Let's Talk Mille Fleur Cochin Bantams

[MadamPoofyBrow]

I have been a Mille Fleur Cochin Bantam breeder from a little over a year now. I strive for perfection with my birds
I started with a pair, and now have fourteen birds, and three generations. They keep getting better!
So...calling all Mille Fleur Cochin breeders! Let's talk about our birds!

Here's mine!

This is a third generation cockerel I am keeping

This is my original cock (Pardon the comb, he got in a fight with a Cornish X hen this morning X(

Here's my original hen. I'm amazed I ever got chicks she's such a broody! She got her white reeeaaallllllyyyy slow (Hatched all brown, of course) and her chicks seem to do the same thing.

This is my best cock. I love his colouring!

My best hen, who I will pair with the above cock when I start hatching again in February.

This hen is pretty good, but like her mother, is getting her white in super slow. I hope that in a couple more months she will have a bit ore on her wings/chest.

And finally, the slowest hen of all. She is the same age as the other two, but is smaller and is maturing much more slowly. Just started getting her white last month, but her white is more spread out then the above hen, so I hope when it all comes in that it will look great!

I have four more third generation, most of which haven't started getting their white in yet.
First cockerel. I will be selling him since he holds his tail rather low and for a cockerel, has very little white for his age.

This pullet has some good white on her back, and I will be keeping her to breed.

This is the only one I'm not sure if it's a cockerel or pullet yet. Either way, I would like to see a little white by now and will probably be selling.
This little guy is great, but I will probably be selling him due to excess cocks. He is feathering out like my favourite cockerel did and has a wonderful stance.

I also have two cocks I will be selling:

This one is great, but again, I have too many cocks.

I don't even know if I can rightly call this one a mille fleur. He's orange

So of course I'm not keeping him on for breeding.

And lastly, I want an opinion on this cock. Doesn't have as much white as I like to see, but has a great shape and wonderful personality


Sorry about all the muddy feet, it just won't quit raining

They normally have good, large boots.




So, if you've got milles, want milles, or just like to talk about milles, come on and join the conversation!

 

[donrae]

You have some very pretty birds

We were at the poultry swap in Corvallis in October and my Honey fell in love with some of these birds. We came home with a dozen hatching eggs. Unfortunately, I'm down to one little pullet. I call her Paddlefoot

. Since he likes them so much, I'd like to get a little pen going come summer when we're settled at a new place and have a drier area to take care of those feathered feet.

 

[MadamPoofyBrow]

Thanks donrae!

I absolutely love these little guys! They are so sweet! Any pics of your pullet?

 

[donrae]

No pics yet. Maybe I'll get out with the camera and get some flock shots, too. I have a lot of birds I don't have pics of. it's just so stinking muddy it's depressing to be out there

 

[MadamPoofyBrow]

I know it. It is soooo wet. White chickens are brown and those with feathered feet look pitiful. No matter how dry their coops are they find that one wet spot and roll in it.

 

[MadamPoofyBrow]

Come on, I know there's some other breeders out there!

 

[ellymayRans]

Glad i found this thread, i am actively seeking females or hatching eggs and not having much luck. I know its not the best time of year. I hatched 4 chicks in the spring, lost 2 within that first few days and the 2 that survived are both roos. Sold 1 kept 1 since they were identical. I now need girls.

Here are the boys with their broody.

Here is the boy i kept now. Seeing a good speciman i can now see mine isn't that great. He is lacking the coloring displayed so well in previous pics posted here.

 

[MadamPoofyBrow]

Hey Ellymay! He's not that bad for starts, milles are a new colour for Cochins and are a work in progress. I have not shipped eggs before, but am concidering giving it a go when they start laying again, if you are interested. My Cochins have 100% fertility and really great hatch rates. I will let you know when they start laying if I decide to ship eggs :-D
Where did you get the eggs for the first four?

 

[ellymayRans]

Hey Ellymay! He's not that bad for starts, milles are a new colour for Cochins and are a work in progress. I have not shipped eggs before, but am concidering giving it a go when they start laying again, if you are interested. My Cochins have 100% fertility and really great hatch rates. I will let you know when they start laying if I decide to ship eggs :-D
Where did you get the eggs for the first four?

I would love to. They were shipped eggs from a fellow BYCer. I need to just go look back at who i got them from. Probably a good start. Lol...i get scatter brained sometimes...

 

[MadamPoofyBrow]

I would love to. They were shipped eggs from a fellow BYCer. I need to just go look back at who i got them from. Probably a good start. Lol...i get scatter brained sometimes...

Awesome! I'll let you know if I decide to ship. I've never done it before and am a little nervous about the packaging part.