Mille Cochin Info

[ki4got]

Where does the melanizing gene come from? - Wheaten?
I'm thinking that too much columbian is an inhibitor, which is why we have such a hard time getting the black bands on the breast..

I thought adding partridge would give you the color similar to a Speckled Sussex..

actually, the melanizing gene can be from a number of sources, but columbians with nice dark markings will probably carry it. a bird carrying Ml will show much darker hackle markings, and in ee+ type birds at least, will have some dark tips to the feathers. not a cochin, but a good example of what i'm trying to explain...

this is a red dorking girl carrying Ml


and another dorking girl who carries 2 different melanizing genes, Cha and Ml. the Cha gives her a black head and Ml makes a more definite black tip to her breast feathers. the other dark tips aren't as visible, since her feathers are overall darker because of Cha. (she's also silver based, rather than red like the above girl).

don't worry about Cha though, i don't think it exists in cochins, while it does stem in dorkings from the colored lines. (the second girl is what i'm working on to establish my 'dark' dorking line).

 

[Fancy Feathers]

You really have a grasp on it. Thanks for explaining

 

[tiki244]

ki4got thanks! the pictures help a lot, you really know your stuff. To me at first it sounded like you were talking in another language. But the pictures really help me to understand.

 

[JosieChick]

I have a pullet that I hatched that looks just like the bird in the second pic! I have no idea what she is because she was supposed to be an ameraucana and I got a mess of eggs so I figured she was a mix! She must at least be a dorking mix!

actually, the melanizing gene can be from a number of sources, but columbians with nice dark markings will probably carry it. a bird carrying Ml will show much darker hackle markings, and in ee+ type birds at least, will have some dark tips to the feathers. not a cochin, but a good example of what i'm trying to explain...

this is a red dorking girl carrying Ml


and another dorking girl who carries 2 different melanizing genes, Cha and Ml. the Cha gives her a black head and Ml makes a more definite black tip to her breast feathers. the other dark tips aren't as visible, since her feathers are overall darker because of Cha. (she's also silver based, rather than red like the above girl).

don't worry about Cha though, i don't think it exists in cochins, while it does stem in dorkings from the colored lines. (the second girl is what i'm working on to establish my 'dark' dorking line).

Nancy, I keep meaning to post that I LOVE your avatar roo! He is just lovely!

You really have a grasp on it. Thanks for explaining

Has anyone gotten buff columbians out of mille fleur breedings? I had a couple of accidental eggs that a broody started so I stuck them in the bator and let them hatch. They came out of my pen of mille fleur/calico birds and they are a washed out buff columbian. I had no idea that could happen?!?

 

[ShysCreations]

Love the earlier "camo" shot of the mille pullet, can you find the cockerel below?

 

[County Boy]

 

[tiki244]

beautiful photos. the two in the bottom photo look like they would make a wonderful pair

 

[ki4got]

I have a pullet that I hatched that looks just like the bird in the second pic! I have no idea what she is because she was supposed to be an ameraucana and I got a mess of eggs so I figured she was a mix! She must at least be a dorking mix!
Quote: on these 2 comments... the bird in the second pic is simply a melanized (melanotic gene Ml and charcoal gene Cha) silver (S/-) duckwing (e+/e+). the color could result from any number of crosses. unless she's got 5 toes on each foot, it's doubtful she's a dorking cross. depending on the source, a lot of people and hatcheries consider easter egger and ameraucana interchangable, although ameraucana do have a breed standard for some color varieties, while easter eggers are simply mixed breed birds that lay blue eggs, and also tend to have beard/muff, pea comb and dark legs, like the ameraucana do.

as for the buff columbian, one of the mutations necessary for mille fleur to happen IS columbian... so if the bird somehow doesn't get the mottling gene from one of the parents, then it's quite possible to be BC. or it could be minimal mottling that may develop as they age? i've heard of that happenning too.

 

[Funky Feathers]

So, I am getting out of the MFC project and am down to my last 2 Roos. Anybody want them?

Roo #1:


Roo #2 (younger):










He was jumping around & flapping, so it was hard to get a good pic of him
They are inly $15 each.

 

[JosieChick]

Well darn! I was hoping I had figured out what she was. Maybe she is just an EE or something. She just doesn't look like any other EE I have had and is very petite. I don't believe she has five toes though! Yes, I was pretty aggravated with my mixed bunch of birds from pure hatching eggs. They were supposed to be wheaten ameraucanas and I am fairly familiar with the breed standard and even saw the "parents" but I am assuming there was a mix up in pens with the eggs I received.

I was surprised to get these two buff columbians, it has never happened before with two mille colored birds to me. At first they looked all buff but now they are starting to get a little black in. It will be interesting to see if they develop any mottling as they grow.

on these 2 comments... the bird in the second pic is simply a melanized (melanotic gene Ml and charcoal gene Cha) silver (S/-) duckwing (e+/e+). the color could result from any number of crosses. unless she's got 5 toes on each foot, it's doubtful she's a dorking cross. depending on the source, a lot of people and hatcheries consider easter egger and ameraucana interchangable, although ameraucana do have a breed standard for some color varieties, while easter eggers are simply mixed breed birds that lay blue eggs, and also tend to have beard/muff, pea comb and dark legs, like the ameraucana do.

as for the buff columbian, one of the mutations necessary for mille fleur to happen IS columbian... so if the bird somehow doesn't get the mottling gene from one of the parents, then it's quite possible to be BC. or it could be minimal mottling that may develop as they age? i've heard of that happenning too.

They are a cute couple! I love that girl, she looks like one of my girls, is she related to Erin's birds (Ms Bear?) Very nice fall pics!