Self-Blue Cochin Bantams

[mjgigax]

My Lavender Cochins are starting to hatch!!!!!! I bought 6 eggs from Maryland(5 fertile), 12 eggs from Georgia(9 fertile) and 17 eggs from New York (only 2 fertile!!!!!!

). Now, time to see how many from each place hatch. I've got tiny little leg bands to keep track of how they develope. I think it is safe to say, unless their type is terrific, New York is not the flock to rely on.

Update- From Maryland - 1 lavender chick that had to be helped - may not make it.
New York - 1 lavender, 1 pipped - probable won't make it.
Georgia - 5; 3 black split to lavender, 2 lavender. I already have 1 month old pullet from this flock.
Not great rates but I'm not disapointed. I didn't expect much, just wanted to get this flock started before spring.
My goal is to have some reasonable type going. I really want to work with Cochinman's stock when he has it available. I wonder how long is his waiting list already?

 

[cochinman2005]

Quote:
Sorry it took me a bit to get back.. Yes they are only my f1s and as of this moment I have some with greyish bottoms, some with white and greyish spots, and some with white. Im going to let they grow out some more but the ones with the grey I want to cull first correct? Then the white and grey would be culled next right? Then bad type white would be next. Then go on to breed the better typed white bottom feet chicks and start over with the Lavender offspring.

Select for type first and foremost, and look for things like correct eye color and if you can make sure that the f1s that you use for breeding have good earlobe color. Do the Self-Blues you started with have good ear lobe color?

After you've selected your best typed f1 birds, then you can fine tune it a bit. Since they'll probably have all have blue/white legs/feet, it will be hard to cull based on foot color. First and foremost select for type. Look for good feather quality and good feather width and select for a Cochin head if you can. You probably won't see consistent yellow feet until the 3rd generation splits when you go back to Black for the second time.

 

[PhoenixFeatherFarms]

Quote:
Gotcha

and yes the self-blues I have have good red ear lobes

 

[ParadisePoultry]

Cochinman2005:

I am trying to obtain breed quality black cochins from the Urch's in Minnesota. They have excellent type. Perhaps I would be able to someday get some birds from you to breed to them?

 

[destiny_56085]

You have some of the top bantam cochin breeders right up here....Kilmallie Farms (John Ulvin) from Forest Lake, Mark Peterson from Amboy, and Pat Lacey from WI. Its rare to not see their birds on champ row at any show. It might save you alot of shipping costs and they are all awesome people to deal with too.

 

[ParadisePoultry]

Thanks Amy !

ETA-I learned so much from you at the Hutch show. Can you believe that pullet he put up as reserve Champ Feather leg? it was the one we were talking about with the vaulted skull. and the mushroom crest.

 

[cochinman2005]

Quote:
Bantams? Mark Peterson has some of the Best Black Bantams in the country as was noted earlier. Certainly it would be possible to get some from me in the future if you are interested.

 

[destiny_56085]

Whoever judged featherlegs at the Hutch show had me seriously confused. Mark had an AWESOME black cochin pullet there that deserved to be on champ row. I've known him for years and there is no better at conditioning a bird for the show ring. Pat Lacey's buff brahma bantam was pretty nice. That white silkie pullet was so questionable and even the owner was confused. I talked to Karen on sunday morning and she agreed that he just went down the line on the whites. Her white hen if anything should have been up there. I compared results of those same birds of mine from 2 weeks earlier when one of the top FL judges in the nation was at the BCPPA show. The results were almost exactly flip flopped. The white of mine that went reserve of breed under 79 silkies didn't even place in the pullet class. My lil duck footed white pullet that was crap he placed number 2. The buff and blue pullets of mine that even I thought were crap, he placed BV. Same over on the bantam faverolles.... My cockerel that took BB 2 weeks ago didn't place at all and my other cockerel got BB. The pullets were exact opposite too. I had people bugging me to sell my non-placing faverolle pullet on sunday morning. They kept trying to tell me to get rid of her because she didn't place and was crap. Well 2 weeks ago that same bird took #1 pullet out of 8 under one of the experts in the nation.

Let me know if you need the contact info for any of those people. I'm fairly sure that Pat Lacey doesn't sell many around here for fear that she might have to show against them. Ulvins are one of the newer people to the show ring but they have put alot of money and effort into their breeding program. At Fowlfest in MI about a month ago they had 4 of their birds on champ row. Mark Peterson is very active in both poultry clubs up here and helps out 4-H kids all summer at fairs too. Duane Urch also has some really nice birds in other breeds. His bantam cochins are a step above hatchery level, but probably not the caliber to win much.

 

[shelleyd2008]

The f3's have much better feather quality than the f2 Self-blues, but what I've noted in the short time that I've been working with Self-Blue, is that they tend to have poor feather quality compared to the other varieties. Tom

One thing that was noted on the discussion of lavender/porcelain d'uccles is that the lavender gene is very 'close' genetically to a gene that causes poor feather-quality. I don't know if crossing the lavenders back to black will correct that, but this is probably where your problem is coming from.

 

[dak]

That is certainly what I'm seeing in my lav Ameraucanas. It is easiest seen in the saddle and tail feathers of the cockerels. They are frayed and ragged, and both sexes appear to be much softer feathered than the blacks and blues. This may not be as apparent in cochins that are softer feathered to begin with.