Mille Cochin Info

[Msbear]

Nellabean, really great looking boy

His comb, and black chevrons are just awesome!

Sackman, congrats are in order. What a nice bunch to bring. I see you have a soft spot for the lemons... so pretty.

I wanted to update everyone as to what's going on in Msbearland. I have recently moved and things are just crazy but, I have a nice little bunch of milles here and wanted your thoughts so I took a few minutes to take some shots. I have two groups going.. some project birds from another breeder and some birds I've hatched from Lynne. I let color kind of take a back seat to type and I really should be pushing harder with the type but, Im anxious to get some more pretty babies so, I've been putting my nice marked with my nice typed and am pretty pumped about this generation.

Here's coop #1 there are two girls hiding and a bunch of babies

Here's the big bunch

Here's two pullets that were not bred by me and will be laying soon. I plan to put the dark hen to my roo in coop #1 and my red roo... and the buff one to Candy Korn (the bigger, darker boy)

Here's some youngsters that I hatched earlier this Summer

This is what they hatched out like (these are from the roo in coop #1 as well as red roo)

Here's the latest bunch as peeps (big, darker boy in coop #2)

It's a real slow process, I understand... but, just get anxious waiting for color. This roo, Candy Korn, has the nicest manners... so gentle with the hens, feeds ALL the chicks; rosecombs, turkeys... whatever and is always on the watch. Im excited about him as his color is just striking. He almost looks a bit splashed. Josh had a roo with a similar pattern that gave him some nice offspring so, Im hoping for the same. I think he'll be "the man" next year and I can put all these young girls back to him.

 

[ShysCreations]

WOW Ms Bear---The color on your red, black & white roo---is he ever striking! The black mott hen with golden hackles is very pretty and pretty nicely shaped. Also the hen below her has good shape for a mille and wouldn't she be a great candidate for a buff mottled! She's nearly one if the black were not present. Your youngsters are showing alot of white as mine have when young.
I am trying a black mottled, undermarked roo on my mille hens this spring. Most of my hens have plenty of white tips but hoping to find out if he can instill better black tips and improve upon type.

It was eye opening at the weekend's show just how under developed the milles are compared to black & white cochins. Nearly everyone was positive...until I cooped out. A serious breeder of white bantam wyandottes asked me "Ever heard of a Standard of Perfection?" I said yes, he asks "Have you looked at one?" I said sure I read through it and know these will never compare to blacks/whites, he just shook his head and said he'd wondered why the coop tags initially had Belgian D'uccles. He was still shaking his head and I continued to coop out my lovelies. Good example of different strokes for different folks. I am involved with my breed of choice and color, because I enjoy both....its a hobby. I am involved as much as my time, space, $$ will allow. I appreciate where bigtime breeders are, but I will never be one nor does it disappoint me. My goal isn't a national champ bird....I'm enjoying the journey of discovery...
It was wonderful at the show when another cochin breeder really spent quality time with me and another lady interested in fine points of cochin breeding. He talked to us about feather width, head shape, feet, coloring in blacks/whites and genetics. What a great gesture (Thanks Beany!)

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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To that dude! Did you explain to him that you're just starting out & working on a new color? My biggest issue is that I can't look past their shape...so I'm mostly working on retaining their shape and just hoping for color as I go...

 

[Funky Feathers]

That guy was just downright rude. Don't let it get to you, there is one in every crowd. These are a project in the works, and if he knew anything he would have known that and been more respectful. At this point we are just trying to get this new color noticed. I'm glad there were some nice people there too. I plan on showing mine in March. I hope no one is rude like that to me. Mine don't have perfect type either, but they sure are pretty. People can't expect perfect type on a new variety.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Here are my next two I'm thinking of adding to my flock...maybe a step backward in color (or ten) but hopefully a little more in the right direction with type...

Partridge cockerel:

And buff columbian pullet with white in her wings...she looks really rough but Tom said she's in a mean pen.

So I know she'll look better once her feathers grow back...poor thing! LOL

 

[ultasol]

Feel free to kick me for saying this, but I don't like the type on either cochin you posted Heather

. I don't know if Sheryl has buff bantams, but you might ask her at the Chehalis show. I would look around a little more. The cock's tail doesn't look at all like any of the show cochins I've seen.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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No, I haven't bought them yet...but I was thinking about it...the both are young birds...I did ask for additional photos of each so we'll see...

I am not going to the show in Chehalis--it's too far with the snow & stuff...

 

[onthespot]

Ask for pics on level surface. Both have dropped wing tips pretty low. That is a common fault I see over and over in the MFC pics posted, mine included. If I was going to go for outcross blood, I'd be looking for super show type. Not trying to be critical, hopefully helpful. Those low wing tips just don't seem to breed out hardly at all by themselves. No need doubling up on it from another line. Maybe they will stand better on the level. DON'T tell the seller what you want the wings to look like, just that you want pics on the level.

 

[kla37]

Such pretty pretty birds! Very unusual looking. BTW what is "trolling?"

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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I asked Tom for some better pics...I also want some from above...at least to see if there's any width to them as well...I was so excited about them too....hmmm...

Thanks!