Standard Cochin Questions?

[bacres]

I am planing on getting Black Blue and Splash Standard Cochins. I would also like to throw Mottled in there, but I am having a hard time finding breeders of Mottled Standard Cochins. I have a few questions.

1. Is Mottled a showable color in Standard Cochins?
2. Could I breed up by using a Bantam Mottled Cochin Rooster and a Standard Black Cochin Hen?
3. If I would go with #2 how long would it take and would the male be able to fertilize the eggs?

Thanks
~Matt

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

I would really love some mottled standards, and I have heard of a couple people with them, but no one sells hatching eggs, and if they do, they don't ship.

 

[WyandotteTX]

Jamie Matts has very good Mottled Standards and they are an APA breed. The last I talked to him he had birds in the fall to sell like most breeders. I think he asks about $75 a bird for his LF.
The truth is most reputable breeders do not sell chicks or eggs because they do not want any birds leaving their property that hasnt met their approval. If people are going to use your name as the breeder they obtained stock from, they want the best quality out to the public. No, its not convenient or very easy on the pocketbook but that is kind of the way alot of breeders do business.

 

[bacres]

Can I use a mottled bantam rooster? Then breed up?

 

[WyandotteTX]

Yes you could hypothetically but it would take many generations to get back to the massive size that most LF show quality Cochins are. As long as you breed for size then color it could work.

 

[bacres]

Approxamatly how long would it take to get one up to size?

 

[WyandotteTX]

I would most likely say it would take about 4 generations to get them back up to standard size. Maybe more maybe less just depends on how big your LF are to begin with. Also, I would say you need to use a Mottled male over LF Black females that way your chicks are hatching out of bigger eggs to begin with. That being said it might be difficult for him to breed them so then you will need to Artificially Inseminate the females. The crosses can be done its just how ambitious and dedicated to the project are you

. The good news is after the F1 cross you probably wouldnt have to AI anymore.

 

[bacres]

Well I guess I will just stick with BBS Standard Cochins then.... I don't know how to AI and I don't know if I am that serious...

 

[WyandotteTX]

Sorry not trying to rain on your parade about wanting to do that project. I am just trying to be as realistic about what you would have to do to accomplish the goal you would set out to do.
And AI isnt really that hard to do. Almost all show quality LF and bantam breeders do it exclusively.

 

[cochinman2005]

Mottled Cochins - Recognized Bantam variety but not a recognized Large Fowl Variety. The large Mottleds can be shown, but can only go as far as BV/RV. We attempted to hold a qualifying meet about 5 years ago and it didn't pan out. The number of Large Fowl Mottled Breeders is pretty small, and as WyandotteTX stated, Jamie Matts has the best around. There are no doubt a couple breeders in the woodwork. As for your second question. Quick answer is yes, you could use a Bantam X Large Fowl cross and I agree you'd have to AI for the first generation, but then here lies your problem. f1 generation would be mid sized birds (in theory), and they wouldn't be pure for mottling. If you breed the f1 back to a LF Black you've just diluted your mottling again. f1 X f1 might produce birds larger than their parents, but I am betting the ones that were larger would be black instead of Mottled. You'd have to hatch large numbers to try and get f2 birds that are larger and carry mottling. I don't think it could be done in 4 generations, but that's just my opinion. Regardless it's an uphill battle doing it that way.