Mille Cochin Info

[mjgigax]

Quote:
Yeah! Good hatching.

My Mille girls now have 6 eggs in a nest box in their coop. I found 3 almost by accident on Friday, wasn't expecting eggs yet. There was a 4th layed on Saturday, a 5th Monday and a 6th today. There is a roo in with then but nobody is trimmed. Should I leave the eggs there and wait and see if they start to sit on the nest? (I don't have an incubator.)

 

[draye]

Personally I would takethe eggs for safe keeping, put in nest eggs, you know the ceramic or chalk type eggs. If they start setting you will know, then take the eggs back out to them, that way you can keep and set the freshest eggs, I don't set an egg over two weeks old, some others will not hold then but for 7 to 10 days.

 

[mjgigax]

Quote:
Thank You!
Can Chickens count? If I take the six eggs out, do I need to put six "fake" eggs in the nest?
I have no idea if they are fertile since the pullets and roo aren't trimmed and the pullet are only 6 mo. old. It has been below freezing here but the coops is warm, although that nest has floor boards that have little slats between them and the bedding has been moved around so that the bottom layer is kind of thin. Could some have gotten frozen? I guess that means just that they won't hatch. I am not sure I want little chicks at this time anyway. Oh this is fun, can't wait till Spring!

 

[draye]

No I don't think they can count. A hen when she's ready to set will usually gather as many eggs as possible to stick under herself. Just give her what you think she can handle.

 

[dldolan]

Apply "Chicken Math" to "bird brain"; thus one can take out two fake ceramic eggs (as I did to make sure of the broodiness) and swap under her five (or 6-12 I hear?) real ones. My personal experience with my currently broody cochin, who was purely delighted to get more...

 

[mjgigax]

Quote:
Thanks and that is funny!
P.S. I love that poem in your signature line!

 

[NellaBean]

I have a mille fleur rooster (I have posted before). I am ready to cross him over mottled girls this spring to make some "splits" (so to speak). I was told on here to find the best mottled girls I could and I would be way far ahead type wise.

I have collected a nice little mottled cochin breeding flock. 5 black mottled hens (1 has too much white and is for sale) and 1 blue mottled hen.

However, by far the best type is on the blue mottled. I understand the blue genetics.....would there be any reason to NOT want to use a blue mottled hen in this cross? Or am I simply working towards mille and blue millie at the same time? I am have some VERY nice black mottled girls also, but the blue is just top of the heap.

 

[hinkjc]

I'm sorry if this was discussed before, but does anyone know what causes all the black in the hackles? Is it from crossing to mottleds? I am not finding this on my mille fleur project, so curious what could potentially bring this issue on. Mine are mostly red/buff with mottling. Some get the chevrons and some don't. But I haven't seen any that I can recall with the dark hackles. Any insight would be great. Thanks.

 

[NellaBean]

I wonder if its from the buff columbian being crossed in? In my most recent batch of roosters, I had 3 with black hackles and 1 without. This boy I kept has the most black but BY FAR the best chevrons/markings.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I have absolutely no idea. I'm confused enough with buff barred split to black and black barred split to buff. Not sure what I'm hatching, but I'm sure they'll be beautiful. (haven't met an ugly chicken yet

)