Mille Cochin Info

[WestKnollAmy]

This is a bird I have been meaning to show everyone.
She is a dark red, has very little black chevrons showing up and naturally, is a total sweetheart.
Would you all say she is too dark to use for the MF breeding program?
Most all of my girls have the buff Columbian coloring, not this dark red, which I like so much better myself.
However, I thought we were supposed to be shooting for vermillion, like the d'Uccles coloring (I have some of those so I can focus on color and pattern) but the photo of the rooster shown earlier, a few pages back, shows a much darker color than vermillion.



And her brother looks a lot like her. I am not impressed with their type, at all, but I sure am drawn to that color. Maybe I should start a breeding program for white laced mahogany. ROTFL
Yes, my brooder room floor is a mess and I do not know why I take photos when they are inside and not outside in the lovely green grass.



And for the ones that love the MF or calico Frizzle bantam Cochins, I have to show off, yet again, my lovely Shazam!

 

[bantyman]

Amy I have a few hens that dark red and a son of my avatar He is really pretty with that dark red But I have to agree with you I am drawn to that color also

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Ha! These birds are grandkids of your roo I had! I thought that is where the darker color came from because it hasn't shown up in my other bloodlines but could not say for sure it was your blood that got it there. From the other birds I used I could not trace it back but sometimes things hide and pop out much later.

I absolutely love it. I just wasn't sure if I could continue with this dark of a color.

Since we have no absolute definition other than what the d'Uccle describes then I have been breeding for vermillion. But these kids are real beauties and I can't part with them. I may only use the pullet with the Frizzle roo but that is okay. I love her.
Now what to do with that pretty roo..........

 

[wholewheatchicken]

wholewheatchicken --It depends upon what you wish to do with your flock. If showing, the mottled will help type though it takes a bit. The first generation F1 from mille x black mottled all appear black mottled. Then breeding F1s back to mille some will appear mottled likely with leakage and some may be mille. Milles aren't of type quality to beat the black, white, pure mottled.

So I do not need mottled to keep the chevrons going as I breed? Do I need to grow out the young ones I just got to see what their type looks like and then decide if I need mottled?

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
I introduce Mottled once and that is it. If I have 2 really lovely MF/Mottled crosses I may try it but it is best not to use it more than once or you really lose that MF pattern. It can hide and never be seen for generations so I use the Mottled once. That should give the gene for the chevrons to work.

If you need better type on anything you can look at your other birds and see what you have that may help fit with them. It could be a MF or MF/Mottled or pure Mottled but don;t introduce Mottled just because you have it. It can take a few generations to make a perfect MF after using a Mottled. I have done it in 2 (not perfect, of course) but it generally takes longer, depending on what lacks in the bird like wing carriage, feathering and any other little things that go into making a great bird.
Don't get caught up in just breeding for pattern. Work on type in the birds and then when you have it set in what you are producing, that MF gene is still there and you have nice typy birds to work with to obtain that pattern.

I guess I made that clear as mud. LOL

 

[NancyWicker]

Shazam gets cuter and cuter

 

[Fancy Feathers]

Changed my user name. Don't know why I used my name for a user name

 

[ki4got]

Quote:

Changed my user name. Don't know why I used my name for a user name

why not use your name? 8) at least then we knew what to call you.

ki4got is my call sign (ham radio), but everyone still calls me that here even tho my name is in my sig. go figure.

 

[wholewheatchicken]

I introduce Mottled once and that is it. If I have 2 really lovely MF/Mottled crosses I may try it but it is best not to use it more than once or you really lose that MF pattern. It can hide and never be seen for generations so I use the Mottled once. That should give the gene for the chevrons to work.

If you need better type on anything you can look at your other birds and see what you have that may help fit with them. It could be a MF or MF/Mottled or pure Mottled but don;t introduce Mottled just because you have it. It can take a few generations to make a perfect MF after using a Mottled. I have done it in 2 (not perfect, of course) but it generally takes longer, depending on what lacks in the bird like wing carriage, feathering and any other little things that go into making a great bird.
Don't get caught up in just breeding for pattern. Work on type in the birds and then when you have it set in what you are producing, that MF gene is still there and you have nice typy birds to work with to obtain that pattern.

I guess I made that clear as mud. LOL

Thank you, Amy. I think you made that as clear as color genetics can get! Colors are very tricky to understand, but it is the challenge that makes it so much fun and worth it.....and beautiful birds to look at.

 

[wholewheatchicken]

Changed my user name. Don't know why I used my name for a user name

How did you change your user name? I have wanted to do that for a long time. Mine is so long to type out when someone wants to talk to me. I never thought of that before I created the one I have now.