Mille Cochin Info

[Funky Feathers]

Quote:
Thanks. No, I don't sell my MFC eggs anymore. I hatch them all. My hatches have been very poor this year due to several factors. I can't even come close to filling all my bird orders. I owe somebody my 7 best. I may have to give him my breeders. I may end up selling this hen in November, after the MD show to the highest bidder/best offer by someone who will use her for breeding and show her. She deserves to be out in the show circuit and needs to help improve people's breeding projects, and I am running out of space and money to keep up my bird hobby. I want her to go to someone who is serious about the MFC project and will take her to some of the big shows. She has no competition here in MD.

 

[Funky Feathers]

I just updated my progression pics of my chipmunk chick (page 204). Check him out.









He's got some nice breast flowers, yes?

 

[mjgigax]

That first picture ....

Man your birds are pretty, Mrs Hollywood!
I think we have to expect that Mottled are going to be better shaped, don't we? Mottled is a stable color in Bantam Cochins, and there are some very nice, typey Mottleds..
Mille Fleur is a project, still very much in the "project" stage, is how I look at it. We're all working towards improvement, both in color and type.. I hope we never lose the calicos though!

Yes, I agree. You have nice birds to work with. The colors on the Mille Fleur will change a lot. My two foundation hens looked so different when they were chicks; one had a balanced amount of white and the second had very little white. They now are almost alike. The second girl gained a lot mor white by the age of 2 yrs.
The two in the last picture and the ones with color that I wouldn't work with unless the have fabulous type. They may become Mille Fleur patterened though. I don't even guess who I will breed until they are 6 mo. old and even then I can be wrong. I gave a 6 mo. pair to a cousin that lives 3 hrs. away. When I saw them 3 weeks ago the rooster that I thought was just too red now have the nicest leg feathering of any boys I I have hatched.
The roo is also quite a character - He rules the roost there - He is not at all mean but dominates the other roo, a big Buff Orpington, and even chases the Emu!

 

[County Boy]

This is Remington. I got him from Lynne and showed you him a couple weeks ago. Just wondering how you think he is maturing? I think he is 6 months now.

 

[County Boy]

So, I'm stuck, I want to breed Mille Fleurs but don't have hens. I have 1 mille roo (pictured above), a mottled rooser, and lots of blue mottleds. I can get a buff hen but no buff columbians. Would it b worth puchasing a buff hen?

 

[dday911]

Country boy,
I have two pullets I can sell you from feb hatches.
Your biggest cost would be shipping, I will sell you the hens for 15 each.
Never shipped before but have received birds. I will give you a box. Let me know if Interested.
Sorry, it was almost dark when I snapped these....

 

[County Boy]

Country boy,
I have two pullets I can sell you from feb hatches.
Your biggest cost would be shipping, I will sell you the hens for 15 each.
Never shipped before but have received birds. I will give you a box. Let me know if Interested.
Sorry, it was almost dark when I snapped these....

I would if the weather was cooler. Maybe in the fall.

 

[dday911]

Yes, way too hot here! Been around 100!
Keep me in mind this fall. I am trying to cut way back....
I have culled over 40 birds this week. These are two out of 4 I am keeping, but these two are for sale. I know what it's like to want a color and can't find them. My silver laced project is that way. No one has silver laced, at least not any that can help me! I am having to make my own.

 

[MrsChickendad]

We have several milles we will be selling as soon as the weather cools. Year old hens, some extras from this year's hatch and some frizzle milles! Will post some pix as soon as my glasses unfog. . . .

 

[WestKnollAmy]

If I were you I would breed a buff to the Mottled. It is a long road but once you get some MF hens in the fall you will have chicks growing up that you can work with, too.
It is best to bring in as much variety to start with as you can or you will be adding later and have a lot more to sort out. I have 2 closed lined breeding plans for my MF and it has been working out well for me so far. When I introduced new blood to a pen it really sent my breeding for them out the door so I am having a hard time getting that back in check.

Considering what I started with about 3 years ago I think I am doing pretty well now where I have kept a good focus.