Mille Cochin Info

[Funky Feathers]

Hey guys, I found on another forum that ppl in England and Belgium are working on MFC in LF. They have a long way to go on the foot/leg feathering, but still nice. I can post pics if y'all want to see.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

That would be wonderful. I would love to see what else is going on.

 

[Helen in the Desert]

Hey guys, I found on another forum that ppl in England and Belgium are working on MFC in LF. They have a long way to go on the foot/leg feathering, but still nice. I can post pics if y'all want to see.

Yes, Please!

 

[Funky Feathers]

OK. These are the ones in England:





And these are the ones in Belgium (BTW I was born there):

 

[Helen in the Desert]

We need those here...

 

[Reyvaughn]

They are using Jubilee Orps to make them. I was waiting for that to happen. I even thought about getting a Jubilee roo to put over my girls. But, I have way to many projects and I can't afford a Jubilee right now.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Now, see, I think it is really messing up a breed to cross in another breed just for color. It is a long road anyways so why not cross the colors together in a breed to make the better typed bird? I know it has been done here but you lose a lot when you try to breed out certain characteristics of the wrong breed but keep pattern in what you are creating.
Why not start from scratch with typy birds and create the color pattern while selecting for type along the way?

Pretty birds though! They would be a real hit here. Too bad I am wore out from all I already have going on.

 

[Helen in the Desert]

Now, see, I think it is really messing up a breed to cross in another breed just for color. It is a long road anyways so why not cross the colors together in a breed to make the better typed bird? I know it has been done here but you lose a lot when you try to breed out certain characteristics of the wrong breed but keep pattern in what you are creating.
Why not start from scratch with typy birds and create the color pattern while selecting for type along the way?

Pretty birds though! They would be a real hit here. Too bad I am wore out from all I already have going on.

Aren't there LF Cochin mottled and buff columbian? It would make for sense to me to start from scatch. I have to aggree

 

[WestKnollAmy]

They are out there but harder to find than a needle in a haystack. LF are just not as popular as these bantam Cochins in some colors. You can try some hatcheries but they do not have the quality of birds that serious breeders would have.

If I was going to make LF I would certainly start from scratch but I practically did with my birds anyhow. I can't say it has hindered me too badly.

 

[mibirder]

Everyone -

I have a few observations regarding Mille fleur breeding selection.

First, I've noted that there are four base colors (at least in my flock); buff, mahageny (RIR dark red), orange (New Hampshire orange red) and a brown with poor penciling (think mismarked partridge hens). The buffs tend toward calico and pullets. The mahageny tend to lack black spangles and cockerels. The oranges are best marked and evenly sexed. The browns tend toward calico and pullets. I know the ideal are the oranges for cockerels and light orange or buff for the hens.

Second, the eWh wheaten colored chicks (faded chipmunk stripes on off white) tend toward the buffs and oranges. eb brown based chicks tend toward the other colors.

Third, buff seem to whiten with age at a faster rate than the darker colors.

Much of the available breeding stock has a mix of genetic backgrounds and cleaning this up to produce consistent offspring is the hardest task at hand - along with the ever present type selection.

Thoughts?

Dave