Possibly a very silly question but I'm going to go for it....

[Heffalump]

So I would ideally like a banty cochin flock filled with hens of all the different colours variations available and I'd like to maintain a multicoloured banty flock down the generations.

Is there any particular colour of rooster that would be better than the next if I want to hatch different colour chicks? Or is is that if I have a black rooster my chicks will always have a 50% chance of being black?

 

[WindingRoad]

So I would ideally like a banty cochin flock filled with hens of all the different colours variations available and I'd like to maintain a multicoloured banty flock down the generations.

Is there any particular colour of rooster that would be better than the next if I want to hatch different colour chicks? Or is is that if I have a black rooster my chicks will always have a 50% chance of being black?

Sorry I can't help you maybe someone will come soon to help you. Stay well.

 

[nicalandia]

So I would ideally like a banty cochin flock filled with hens of all the different colours variations available and I'd like to maintain a multicoloured banty flock down the generations.

Is there any particular colour of rooster that would be better than the next if I want to hatch different colour chicks? Or is is that if I have a black rooster my chicks will always have a 50% chance of being black?

Get a simple Partridge rooster, it's about the most recessive phenotype there is.

 

[Heffalump]

Get a simple Partridge rooster, it's about the most recessive phenotype there is.

Thank you!

 

[Heffalump]

Get a simple Partridge rooster, it's about the most recessive phenotype there is.

Is it so recessive that i would need a partridge hen to get partridge chicks or would it come through ok if a partridge rooster mated a different coloured bird?

 

[Willawong Hill]

No, I think Partridge is recessive- for example with a black hen you would just get black chicks (possibly with some leakage). I also want the same thing- lots of multi-coloured chickens but i've noticed playing around with the genetics calculator http://kippenjungle.nl/Overzicht.htm#kipcalculator that a lot of the pretty patterns are recessive and so you'd need two genes for anything to show up. One option is to try to find a mille fleur rooster and have mottled and columbian hens as well as mille fleur and you should get a few different colours there, but you may find a lot of leakage/poor colours show up but if you're just breeding for your own amusement it might not matter. Black/blue/splash go well together also but are all in a similar colour spectrum.

 

[Heffalump]

No, I think Partridge is recessive- for example with a black hen you would just get black chicks (possibly with some leakage). I also want the same thing- lots of multi-coloured chickens but i've noticed playing around with the genetics calculator http://kippenjungle.nl/Overzicht.htm#kipcalculator that a lot of the pretty patterns are recessive and so you'd need two genes for anything to show up. One option is to try to find a mille fleur rooster and have mottled and columbian hens as well as mille fleur and you should get a few different colours there, but you may find a lot of leakage/poor colours show up but if you're just breeding for your own amusement it might not matter. Black/blue/splash go well together also but are all in a similar colour spectrum.

Thank you.

Yes it's purely just for my own amusement. I have a blue and a black hen and a white roo. I love them and would like lots of the colours about for years to come.

 

[Painted Calls]

Thank you.

Yes it's purely just for my own amusement. I have a blue and a black hen and a white roo. I love them and would like lots of the colours about for years to come.

I'm trying my hardest not to go down that road with bantam Cochins or I'll get into some serious chicken math. Almost weekly I tell myself: Mille Fleur and Mottled ONLY. I keep looking at Birchen and Lemon blue like hmmm.... But then I'd have to add on to keep all my colors separated and I am able to resist for another week.

 

[Heffalump]

Is there any way of doing it even if you have 3/4/5 coops? Just wondering for the future.....

 

[Painted Calls]

As long as you don't mind mixing your colors, you can do it in one coop. I just like keeping my lines and colors pure.

That being said... The more coops the better! You can never have too many.