Mille fleur bantam cochin spangled pekin project

[Willawong Hill]

When I bought my first birds I was really loving the caramel colour of Millie but since getting them I've really come to appreciate little red. She has the advantage of being a year older but I think her shape and flowering will probably still be better even as the others grow. I suspect Peggy may end up too gay more like a calico. Im thinking peggy has the best foot colour though so hopefully they'll all add something to my breeding project. Looking forward to seeing what you guys get. It's nice that we're in different hemispheres so I can live vicariously through your hatches while it's winter here!

 

[Willawong Hill]

@Birdie2019 did you ever decide to bring in mottle or anything else to increase the rate of production for yours? Or is anyone else doing mfc nearby? I am pondering putting some nice splash pullet I have in and trying for blue mille as well but that might be biting off more than i can chew...

 

[Birdie2019]

@Birdie2019 did you ever decide to bring in mottle or anything else to increase the rate of production for yours? Or is anyone else doing mfc nearby? I am pondering putting some nice splash pullet I have in and trying for blue mille as well but that might be biting off more than i can chew...

@Willawong Hill
I want to, but I’m so far away from any good breeders. Plus, I need to build up numbers before moving forward. I’m only on 3rd generation, and have just been inbreeding (sibling x sibling due to a few unexpected deaths). My type has just gotten better because the genetics (I think) were hidden in the stock I got these guys from. I’m guessing that the farmer I got my first guys from bought hers from an auction, where a breeder was culling his or her birds. That farmer then bred the birds together and sold all of the offspring, and we purchased a trio (and one died before maturity due to a fox while free ranging. She is my profile right now).

You have pretty decent flowering, but type is needed. It’ll probably be a long process to add in Mottled. Are you planning on doing so?

After I get a line of MFs that I’m “happy” with (better type and keeping good base color, wanting more flowers though), I want to breed in Self Blue and start creating Porcelain. Just one of my many dream birds.

We have five MFs left, and they are Cashew, Casey, Frog, Jesse, and, the newest addition, Mira (Miracle).
Frog and Jesse have the worst type, so they are currently not in the breeding program. Cashew and Casey (the only hen) bred together to make Mira. She is two weeks old today (buff wing feathers, so not a guaranteed rooster but 50/50, hoping for a hen ). I will get some pics sooner or later.

 

[Willawong Hill]

I don't have any current plans to add mottled in but I may have to reconsider depending on what I get when I breed. I am also thinking of getting some more mille hatching eggs in spring to start with a lot of genetic diversity which I know is also going to mean a lot of inconsistency. It's a long term project to be sure!

There are reasonable numbers of porcelain in Aus but I think I'll try and keep out of it to keep my life more simple. Chicken math may get me in the end though. So many cool colours!

I'd love to see baby pics of Mira. Fingers crossed for more hatching so you have a good number to go on in the next generation.

 

[Birdie2019]

Mira
Week 1

Week 2 (photos taken just now)

And here are her wing feathers—> mostly buff. (Don’t worry, I am being VERY gentle with her and her wings to not cause any damage.)

Gotta live chicks to brighten up you day.

 

[Willawong Hill]

love chick pics! Fingers crossed she is a hen with lovely shape and good colouring for you. Are you setting any more eggs this summer?

 

[Birdie2019]

I am trying. My hen, Casey, has laid around a dozen (or less) good eggs this year. We have set every single one of them, and only got little Mira. Hoping for a hen because a rooster would most likely be named Cole. She already knows her name, I think.
We used to have Casey in with her flock growing up. Then (as she started laying) we moved her in with her father, Chase. Chase was declining slowly with a huge tumor opposite his crop on his breast. I was trying everything to make sure we got a grand chick from Chase. I even tried AI (and it worked, but Casey must have rejected the sperm or something). However, that was only one of the issues with the situation. Casey would not lay at all. And when she did lay, the eggs had soft shells all the way down to no shells. I had oyster shells set out for her and put some in water for her to drink in hopes for it to dissolve and her ingest some. The water gave us 2-4 good eggs over time, but Chase had passed by the time that happened. I moved her in with Cashew and Jesse (you haven’t heard of him yet, here are some pics). She hated but tolerated both of them. I think she rejected Cashew’s sperm for a while. I had him with Casey AND used AI for a few days straight. Cashew is dominant over Jesse, and Jesse has never crowed or tried to mount a hen with Cashew nearby. He has tidbitted pitifully before though. It’s hilarious on the rare occasion he does it. With those few good eggs combined with AI of Cashew (after Chase died), we hatched Mira. There is a possibility of the father being Chase or Jesse, but I think it’s Cashew because it’d been a long time since Chase fertilized Casey (I didn’t use AI in the worst part of Chase’s illness) and Jesse is not dominant over Cashew. So yeah.

If you can’t tell, I talk a LOT. Sorry for the long post lol.
Jesse

 

[AngBantamLuv]

I am trying. My hen, Casey, has laid around a dozen (or less) good eggs this year. We have set every single one of them, and only got little Mira. Hoping for a hen because a rooster would most likely be named Cole. She already knows her name, I think.
We used to have Casey in with her flock growing up. Then (as she started laying) we moved her in with her father, Chase. Chase was declining slowly with a huge tumor opposite his crop on his breast. I was trying everything to make sure we got a grand chick from Chase. I even tried AI (and it worked, but Casey must have rejected the sperm or something). However, that was only one of the issues with the situation. Casey would not lay at all. And when she did lay, the eggs had soft shells all the way down to no shells. I had oyster shells set out for her and put some in water for her to drink in hopes for it to dissolve and her ingest some. The water gave us 2-4 good eggs over time, but Chase had passed by the time that happened. I moved her in with Cashew and Jesse (you haven’t heard of him yet, here are some pics). She hated but tolerated both of them. I think she rejected Cashew’s sperm for a while. I had him with Casey AND used AI for a few days straight. Cashew is dominant over Jesse, and Jesse has never crowed or tried to mount a hen with Cashew nearby. He has tidbitted pitifully before though. It’s hilarious on the rare occasion he does it. With those few good eggs combined with AI of Cashew (after Chase died), we hatched Mira. There is a possibility of the father being Chase or Jesse, but I think it’s Cashew because it’d been a long time since Chase fertilized Casey (I didn’t use AI in the worst part of Chase’s illness) and Jesse is not dominant over Cashew. So yeah.

If you can’t tell, I talk a LOT. Sorry for the long post lol.
JesseView attachment 2753929View attachment 2753930

My cochin was having super soft eggs on and off, despite oyster shell being available. I ended up dissolving a calcium pill in a teaspoon of water and then sopped it up with a small piece of bread. She gobbled it down! I only did it a couple times, but seemed to get her over the deficiency. Might be an idea if her eggs go soft again.

 

[Birdie2019]

My cochin was having super soft eggs on and off, despite oyster shell being available. I ended up dissolving a calcium pill in a teaspoon of water and then sopped it up with a small piece of bread. She gobbled it down! I only did it a couple times, but seemed to get her over the deficiency. Might be an idea if her eggs go soft again.

Thanks for the advice! Yes, still fighting. Thought she just stopped altogether while she stocked up some calcium, but I found a few soft shelled eggs in her nesting box. I will have to try that!

 

[Willawong Hill]

I've heard of the crushed tums before so hope it works for you. Also have my fingers crossed for lots of other mira and coles for you before the end of the season. It doesn't help that pekins aren't the most prolific layers. I'm only just starting to get eggs now but not often. Hoping to set some in September. Of course they still go broody though!