***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[ashtree]

Large Fowl Cochin - Black Mottled
Watch out, Cochins are the sweetest, funniest birds. They are bowling balls covered in feathers.
It is hilarious to watch them run.
I adore mine. They are not great layers and go broody a lot but so mellow and friendly. They are the best parents; even my roosters look after the babies.

Cochins are some of my favorites. I just got 2 LF, have only had bantam up until now. They're still in isolation but I can't wait to introduce them to the flock. So friendly and lovable. One of mine has strange coloring and looks like a falcon. We named her peregrine. The other is a lavender.

I'm excited to watch these two grow. We're expanding the coop just for them! We also got a pretty blue easter egger chick that is crazy. I mean CRAZY. Every time I put my hand in the brooder to pick her up she comes pecking, which maybe means rooster, but she really doesn't act like a roo, just a moody hen. I hope she gets sweeter (if indeed it is a she) because I have kids and I want blue eggs

 

[rascally]

I have a buff bantam cochin named Sadie. She is a crack up. That fluffy butt gets me every time.

 

[Ksane]

So Pretty!!!!

Thank you, Kim!!

Ksane I can supply yoy with legbar boys! just say how many and I'll bring then to poops.

Really??? Will you have any under 6 wks or so? I don't want to risk caponizing any older than 10-11 wks.

Ksane, not to sound stupid but what is a slip? Is it a cross breed or something.

Kass answered, but it's when you don't get the entire testicle. It's a slick tiny organ the size of a sunflower seed without the shell, it's easy to miss a piece of it.

Stunning!

Thank you! I just aadore her )

So, judging by the slip in the picture a red comb indicates regrowth? Also do the caponized ones still try to do the deed? Depend on the roo?
I can't tell you guys how much I love this thread. I'm always learning something new.

Capons don't crow, breed or fight. The ones I've got hang out with the hens and do a lot of dustbathing The hens actually fuss more at each other than capons do.

Mitzi that Legbar and Cochin are Beeeyoutiful!
OMG, nothing was ready for hatching chicks! I jumped into action and threw together a brooder box and got this sweet little baby set up. If she makes it, her name shall be Early. Thats Early Bird. Because half an hour after I took her out of the incubator (still sitting on top of the egg turner), the lockdown timer went off. Yep, today is lockdown day.
Talk about a totally dry hatch.

Thanks! I've had 2 chicks over the past 3 yrs who hatched out 3 days early. She'll make it!

What is that spotted chicken's breed? I think 7 have one. Gorgeous!!

She's an LF (large fowl) Cochin who was all black her 1st 18 months. Last fall when she molted her new feathers came in spootted (mottled). I've never seen a mottled LF Cochin before, just Bantam cochins that color. I wish I could fine some more big Cochins that color.

Meant to say-I had given 1 of the hens 2 turkey babies to raise and just wasn't comfortable having them out there in a big yard so ended up putting them in the brooder with the mixed breed chicks. I won't know gender by 8 wks so I'm going to attempt caponizing and look for testicles. Male turkeys too often get mean when they're mature and i don't want to risk it.
I also had to di impacted crop surgery on a 2nd hen. One of my bantam Faverolles girls. Stupid of me not to pull the straw out from ALL pens! It went great though and real fast. I had absorbable sutures this time with proper needles. So stitching the crop and skin seperately was a breeze!

 

[artsyrobin]

I mean CRAZY. Every time I put my hand in the brooder to pick her up she comes pecking, which maybe means rooster, but she really doesn't act like a roo, just a moody hen. I hope she gets sweeter (if indeed it is a she) because I have kids and I want blue eggs

here's what you do with the crazy girl, bathe her, blow her dry and spend lots of time loving on her, i have a little one like that, she got caught in fly strip so her name is sticky feathers, she is the friendliest little chick now


so if you have a capon that starts crowing, is it always because he is a slip?

 

[lonnyandrinda]

bummer!
Murphy's law of Chicken Raising - You only loose the roosters in pens where your have no back-up roo!

