Mille Cochin Info

[Fancy Feathers]

Thanks Amy, I've got to get something figured out. I do have one huge crate

I have the Buff Barred trio in it at night.. maybe I can move things around and turn it into a broody pen, that'd be do-able. Thanks for the ideas!

 

[JosieChick]

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!

Hahaha! This happened to me too when I hatched mottled eggs! Amy, your chicks must be eager beavers! I had one that hatched before I even had the humidity up! Good luck Reyvaughn with your hatch.

 

[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!

Well, 4 chicks are out! One is mine, three are Amy's. One chick pipped and died in the shell. One looks like it may have quit the last couple days and the last 2 are pipped (one mine, one Amy's)!

I have Marans and more Mottled and a single black bantam Cochin hatching over the next 5 days yet.

I do have some news though. As much as I love the Milles, I think I am going to stop adding to my flock. I have some nice stock to work with now and I don't want to deal with anymore pens and colors. I did think about getting out of the MFC project all together because I have to much going on, but I can't do that. So, whoever I have now stays and that's that. I know I have 8 girls growing out, 2 BC pullets, but I don't like their type, a BC hen and roo, a mottled roo and my original trio. I have one dark breeding roo, a mottled roo with nice type, a MF cockerel and a calico cockerel. Plus what's in the incubator hatching. I will have to work with what I have. I guess that means I'm closing my MFC flock...?

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I am so happy to hear some are hatching out.

Yes, you can have a closed flock. You have bloodline diversity so it should not be a problem. It can be a very good thing to have a closed flock.

Congrats and we are all waiting for baby pix!

 

[Reyvaughn]

Amy. They all died. The last one quit internally pipped. The three that hatched died in the incubator. No reason, just dead. They were fine 2hrs ago. The two from my eggs are alive and well. So far...

 

[WestKnollAmy]

What? Wow! They have to be so tough to hatch out and then to die, that is weird!
Did they get chilled or not stay in the hatcher long enough? I can't imagine.
The only time I lose a little one is when tehy do not absorb the yolk well. Had a Marans do that last week. I left it in the hatcher for 24 hours but when I moved it to the house brooder it still had all that yolk it had not absorbed. I was pretty sure that was a doomed fate. And sure enough, 2 days later it died.

Right now I have 6 Xavier, 4 KK, 3 Fred and 1 Schmoozle chick in the hatcher. They are peeping and bouncing around pretty good. Some of the eggs were pretty nasty and I thought they may not develop or hatch but here they are. I had left them sitting for a while, too and thought they may not develop because of that but setting at home and going through the mail is very different.

I am sorry you lost them. I know that is very disappointing!

 

[Reyvaughn]

They were all still in the incubator. I won't open the incubator and take them out while I have pips or chicks zipping. The last two are still alive and I won't be taking them out of the incubator until later today. Their yolks were absorbed, they were very active and pretty much fluffed by that point. I don't know what happened. I swear I wasn't meant to have chicks from you, Amy. I have one from you from the first batch of eggs I got from you. Still, the law of averages is totally against me with your eggs for some reason.

Here's the pullet I have growing out from your eggs:


And her little group. She's in front. I swear that cockerel thought I couldn't see him.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I can't believe they went through all that work to hatch and then croaked. It does seem odd.
I know you have tried very hard to get chicks from me. At least you have the one and she should bring type into your breeding program along with your other beauties there!
That little roo is too cute and he will really bring the color and probably pattern to those girls he is pictured with.

And don;t feel bad. I have hatched from certain breeders time and again and not had anything to show for it. Some breeds are just not meant for me to have while others flourish. My bantam Cochins in all varieties do really well but those blasted blue wheaten Ameraucanas get up a good age, start laying and then I find them dead. I am about to give up on that variety. My blue Ameraucanas are hardy and lay well enough to make me happy.

 

[Reyvaughn]

That's funny about the Ams. I haven't had any bad luck at all with my Wheatens. I had an overflow, actually. I sold off 7 pullets because I had to many. I have 7 that range from 15-18wks and one in the brooder from my flock - 1 is from WhiteMountainRanch. I have 13 from another breeder around 3wks old. I haven't had good luck with this other breeder's chicks, but we traded eggs for chicks.

Well, I wasn't going to hatch anymore after this last one, but I have 2 broody Cochins and a Silkie that I can not break (she's been sitting for at least 6wks now). Once a few bills are taken care of next week, I'll get in touch with you about more eggs. Then I am closing my flock. I really want a couple more from your lines before I close it down. I was hoping this hatch would be it.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

That is what I am saying! Some breeds or varieties work for some of us while others have a harder time.
If you want to try again, just let me know. I am filling a few orders now but I am sure I can get you some, as well.
I just traded Schmoozle around with KK to see if I can get better type from the crosses. KK's girls are very well patterned but I would like to see better type. I just trade around roos on hens to get pattern form one pen while type from another and see what chicks grow up to be more useful to cement that pattern and type into place.
I sold Dude but have 4 more nice roos growing up that I hope I can use. There are more than that growing up but I don't think they will be as useful. One can get surprised though.