Mille Cochin Info

[thecochincoop]

ok i've got a few chicks with questions about them...
the first is a calico/mille hatched from shipped eggs, and i don't even remember where it's from. LOL
ok, pullet or cockerel? hatched April 16. comments on type/color/whatever?
(her neck doesn't normally look that long, but she's trying to get back outside to her fbuddies)


next is a couple chicks hatched on May 16. couldn't get pics of both sides, but they're pretty symetrical.
the one on the left has some white coming in on the wing bends, the right one has a few white feathers on the belly so far.
i know not great angles for the combs, but opinions on anything? they're supposed to be mille fleur as well.


and last, 3 of the 4 chicks hatched from my own pen. the roo is a calico/mille (not as much white as the first one) and the hens are blue partridge split mille.
too young to guess sex, (#1 is a week older than the others) but i'm just trying to get an idea what color they might end up...


i'm a big girl and looking for honest opinions, so let me know what you think...

I think it's too early to tell. I didn't see the mille on mine from those hens until they had a full set of feathers
I

 

[WestKnollAmy]

ok i've got a few chicks with questions about them...
the first is a calico/mille hatched from shipped eggs, and i don't even remember where it's from. LOL
ok, pullet or cockerel? hatched April 16. comments on type/color/whatever?
(her neck doesn't normally look that long, but she's trying to get back outside to her fbuddies)


next is a couple chicks hatched on May 16. couldn't get pics of both sides, but they're pretty symetrical.
the one on the left has some white coming in on the wing bends, the right one has a few white feathers on the belly so far.
i know not great angles for the combs, but opinions on anything? they're supposed to be mille fleur as well.


and last, 3 of the 4 chicks hatched from my own pen. the roo is a calico/mille (not as much white as the first one) and the hens are blue partridge split mille.
too young to guess sex, (#1 is a week older than the others) but i'm just trying to get an idea what color they might end up...


i'm a big girl and looking for honest opinions, so let me know what you think...

The upper photo looks like a pullet. Decent coloring but will be more calico than MF. As far as conformation, she looks long bodied to me and a bit "lean" but that can be a plus with some roos that are very short and stocky and need compensation. Typy hens don't seem to lay as many eggs and are not as good of producers so this girl could be very good with the right roo.

On your next photos, look at the line coming out from behind the eye. It is obvious that the one on the right is a pullet while the one of the left looks like a roo. Lines that come from under an eye are girls, lines from the middle of the eye are boys. The color may be smutty and dark as they mature but type is really what you want to look at first and then color. You know the genetics are there so just breed to a nice patterned roo or hen and you add type and pattern to continue to improve your breeding stock.

Same with the kids in the lower photo. Look at the lines coming from the eyes for gender. The blue is showing in them, as well so you will have some blue coloring to show up. They will be a bit dark but that is fine. You can breed in white tips on the feathers later. Go for type, you will ahev to breed for more color later anyhow so make sure the type is what you want.

Hope I have helped you some. I have been breeding hundreds every year and I try to keep good records. This is what I have learned from my experiences.

 

[ki4got]

The upper photo looks like a pullet. Decent coloring but will be more calico than MF. As far as conformation, she looks long bodied to me and a bit "lean" but that can be a plus with some roos that are very short and stocky and need compensation. Typy hens don't seem to lay as many eggs and are not as good of producers so this girl could be very good with the right roo.

On your next photos, look at the line coming out from behind the eye. It is obvious that the one on the right is a pullet while the one of the left looks like a roo. Lines that come from under an eye are girls, lines from the middle of the eye are boys. The color may be smutty and dark as they mature but type is really what you want to look at first and then color. You know the genetics are there so just breed to a nice patterned roo or hen and you add type and pattern to continue to improve your breeding stock.

Same with the kids in the lower photo. Look at the lines coming from the eyes for gender. The blue is showing in them, as well so you will have some blue coloring to show up. They will be a bit dark but that is fine. You can breed in white tips on the feathers later. Go for type, you will ahev to breed for more color later anyhow so make sure the type is what you want.

