Oregon

[Garjzla]

.?? I am new to this and just thought they are at an awkward stage with their "crests." Are you telling me these are mixes??? Which I'm fine with but very curious since the breeder I got them from is awesome and I don't want to offend her by questioning her.

I have one myself, and she had no sign what so ever of a crest. I have never seen little young cochins with such a big crest. They also look like they have a bit of silkie in them. If she's a good breeder she shouldn't mind you asking her, as a breeder you're asked many questions about your chickens.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I have one myself, and she had no sign what so ever of a crest. I have never seen little young cochins with such a big crest. They also look like they have a bit of silkie in them. If she's a good breeder she shouldn't mind you asking her, as a breeder you're asked many questions about your chickens.

@Corydg
x2 bantam Cochins do not have crests, ever. They look like Silkie mixes to me as well. And, definitely ask your breeder. You and she may have miscommunicated.

Also, I wouldn't leap to roosters unless someone is crowing, especially the non-barred bird.

On the barred, it is possibly a rooster, but I can't get your photo to enlargen for me. It stays in the small thumbview. The barred also looks to have a walnut or pea type comb, another indicator that is a mix as Cochins have single combs. That also gives evidence of Silkie in the mix.

Cochin roosters will get large red single combs fairly quickly...you generally know by 3 months of age, pretty much without a doubt. EDITED TO ADD: Silkies, and Silkie mixes, can be much harder to sex. Neither bird is screaming roo to me, other than the Barred has a more upright Silkie male type stance...but that is not definitive. If you thought they were male because of the crest, many female birds have crests too. (Cream Crested Legbar for one.)

Below are photos of my bantam Cochin pullets at 3 months of age for comparison.

 

[Garjzla]

@Corydg
x2 bantam Cochins do not have crests, ever. They look like Silkie mixes to me as well. And, definitely ask your breeder. You and she may have miscommunicated.

Also, I wouldn't leap to roosters unless someone is crowing, especially the non-barred bird.

On the barred, it is possibly a rooster, but I can't get your photo to enlargen for me. It stays in the small thumbview. The barred also looks to have a walnut or pea type comb, another indicator that is a mix as Cochins have single combs. That also gives evidence of Silkie in the mix.

Cochin roosters will get large red single combs fairly quickly...you generally know by 3 months of age, pretty much without a doubt. EDITED TO ADD: Silkies, and Silkie mixes, can be much harder to sex. Neither bird is screaming roo to me, other than the Barred has a more upright Silkie male type stance...but that is not definitive. If you thought they were male because of the crest, many female birds have crests too. (Cream Crested Legbar for one.)

Below are photos of my bantam Cochin pullets at 3 months of age for comparison.

Yeah, female chickens have crests, too.

Like mine:





Sorry about the sultan being dirty, it's so hard to keep her ship shape in Oregon.

 

[Corydg]

I just love you all! So informative. I am actually a veterinarian (Doctor of Vet Med) who had to learn everything about chickens in vet school (diseases, husbandry, etc.) but know nothing about breeds, common every day issues, and really didn't have the brain power to focus on yet another species. It is just so wonderful to have all of you experts. I am determined to become an excellent chicken veterinarian some day!
I thought the pea comb was an anomaly but it would make total sense that there is some Silkie given she had many silkies (in a different pen at the time I was there) and Cochins. I will talk to her and see what she says. I will also not try to jump the gun about assuming they are cockerals until we get a crow or lay...especially if they are the difficult to distinguish silkie mix.
Thanks again and I'll keep you all posted. If you don't mind I'll get close up pics tomorrow and send them for your judgement.

 

[Garjzla]

I just love you all! So informative. I am actually a veterinarian (Doctor of Vet Med) who had to learn everything about chickens in vet school (diseases, husbandry, etc.) but know nothing about breeds, common every day issues, and really didn't have the brain power to focus on yet another species. It is just so wonderful to have all of you experts. I am determined to become an excellent chicken veterinarian some day!
I thought the pea comb was an anomaly but it would make total sense that there is some Silkie given she had many silkies (in a different pen at the time I was there) and Cochins. I will talk to her and see what she says. I will also not try to jump the gun about assuming they are cockerals until we get a crow or lay...especially if they are the difficult to distinguish silkie mix.
Thanks again and I'll keep you all posted. If you don't mind I'll get close up pics tomorrow and send them for your judgement.

I seriously just said out loud "Oh, really?" when you said you were a vet. LOL.
I want to be a vet, it'd help me a lot with all my many animals. I wouldn't say I'M an expert but I have read a lot about breeds, behavior, looks, and other things.

 

[only1bgirl]

Count toes Silkies are supposed to have five . I think they look like a mix too with the crests that is typical of a Silkie and if they are you wont be able to tell sex until about five months or so. I have a white Silkie hen that we were sure was a Roo she even crowed once but started laying at 5 and half months of age. Also think I see fluffy bottoms in your photos that would also be a Silkie trait. The black skin is also more of a Silkie than Cochin trait. The barred bird might be fun to breed back to a grey Silkie to see if you could get a cuckoo Silkie line going. @Corydg

 

[Garjzla]

Count toes Silkies are supposed to have five . I think they look like a mix too with the crests that is typical of a Silkie and if they are you wont be able to tell sex until about five months or so. I have a white Silkie hen that we were sure was a Roo she even crowed once but started laying at 5 and half months of age. Also think I see fluffy bottoms in your photos that would also be a Silkie trait. The black skin is also more of a Silkie than Cochin trait. The barred bird might be fun to breed back to a grey Silkie to see if you could get a cuckoo Silkie line going. @Corydg

That'd be cool! Yeah, silkies are know for their fluffy butts

. They also seem to have silkie feathers...I don't know, a proper breeder would be serious and NEVER sell chicks and say their pure bred if they obviously have SOMETHING different about them.

 

[only1bgirl]

That'd be cool! Yeah, silkies are know for their fluffy butts . They also seem to have silkie feathers...I don't know, a proper breeder would be serious and NEVER sell chicks and say their pure bred if they obviously have SOMETHING different about them.

Hard telling they could of been told they were Cochins and they didn't know any better. I've seen a bunch of Cochins and silkies kept together, I'm sure because of their similar size. Intrigued with the bars, there's a cuckoo Silkie with bars they are really neat! I ordered eggs for cuckoos but they didn't hatch.

 

[Garjzla]

Hard telling they could of been told they were Cochins and they didn't know any better. I've seen a bunch of Cochins and silkies kept together, I'm sure because of their similar size. Intrigued with the bars, there's a cuckoo Silkie with bars they are really neat! I ordered eggs for cuckoos but they didn't hatch.

I just don't know, maybe she should study some more, so she can tell what chicks look like what before she starts breeding, because if someone paid for something they obviously should get what they paid for.

 

[Corydg]

Update. Texted the breeder and she said it is a sizzle hen that laid these. She is 1/2 silkie 1/2 bantam cochin and the rooster is bantam cochin. She was really cool about it and told me before the hen was a sizzle but I just thought that meant she had the special feathers and any breed could be sizzle and this breed was Cochin only. I'm totally fine with it all. I am finding Silkies intriguing and adorable but quite genetically weak with so many fragilities that make them "heartbreakers" as one breeder said to me.. I'm all about hybrid vigor. I'm really aiming for lap chickens more than anything but think I'll have some fun with silkie serama and silkie cochin mixes.
Only1bgirl, grey to the barred...could be interesting. The cuckoos are awesome looking.
All of you have such great comments. Is the lighter one Crele? So thankful to have this forum!