Mail Order 6 week old Pullet Bantam Cochins?

[AnitaBT]

New the group! My first Post!

What are your thoughts about ordering 6 week old Bantam Cochin hens from a website (cackle hatchery)? Honestly, it sounds really sketchy to me. From the quality of the breeding, to the health and safety of the animal being shipped like that, to them surviving the stress after they arrive. Plus I only want 3, and have to order 5, but I'm guessing that 1-2 wouldnt survive, and honestly that just sounds horrible...

I would much prefer to buy from a local breeder who takes really good care of their animals but I havent had any luck finding anyone like that online except for 1 barn, which wont sell his very limited supply of older Bantam's to anyone but his regulars. And I fall into the category of the masses who are just getting into chickens. And dont get me started on the sketchy posts on Craigslist.

Is there a better way to get 6 week or older Cochins in the Seattle area?
Thanks!

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Try posting this request in the Washington state thread. Good luck in establishing your flock.

 

[keesmom]

What are your thoughts about ordering 6 week old Bantam Cochin hens from a website (cackle hatchery)? Honestly, it sounds really sketchy to me. From the quality of the breeding, to the health and safety of the animal being shipped like that, to them surviving the stress after they arrive. Plus I only want 3, and have to order 5, but I'm guessing that 1-2 wouldnt survive, and honestly that just sounds horrible...

Where are you finding available 6 week old bantam Cochins on their website? I only see day olds or 5 month olds.

 

[AnitaBT]

Where are you finding available 6 week old bantam Cochins on their website? I only see day olds or 5 month olds.

Wait, you're right! I just assumed that they were older because they were sexed. Everything I read has said that you cant tell what sex a bantam is till they are at least 6 weeks old. Ugg! The search continues.

 

[keesmom]

Were you looking at the bantam pullet deal?

 

[NatJ]

Wait, you're right! I just assumed that they were older because they were sexed. Everything I read has said that you cant tell what sex a bantam is till they are at least 6 weeks old. Ugg! The search continues.

Anyone could breed sexlink bantams if they choose, and be able to sex them by color. (I've often wondered why they don't do a lot more of that!)

Also, with certain breeds of chickens--like Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rocks--it's possible to pick out some pullets or cockerels by their color, even without doing any crossing.

From looking at which breeds Cackle is offering as sexed bantam chicks, and from the fact that they only guarantee 80% accuracy, I'm pretty sure they're picking them by their coloring.

 

[Justso]

I had better luck on Facebook. I suggest you start joining pages and be flexible on how far you're willing to go to get them.

 

[Justso]

Anyone could breed sexlink bantams if they choose, and be able to sex them by color. (I've often wondered why they don't do a lot more of that!)

Also, with certain breeds of chickens--like Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rocks--it's possible to pick out some pullets or cockerels by their color, even without doing any crossing.

From looking at which breeds Cackle is offering as sexed bantam chicks, and from the fact that they only guarantee 80% accuracy, I'm pretty sure they're picking them by their coloring.

Yes you could breed sex linked bantams, but you would lose the genetics of a cochin. And this breed, you can't tell anything by feather color as a chick.
Bantams, especially cochins are notoriously hard to sex. I suspect cackle has some seriously good sexers, but even they can achieve 80% at best.

 

[Justso]

And !!!

 

[NatJ]

Yes you could breed sex linked bantams, but you would lose the genetics of a cochin.

You could make sexlinks by crossing two color varieties of cochin. (By "sexlinks" I mean chicks that can be sexed by color. I do not mean the common egglayers that are clearly not cochins.)

To make black or blue sexlinks: cross a black (or blue or splash) cochin male to a barred cochin female. Results: solid pullets, barred cockerels (with a white spot on their heads when they hatch.) Could do it to get all black, all blue, or some of each.

To make gold laced pullets, cross a gold laced male to a silver laced female.
To make partridge pullets, cross a partridge male to a silver pencilled female.
(Both cases would end up with undesireable males--silver carrying gold, not a clean silver appearance.)

And this breed, you can't tell anything by feather color as a chick.
Bantams, especially cochins are notoriously hard to sex. I suspect cackle has some seriously good sexers, but even they can achieve 80% at best.

Not even the barreds and the reds?
They ONLY cochin colors they offer sexed are red, barred, and golden laced.
I think they're picking the reds and the barred ones by color, just like people do with Rhode Island Reds and with Barred Rocks.

The Golden Laced, I suspect they're crossing a Golden Laced rooster with a Silver Laced hen, although I have no proof of this.

If they were vent-sexing them, I would expect them to do other colors as well.
If they have bred these specific colors to allow wing-sexing, then I wonder why they haven't done the other colors too?