Large Fowl Cochins

[Bo Garrett]

This discussion thread is for Large Cochins in all their varieties American Poultry Association standardized and non-standard varieties that are being developed for APA standardization.
My wife, daughter and I own and operate a 40 acre farm known as the Garrett Nest Poultry Farm, where we have been breeding and exhibiting large fowl cochins in several varieties for about 14 years. We currently breed and show black, white and mottled large cochins and have projects in brown and brown red cochins. While the mottleds are not yet standardized there will be a qualifying meet this November in Columbus, OH where, if all goes well, the mottled large cochin will finally be admitted to the APA standard.
As mentioned at the header of this new forum, keep all discussions centered on the breeding, genetics and exhibition of standard bred large cochins.

Blessings to all,


Bo Garrett
The Garrett Nest Poultry Farm

 

[Yellow House Farm]

Greetings, Bo! Nice to see you here. I'm excited for this new section.

Can you post some pics of your mottled LF Cochins?

 

[Knetiknrga]

I would love to know more about the brown reds. Will they be looking at standardization any time soon? What do you feel still needs improvement and what are some of the pitfalls with this color? Are the genetics the same as say, black copper Marans, or different? Lots of questions, I know. I'm a sponge for information.

 

[Bo Garrett]

I don't think you can expect a move towards standardization anytime in the near future, there are very few people working on the brown reds that are true to color. The things that are problems in the brown reds are size and correct color; size tends to be an issue when only a few flocks of a variety exist; color is a problem because many who claim to have brown reds have only crosses of black to buff or some other combination that bears a remote resemblance but when closely examined is far from the description of the brown red color pattern. I do not believe the color genetics of the black coppers are the same, I have never noticed breast lacing in the black coppers where it exists in true brown reds. The breast lacing should be fine and crisp covering the upper 1/3 of the breast lacing each feather in this section. I achieved my brown reds by crossing black males over white females and within two generations had very good brown red males.
Pitfalls of the variety would be the fact that double mating is sometimes required to get the proper breast lacing, heavily laced males that have lacing down the breast and females that have very little lacing to get correctly colored offspring. Lots of chicks have to be produced to get a few nicely colored birds this is also an issue for those with little space and the fact that parti-colored birds do not do as well in shows as solid colored birds.
I remember in 2006 at the Crossroads show in Indianapolis there was a brown red bantam hen in the show, I went through and evaluated every bantam cochin in the show and I had 6 in the show and when I was done this was my champion cochin bantam hands down, the judge didn't see it that way but in my honest opinion she was what a bantam cochin should look like color or no color! Wish I had 200 just like her she was a dandy.

 

[Knetiknrga]

Thanks for letting me pick your brain. . I have so much to learn about color genetics in chickens. So far the more I learn the more I realize there is way more to learn! Is there another breed you can think of with what would be the ideal brown red pattern that is breeding true? Or is the lacing an issue in the color overall?

 

[Bo Garrett]

Thanks for letting me pick your brain.

. I have so much to learn about color genetics in chickens. So far the more I learn the more I realize there is way more to learn! Is there another breed you can think of with what would be the ideal brown red pattern that is breeding true? Or is the lacing an issue in the color overall?

Brown Red Modern Game and Old English Game Bantams both have wonderful examples of the brown red variety, I saw a brown red cochin bantam at the 2006 Crossroads show that was outstanding and was my pick as the best cochin bantam in the show.

 

[Budda's Birds]

I just hatched out two large fowl Partridge Cochins, one of which has it's two outer toes fused on one foot. Is this a genetic issue? Or a incubation issue. I don't plan on using this bird for breeding. Leaving me to ask if any one knows if there is a breeder that ships of Partridge eggs chicks or adults. Some one on the west coast would be ideal.

 

[Bo Garrett]

The webbed toes are a genetic defect and heritable to a certain degree, although the heritability is quite low. You are correct in not using this bird as you do not want to concentrate this defect in your flock thus increasing the heritability of the defect.
There is a fellow in California with Partridge that ships eggs and birds, his name is John Barca, you should be able to do a search on his name and get his information.

Blessings,

Bo

 

[suncatcher]

Hope this thread picks up! Marking my place!

 

[mindylee]

Well I don't show or breed LF and only breed bantam Cochin's. However I do own a LF splash retired breeder hen. I named her Big Momma and she's a good ole gal. Her entire life she lived outside in a tiny nasty pen and was a breeder mill hen.
Any who... Here she is.