Mille Cochin Info

[roocrazy]

oh dont mind me just wanted to make 900 posts

hehehehehe

 

[lilcrow]

Quote:
That makes perfect sense to me the way you put that, per there shape or type. I could see how as they get older though they might need a little help. Their feathering may become a hindrance for Mother Nature.
I personally haven't done the AI, I'm "apprenticing with my "mentor" (for lack of a better description)? You collect one ejaculate for one insemination, and that should stay with the hen for ???? a week/10 days or so. I've heard different times on that. I saw the YouTube video also. Jamie Matts wanted to see it, so I forwarded it to him and he was "amused," I think those were his words. I didn't understand why until he explained his method. I had been seeing the semen collected in a plastic spoon, which works fine, but its kind of hard and unnatural. Jamie said that he just uses his finger and catches it from the roo, then picks up the hen and places it against her vent and "kiss," they're done. It's so much more natural that way. I realize it's still AI but there's no pipettes, no plastic, no tubing, no poking anything in anything. It's as close to the real thing as you can get and still be interfering. As far as trying to let them live natural lives, I'm in complete agreement with you. I keep my birds in groups. The blues are all together, the birchens, columbians, etc. and they breed, they just don't get anything fertilized. Without help there is no fertility. So I let them stay together, and they live like chickens and have a good time, but they just get a little extra assist. I'm extremely new at this and so far things seem to be going fine, but it's really way to early for me to be able to say that this is going to work on the long haul, only time will tell, plus I'm getting ready to put everybody through a MOVE. I just bought a house and we will be relocating to 2 acres very shortly. It will be wonderful, eventually, but I'm sure they will be traumatized for some time. That's bound to set things back for quite some time.

 

[MrsChickendad]

I set 14 eggs from Lynne on last Wednesday. They made it from California to cold Michigan and all were fertile! I just candled them, 13 are doing well, one had a blood ring. We are excited to have some potential babies to go with our lone Mille Cochin from last spring.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I need to take more photos of my growing MFC project chicks. They are growing quickly and the colors are really nice on a few. Not something I expected so soon. I think there is one or 2 in the first 6 chicks that came with the trio parents that are going to be nice but the group of about 30 really has given me more choices.
The other 2 brooders are full of still too young of chicks to know what they will be like.
I'm just really excited about the MF/buff crossed with the Mottled. I have a hen sitting on 6 of those eggs as well as having some in the incubator. Those may be the last ones for a while since I moved both trios over to new pens and they are ticked at me.

 

[BluffCountryShepherdess]

It's so fun having chicks at various stages of development and more eggs brooding or incubating! Kind of like Christmas just keeps on coming back! I've got ONE

MFC egg due to hatch this coming weekend and 19 more incubating. Plus Rose finally went broody after 2 months of laying so she's sitting on three eggs since 12/26. Something to look forward to in January!

Wishing Everyone a very Happy, Healthy and Safe New Year!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I love hearing about all the chicks and eggs in this breed and pattern! Everyone is so great to share what they have going on in their little MFC world. It is like Christmas, time and time again!
Thank you all for sharing your knowledge and events happening in your MFC chicken coop.
I'll post pics in my folder on the list for all the members to see.

 

[faerielady]

I have no eggs yet

I keep telling myself... patience, grasshoppa. Patience.

 

[Chickenaddict]

Ok I absolutely HAVE to get some eggs in the spring! Cochins are one of my favorite breeds and after seeing all these beautiful pics of the milles I MUST HAVE SOME EGGS!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Yup, their beauty has sucked in another one!

 

[Irish Ridge]

The MFC's are beautiful. Are they all bantams, or do they come in "full-size"???

I'd love to have one, but can't do bantams right now.