the base of the keel to determine the depth of the body, I am a small man and if I can touch the base of the keel bone I won't keep them because they are not deep enough bodied. You also want the breast carried well forward, this is a problem in most blood lines of buffs today and I am seeing it more in other varieties because people tend to focus more on color than type.
The black cockerel is going to be a dandy, enough said!
The next blue male has a good base color and his type is pretty good he also has good lacing. He and #1 are surely keepers.
#5 and #6 are good typed birds but lack the color to produce blues of any consistenty quality of color. However, they will produce very good yellow legged blacks when bred back to black hens.
If you keep 5 and 6 use them for blacks or breed them to splash hens to produce splash chicks.
You are doing a great job with them they look very nice.

Bo

 

[Ashdoes]

At what age do we start judging them? I've seen varying ideas, 5 months 8 months, sooner? I've got 9 week olds and 11 week olds. I'm not in any rush, keeping them all for at least 6 more months so my hubby can see them and pick which we keep. I've got 3 9 week olds, two females one male. And the four 11 week olds are at least one male, possible two. I'd like at some point to have only one male, because I've also got five other hens. I'm pretty sure if I do have to give up the 9 week male, those females may have to go with him, they're pretty attached to each other. What do you do in that situation? Just get rid of the one, or the set of three?
Lots of questions, thanks for any answers.