I'm a step ahead of Murphy this time- I have a cockerel in the wings in my bachelor pad. Once this freaky weather clears up I'll put him in and see if he can figure out how to dance with the girls!

Ksane absolutely I have little cream Legbar cockerels coming out my ears especially if you want the more colorful ones (those are undesirable for breeding). When I do pen shuffle this weekend I'll get a better idea of what I have and what ages.

Good job on the crop surgery! You're a pro now!

 

[Firefly89]

Wow Mitzi! If I need a chicken vet I'm calling you!
Beautiful Cochin! I'm looking for a few fun colored bantam Cochins but I'm in no hurry.
I got a handful if birds that I considered rescues. Started w 5, down to 3, have one frizzle hen that has a gaping wound on her back, I didn't expect her to still be around but she's responding well to treatment. The 2 that died were the smallest and I couldn't get them to gain weight it broke my heart. I'm sad someone let them get that way. They were all eaten up w mites and looking terrible...

 

[Ksane]

so if you have a capon that starts crowing, is it always because he is a slip?

That 2nd picture looks pretty red in the comb but the 1st doesn't. If he's crowing I'd sure be suspicious that he's a slip. I've got 1 that Poco was a little unsure about. His comb is pretty red but he doesn't crow, doesn't fight or breed hens. And roosters outside the fence flirt with him So maybe there's different degrees of "slippage".

Ksane absolutely I have little cream Legbar cockerels coming out my ears especially if you want the more colorful ones (those are undesirable for breeding). When I do pen shuffle this weekend I'll get a better idea of what I have and what ages. Good job on the crop surgery! You're a pro now!

Yes!! I'd love to have the most colorful ones lol Be sure to let me know what numbers you end up with. If you've got 4 or 5 I'd love to buy them.

Wow Mitzi! If I need a chicken vet I'm calling you! Beautiful Cochin! I'm looking for a few fun colored bantam Cochins but I'm in no hurry. I got a handful if birds that I considered rescues. Started w 5, down to 3, have one frizzle hen that has a gaping wound on her back, I didn't expect her to still be around but she's responding well to treatment. The 2 that died were the smallest and I couldn't get them to gain weight it broke my heart. I'm sad someone let them get that way. They were all eaten up w mites and looking terrible...

That's why I'm so hesitant to sell mine at an auction or Craigslist. There's just too many people who don't take very good car of them and just don't care. I'm so glad to see you back here!! I'm really not very good or experienced with caponizing *or crop surgery. It's more out of desperation. I can't just do nothing and watch them die.

 

[ashtree]

That 2nd picture looks pretty red in the comb but the 1st doesn't. If he's crowing I'd sure be suspicious that he's a slip. I've got 1 that Poco was a little unsure about. His comb is pretty red but he doesn't crow, doesn't fight or breed hens. And roosters outside the fence flirt with him

So maybe there's different degrees of "slippage".
Yes!! I'd love to have the most colorful ones lol Be sure to let me know what numbers you end up with. If you've got 4 or 5 I'd love to buy them.
That's why I'm so hesitant to sell mine at an auction or Craigslist. There's just too many people who don't take very good car of them and just don't care. I'm so glad to see you back here!! I'm really not very good or experienced with caponizing *or crop surgery. It's more out of desperation. I can't just do nothing and watch them die.

So are you saying canonized roosters don't crow?

 

[shelbydog]

So are you saying canonized roosters don't crow? 

Crowing, mounting, and aggression is testosterone driven. Take the testosterone away and those behaviors go away. Crowing might still happen if done on a roo that has already 'found his voice' but it's not a full blown crow. I have one capon that crows but it's a weak and short crow. My d'uccle roo went from a feisty sound machine to a silent and calm flock member. It took 2 months for his testosterone to leave his body and him to stop crowing completely.

 

[greenbeetle]

I have a LF Cochin hen that is broody and sitting on 7 eggs... She is in a breeding pen with a Rooster and two other hens, they are leaving her alone, however when the chicks hatch do i need to move her and the babies. Will the other 2 hens and Rooster try to kill them or pick on them.