the bird in my avatar is a juvenile mille fleur cochin roo. he is way different looking now. you can see him on my website.
The reason it cost a ton to feed and raise now, is because none of the babies have all the traits I want in one bird. There are three black peacombed, one with a beard. there are two barred, pea combed ones with no beard, and there are two barred bearded ones with no pea combs, and I forget what other combos... and that doesn't even take into account egg color. I need all of those birds to cross on other birds which lack whichever traits the other ones do have. I will probably be raising a hundred or more of these things trying to set type and color and get a small flock of olive laying pullets that are barred, bearded, pea combed and lay dark olive eggs. Once I set barring at least I will have to raise only half as many to maturity.
The reason it cost a ton to feed and raise now, is because none of the babies have all the traits I want in one bird. There are three black peacombed, one with a beard. there are two barred, pea combed ones with no beard, and there are two barred bearded ones with no pea combs, and I forget what other combos... and that doesn't even take into account egg color. I need all of those birds to cross on other birds which lack whichever traits the other ones do have. I will probably be raising a hundred or more of these things trying to set type and color and get a small flock of olive laying pullets that are barred, bearded, pea combed and lay dark olive eggs. Once I set barring at least I will have to raise only half as many to maturity.
