Mille Cochin Info

[Fancy Feathers]

My newest hatch!

 

[Funky Feathers]

My newest hatch!

Very cool pic! Beautiful.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I appreciate it! I need to learn and the only way to do it is for someone more knowledgable than me to show me the good, the bad and the ugly. lol.

Edit: It actually just occured to me that the pics of that roo were not taken recently. it didn't even occur to me. lol. That pic was taken several months ago. So he was probably only 4-5 months old. Unless he's older than I think he is....I'll just get another picture tonight. lol

Here are pics of the other birds, not very good but they're what I could get. I don't think they're really all that special but I'd like to get some sort of an idea of what I'm working with.

The second rooster: If I remember correctly I believe he is around 6 months old




Hen number one. Same age as rooster





Hen number two. Same age as rooster and hen number one. I apologize for her sitting on the pole. She refused to stay on the ground.






Hen number three. The more I looked at her yesterday the more I didn't like her. lol. She's the same age as the rooster in my first post.




So that's what I have to work with at the moment. I know it's not real impressive but I'm working on getting more birds of better quality. It'll just take time.

So after looking at them, which rooster is better from what you can tell from pictures? I'm trying to decide which one to keep in the pen with my cochins and which to move to my "random chickens" pen. There are too many roosters as of right now.

As for the hens, could you order them as far as best to worst? Or tell me if maybe one hen would go better with this rooster vs that rooster, etc?

I really do appreciate all the critisism. It's the best way to learn as far I'm concerned

I would not call it criticism exactly but more critiquing the birds so you can get a different perspective on them.

I deleted the photos just to save space.

Your second roo is okay but not as typy as what you need. He has good color but needs a tighter more rounded body and I can't see him gaining that but he may. I do think your first photoed roo would be your better choice of the two. This second one doesn't have the nice high wing carriage, has larger wattle, though I like his comb better but that is a small point to work from so I don't worry about combs as much to start with. That is a tiny detail that can be fixed later. His back appears longer but he may fill in and be better at a year old. If you think the first one is the better one then you are probably right. I like the color and pattern on both.

The first 2 hens are nice to work with. You can make great strides with them. However, if they are sisters to the roos I would find another roo. And you may have said this already and I have forgotten. If it were me I would get another roo and discard these boys. Typy roos are more easily found.
I would probably hold on to the 3rd hen, if for nothing else but a backup in case something happens to one of the other girls. I have a pen of 2nd string and 3rd string birds. Not everyone has this option but you really lose ground if you lose a hen or two. I have worked with substandard girls but I won't use a roo that is less than ideal to me. I have sold some really awesome boys though too, when I run out of room and have so many others. Boys are easier to find than girls and can really improve your breeding program.

It is really hard for me to tell from the photos but I would say the second hen is your better one, then your first hen and lastly that 3rd girl.
If it were me I would hatch from your first photo roo to these girls, cull all roos, keep the better girls and while doing that try to find a typy roo in MF. There are quite a few out there, I am sure. Everyone has extras and in 2 months shipping will be back in order and you will get your program going even better.

You have lovely color and pattern to work with. Now bring in the type.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I have a Calico MF roo with lots of white. What color hen should I pair him with to improve the MF color? I have a couple of red MF with very little white and was thinking of putting all together in hope that some of his white will improve the lack of white in them. Not sure what I will get out of that pairing??

You can try those girls but a black Mottled would work better for you. You need the white tips on those feathers but the black chevron in between the white tip and the red base of the feather. It will still take a few generations of weeding out but you could certainly get some MF eventually, depending on what is behind the calico. The girls you have may give you what you need to work with so try them and see what the kids look like at 3-6 months old.
I know it is slow but any work of art takes patience.

 

[Outlawfarms]

(Pictured is one of my black mottled roos and Blue mottled hen)
Ok I don't know if this has ben asked already but there is a lot of post on this tread and I thought it would be faster just to ask.
I have one pair of millie cochins I think the hen is reaching her past point of lay .Could I take the roo ad put him over my blue mottled and black mottled hens to get some more millies? Also have a buff , a blue , and white hens.


Black mottled pair



Blue , Blue black frizzle and Buff hens

 

[WestKnollAmy]

My newest hatch!

That is so adorable!!! You do the best photography! The only thing missing is Gracie!
Are these all your MF Cochins?

I love the one on the left. Looks like it is saying "I am so out of here!" LOL

 

[WestKnollAmy]

(Pictured is one of my black mottled roos and Blue mottled hen)
Ok I don't know if this has ben asked already but there is a lot of post on this tread and I thought it would be faster just to ask.
I have one pair of millie cochins I think the hen is reaching her past point of lay .Could I take the roo ad put him over my blue mottled and black mottled hens to get some more millies? Also have a buff , a blue , and white hens.

If you cross your MF roo over you Mottled hens your first generation won't look MF but will carry it. My birds often look black with some white tipped feathers and some read bleeding through on the neck. I put those back to MF, like daughters back to fathers even and i get some decent MFs. It is all still a work in progress but we are all getting closer. Your blue Mottleds crossed in could give you fits unless you just like the coloring of blue MF but still that would take time. And the same with your blue, though they have been talking about it here lately.
I have used buff in the past and had birds to work with for a few generations. My white bantam Cochins gave me very little to work with but mine are recessive whites.

 

[Fancy Feathers]

Thanks Stephanie and Amy.

Yup, these are all chicks from Inky, Peaches and Candy, my MF hens. I've enjoyed 100% fertility and 100% hatches recently. This picture shows 3 chicks at 5 days old, and 10 chicks at a day old. 10 for 10 is my best hatch rate so far!

And now both Inky and Candy are brooding, I've got Inky on some shipped eggs and I gave Candy a set of their own.

Question: Can you move a broody hen and her eggs? Candy decided to go broody in the Orpington pen. I left her there for now, but I'm going to have to move either her or the large fowl Orps before the chicks hatch!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Awesome hatch rate! Great going!

Yes, I move my broody girls. I usually set up a large dog crate like the size I had from my Dobermans, you may have some from your big dogs, too, although I suppose that would be more like a horse stall as big as your dogs are!

I get the nest ready and put chick starter and a water container in on a block and move the hen and eggs at night, well after dark. Most all my girls take right to it.

 

[Reyvaughn]

Amy, 6 of the eggs you sent made it to "lock down". They are just starting day 18 and they were pipped last night. I didn't get to lock them down properly. Anyways, only one mottled from Grant and the others are from KK and Xavier - 4 of the 6 are pipped!