Need input from cochin breeders that show their birds...thanks! **PICS

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I'm looking for input on this 3 month old white cockerel. I noticed that he has recently gotten a little bit of yellowing in his hackle feathers...darn it! Will this improve...get worse??? He is only in the sun about 2 hours a day. I was so sure it was a pullet until a few weeks ago. He was a bit late getting his comb and wattles.

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[tiki244]

He looks beautiful!!!! I mean it!! It could be something in his diet (yellow feathers). Maybe the sun too. The only other thing I can think of is to try and breed him to a silver based white bird. I also think maybe reccessive white breeds truer. However, I am only a beginner at breeding cochins.

 

[BeckyLa]

Beautiful bird. Sorry, I don't show and can't help you there, but I have seen the yellow coloring in birds that are fed corn, especially if it's a good bit of corn. Perhaps if you take him totally off corn he will whiten up again. I don't know if you'd have to wait until he molts, though.

 

[Kanchii]

Make sure he's not getting any corn in his food, that'd do it. And he might just need a good bath too get it out. Try washing him in blueing cat shampoo for white cats

 

[tiki244]

He has a beautiful body shape and type. I am thinkiung the coloring could just be the covering around the feathers as he is molting.

 

[Msbear]

The sun definitely is the cause

-never heard of the corn thing. That may be some of it. I don't know. He should moult out of it...eventually

He's a super nice specimen.

 

[mikarod]

Quote:
Could be the sun, but if scratch is added or any corn (other than that in the crumbles and pelleted feed) it can cause yellowing of the feathers. Corn is added to broiler diets to increase the yellow of their skin.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

OK...that's probably it...the corn. We just started feeding them some scratch since the weather turned cold and that's when I noticed it. I'll have to feed his coop just the sunflower seeds and safflower seeds.

He's only 3 months old so he definitely won't molt for a long time.

Thanks for the suggestions...

 

[chickorama]

I don't have Cochins, but that did happen on my Light Brahma hen. It could be sun, I am not really sure.

 

[BeckyLa]

My experience has been that youngsters molt several times before they are a year old. Perhaps he will molt again in the spring and the yellow will go away. Good luck with showing him, he's a very nice bird!!