Hope I have helped you some. I have been breeding hundreds every year and I try to keep good records. This is what I have learned from my experiences.

thanks amy. that is what i was looking for. and i noticed today one of the middle photo chicks has a splotch of white coming in on the rump too now. i was afraid they'd be all solid colored. i actually kinda prefer the calico look, but will take what i can get. and agreed, type is more important to me than color, to a point. i don't want to get so refined that they can't breed well. i think that's a dis-service to the breed, personally.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Totally agree with the too refined. I have some awesome girls here, great show birds but horrible for breeders. I try to keep sisters or brothers that have better bodies for reproduction and just show off the gorgeous ones that have all the type for looks. Not a great representation if they can't reproduce but that is how the standard of perfection is written and perceived. I can produce it but it doesn't do much good if they can't use it.

You are so right and you always seem to have a good eye for what is correct. I think you are doing great!

 

[ShysCreations]

ki4got, Amy is steering you in the right direction. Body type is biggest consideration particularly if looking to show. The top pullet may have too much white but see how she grows. Those middle 2 chicks {which look pullet to me} will definitely grow in mille feathers. The ones I posted pics of are 3-4 mos old, with the older cockerel who may be a tad older, he's tryng to crow now

The upper photo looks like a pullet. Decent coloring but will be more calico than MF. As far as conformation, she looks long bodied to me and a bit "lean" but that can be a plus with some roos that are very short and stocky and need compensation. Typy hens don't seem to lay as many eggs and are not as good of producers so this girl could be very good with the right roo.

On your next photos, look at the line coming out from behind the eye. It is obvious that the one on the right is a pullet while the one of the left looks like a roo. Lines that come from under an eye are girls, lines from the middle of the eye are boys. The color may be smutty and dark as they mature but type is really what you want to look at first and then color. You know the genetics are there so just breed to a nice patterned roo or hen and you add type and pattern to continue to improve your breeding stock.

Same with the kids in the lower photo. Look at the lines coming from the eyes for gender. The blue is showing in them, as well so you will have some blue coloring to show up. They will be a bit dark but that is fine. You can breed in white tips on the feathers later. Go for type, you will ahev to breed for more color later anyhow so make sure the type is what you want.

Hope I have helped you some. I have been breeding hundreds every year and I try to keep good records. This is what I have learned from my experiences.

 

[ki4got]

Totally agree with the too refined. I have some awesome girls here, great show birds but horrible for breeders. I try to keep sisters or brothers that have better bodies for reproduction and just show off the gorgeous ones that have all the type for looks. Not a great representation if they can't reproduce but that is how the standard of perfection is written and perceived. I can produce it but it doesn't do much good if they can't use it.

You are so right and you always seem to have a good eye for what is correct. I think you are doing great!

thanks amy. considering i was away from the poultry world for better than 15 years, and only came back last spring, it's amazing how it comes back. and i was fortunate to have a good teacher when it came to bantam cochins... the challenge in the last year was finding good stock to work with. i think i got lucky in choosing breeders to get eggs from. either that or i got lucky that they had the right genes in the right places. LOL but now comes the test of any breeder. am i putting the right birds together to get equal or better chicks? i've hatched my first 'homegrown' chicks in the last few weeks, so now we wait to see how they develop.

the same went for my dorkings. i snagged the first trio i could get my hands on, and the first auction of eggs... and ended up with some pretty good birds. now to improve upon what i've got to make them even better.

 

[Chicken Crazy12]

Okay, I just found this thread and decided to share my Mille Cochins. They are a work in progress...... Pay no mind to the muddy feet in these pics. These are from a couple months ago so I need to get new pictures.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

GOODness! What pretty birds!

 

[Fancy Feathers]

Very pretty

 

[Reyvaughn]

Thanks to Cadeau, my wallet is lighter and my pens are full again.

I bought one of her Mille roos to replace my calico roo. I bought the black pullet she had pictured, two Mille pullets - one with nice patterning another that is definitely a project and a unsexed, but I think pullet, partridge Mille chick.

I am thrilled with the rooster! I will post pictures later when I have some charged batteries.