Mille Cochin Info

[serendipityfarm]

YAY! She's (I hope) HERE!!!

The single baby from my favorite Mille hen:

Because she's blue, I assume she is by the Splash rooster I recently rehomed. That's OK, though, I am still very excited. My question though, if Mom is a Mille Fleur, dad is a Splash, baby appears to be blue, but what splits should she be carrying? Mottled? anything else?

My little hen is such a great mom, too! But I knew she would be when she adopted my SilkieX (who was 2 months old) after its' mom had to be removed from the flock.

 

[mjgigax]

Quote:
Yeah!!!!!! Cogratulations!

 

[Cowgirlgrace]

Six months ago I purchased Mille Fleur Bantam Cochin eggs from a breeder and more than half hatched out with Wry neck. I euthanized them thinking it was a neurological defect. Contacted the breeder and she said she had hatched some with that also. Said she found the hen throwing those and culled her from the breeding group. Also in researching read about the vit B, E etc treatments in older birds but havn't read anything about it in newly hatched chicks. So, the one surviving pullet from my hatch who never exhibited symptoms is now laying. She bred with an unrelated roo from another MFC breeder. Today those eggs are hatching. So far two chicks hatched and one with wry neck. Two still to hatch. If this is happening with newly hatched chicks is this a hereditary issue? If I eliminated all that hatched with it the last time how is this pullet carrying this problem if born normal and bred with an unrelated roo? Should I eliminate all birds from this breeder, I have two roos from her also? I have other MFC from two other breeders with no problem and have never seen this problem in any of my other breeds. Should I try the vitamin treatment or does this pretty much sound like a genetic thing in this particular line?

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I give my Silkies and bantam Cochins a mixture with added vitamins in it because I have read that Silkies need extra E. It has certainly been helpful since my Silkies are incredible for fertilization and hatching their own chicks. They raise them year around and do well so since I house my bantam Cochins in the same building they also get this treat. I buy the A-D-E vitamins and add to their drinking water a few times a week and I also make wheat bran balls with wheat germ oil and some vit E to that, along with other tasty goodies. I had one Silkie get a wry neck before using this. I treated her with it and have given it since with no other problems.
Not sure if that will help yours and I personally would not breed anything from that maybe the extra vitamins will help.

 

[Cowgirlgrace]

So, maybe this particular line has a problem absorbing the nessesary vitamins? Feeding extra vitamins to the adult hens willl help deficiencies in the chicks?

 

[WestKnollAmy]

That may well be the problem but until you know for sure that the vitamins could even help I would not breed them. I would feed it to everything you have and see if you get good results just over time.
I, myself, would breed minimally to see if the results would be beneficial. However, I would not sell any of those for fear the new owners would wind up with a problem. But I like to experiment with different ideas as long as it doesn't hurt the animals or buyers. It is always interesting to see if something is working or if it is just coincidence. It takes time and space.

I am just a big believer in natural stuff and once we balance the body it can work the most efficiently.

I buy bran, flax meal, rolled oats, maybe some rolled barley and add some starter. I mix enough wheat germ oil to make a goo and then spoon it out. I have to be careful because they will attack the spoon at first. they absolutely love it here. Sometimes i make the oatmeal warm for them and add it on cold mornings but I seldom get the time anymore. I have also given this to my baby chicks in the brooders. After 3 weeks old they will eat it but not before that.

 

[Cowgirlgrace]

Yes, I will keep this hen separate and note her eggs as experimental. Definately don't want to perpetuate the problem if genetic. I have whole flax seed that I grind and feed from time to time but havn't done it in a while. Your concoction sounds yummy! My birds will thank you I'm sure.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Mine sure love it and when I have enough eggs I often hard boil them and mash up to add but this time of year there are too few eggs to spare.

There are probably other things you can add but I try to keep everything soft. I have tried adding millet in the past but they did not like that. I also add red pepper flakes once a month for a dewormer and this time of year it may add some body heat.

 

[slickchik]

About wry neck... just my experience... I had a little mille pullet that i discovered had this problem. i brought her into the house and fed her scrambled egg, oatmeal, apples, and LOTS of meal worms. I also gave her poly vi sol, b-12 and vitamin e. It wasn't until I started her on the vitamin e that i REALLY began to see a difference... i tried everything else first and then finally bought vitamin e and it was then that she began to improve. she's made a 100% recovery and now is walking around the yard as a proud little momma.

i don't know a darn thing about genetics though...

 

[Cowgirlgrace]

Quote:
Well, reading on BYC there are lots of experiences like yours, all about older chicks and chickens. Those types sound like they could be a nutritional thing. My problem is with chicks coming out of the shell with it. I have heard from another BYCer that everything they have read, other then BYC info as most of that is about nutritional issues, is that it is genetic. As in the post from Nadine maybe possible this line has a genetic issue with absorbing the proper vitamins so can't pass those vitamins on in the egg although I have never had the mother of these chicks with a problem. Or maybe just another type of defect in the line. Dunno. I have 5 eggs hatching today. One left to go, 2 with wry neck and 2 without.