Mille Cochin Info

[mjgigax]

I do like their type. They are showing promise but the eggs are really small right now. Hard to describe what size the eggs should be. I suppose I can weigh them.......okay, in my hand below the small one is 1 oz., too small. The larger one is the size I set, 2 oz. That is using my egg carton scale so I am not sure how accurate something this small works but that is what I got.

Now you have got me curious. I want to start weighing eggs. ( Freudian slip - I started to type; "want to start laying eggs"! )

My two Mille Fleur girls lay larger eggs than my Partridge and other color varieties and they have passed that trait on to some of their daughters.
The Mille hens layed their first eggs in late Dec. 2010. A friend incubated them for me to test fertility and 8 of 11 hatched.

 

[fairwindminishetland]

Now you have got me curious. I want to start weighing eggs. ( Freudian slip - I started to type; "want to start laying eggs"! )

My two Mille Fleur girls lay larger eggs than my Partridge and other color varieties and they have passed that trait on to some of their daughters.
The Mille hens layed their first eggs in late Dec. 2010. A friend incubated them for me to test fertility and 8 of 11 hatched.

Yes, I've been putting mine in the incubator and now I am curious if they will hatch. I cracked one open to see if they were fertile and they were? NOw will they hatch?

 

[Cowgirlgrace]

Chick color question. When breeding Mille/Mottled splits to Mille/Mottled splits is the chick color still going to be primarily Black or will you get some Mille pattern as well? and if blacks and you raise them up what should they be bred to to start bringing pattern back?

 

[ki4got]

Quote:

Chick color question. When breeding Mille/Mottled splits to Mille/Mottled splits is the chick color still going to be primarily Black or will you get some Mille pattern as well? and if blacks and you raise them up what should they be bred to to start bringing pattern back?

are your birds black and carry mille/mottled? if so, then you should getabout 25% mottled, the rest splits or not split. hard to say for sure without test breeding the non-mottled offspring. the best solution would be to breed a split to a mille/mottled. then you'll get 50/50. that's what i'm having to do right now, as my only mille/mottled is a cockerel, tho i do have a supposedly mottled chick in the brooder i'm hoping is a pullet, but so far all i see is black.

 

[Cowgirlgrace]

They are Mille/Mottled split. Half Mille /Half Black Mottled. The hens are Black Mottled in color, the roo is Black Mottled with light hackles and saddle. feathers.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

They are Mille/Mottled split. Half Mille /Half Black Mottled. The hens are Black Mottled in color, the roo is Black Mottled with light hackles and saddle. feathers.

I never cross these. I only cross my MF/Mot back to MF. Otherwise you will get a lot of offspring that are not close to being useable.
If you have MF then cross back to those. You need to keep pattern in there and the type from the Mottleds.
The offspring from that will still be dark most of the time but you will continue to be able to find more and more offspring with better color and better type if you continue on selecting the best.

However, breed how you like as it is your project. I am only giving my opinion and what has worked best for me.

 

[mjgigax]

I never cross these. I only cross my MF/Mot back to MF. Otherwise you will get a lot of offspring that are not close to being useable.
If you have MF then cross back to those. You need to keep pattern in there and the type from the Mottleds.
The offspring from that will still be dark most of the time but you will continue to be able to find more and more offspring with better color and better type if you continue on selecting the best.

However, breed how you like as it is your project. I am only giving my opinion and what has worked best for me.

Good info. I have a MF/Mot roo that has the best type of all my MF project boys. I just put him with my fluffiest MF pullets

 

[Funky Feathers]

I have a young cockerel for sale. Here are pics. He is in the BST section.

 

[Cowgirlgrace]

OK thanks. Was wondering about chick color from this cross. If anyone has done this what has been your chick colors?

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[mjgigax]

This is my 3rd season to hatch Mille Fleur chicks.

Anyone notice chick colors that relate to good adult colors yet? So far it seems that if the chick has just a little grey fluff it will have a balanced color as an adult.- Maybe it is my imagination?

What about the chipmunk pattern? They seem to also create good adults.

Anyone have a good system for keeping track of birds from chick to adult. Leg bands?
My brain is in knots trying to keep track of parantage and chick color.

This sure is a different project thay my Self-blues!
I love them all though.