The Poultry Keeper

Wilt · Joined: 09 Nov 2006 Posts: 31

Yes, this is why broodying is such an emotive subject, when comparing it with incubation. If the embryo has established say after 4-5 days. The eggs getting chilled will usually result in early death. But it is gauging whether the egg has chilled to the core.

I have found Cochin's make fantastic mothers but not particularly good broody's. There are exceptions to the rule, but in general terms those are my findings.

So the answer is a little wishy washy, because the subject is so subjective. There are devices that can detect the heart beat of successfully forming embryo's, but once again the dependability of such things is always questionable.

I'm afraid the only answer I could give, is to suck and see (Not literally of course!) Let the broody sit the whole period then see what results.

Sorry not to be of much help, but thats chickeneering for you!

Tim

buffcochin · Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:35 pm Post subject:

lol thx the eggs were laid on thursday i received them on friday and put them under her on saturday how long will i be able to see if they're ok by candling/torching? when i hatched my duckings a while ago it was about 1 week...is it the same for chickens? xx

Wilt · Joined: 09 Nov 2006 Posts: 31

Yes it's roughly the same, possibly a little less. However I would err on the side of caution. The old proverb about counting your chickens before they're hatches. It's okay seeing the egg is fertile after 7 days or so, but this does not guarantee a successful hatch.

Personally I leave mine to get on with it, until day 23 if nothing happens I will put surrogate chicks under her at night then remove the eggs. Then discover the reason for a failed hatch. In a similar vein. When doing artificial incubating. I only candle on day18-19 when moving the eggs from the bator to hatcher.

Hope that helps in some way.

Tim

Attila The Hen · Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 419 Location: Shetland

Agree with you there, Tim - I never candle eggs under broodies or in the incubator, and prefer just to let things take their course. I figure the less interference, the better.

Attila

buffcochin · Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2008 9:57 am Post subject:

thx for your help, much appreciated. x

buffcochin · Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 5:04 pm Post subject:

we lost one of the eggs, must have been squashed, it had a large crack in it as if it had been sat on. when i looked inside there was what looked like a little eye and a small forming of a chick. that was about 4 days ago. i have tried to candle the others as it's now day 10 but my torch mustn't be powerful enough all i can see is a dark yolk like blob in most of the eggs. when will i be able to see movement? thanks x

buffcochin · Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 4:10 pm Post subject:

candled eggs on day 14 and removed the clear ones, we have 2 left, cracked others to determine fertility but none were, no bad smells etc. here's hoping remainding 2 hatch, will keep updating. only 6 days left. x

cannonc · Joined: 17 Nov 2007 Posts: 11 Location: Camberley, Surrey

Hi,

I have hatched 3 cochins, I have inlcuded two piccies - they are now about 3 months old - could somebody please try and sex the two shots below for me please?

Many Thanks

Chris

buffcochin · Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 5:15 pm Post subject:

I now have 2 beautiful buff cochin chicks, hatched at 21 and 22 days. now 8 and 9 days old, cookie and goldie. will have to take pics. x

Wilt · Joined: 09 Nov 2006 Posts: 31

The Cochin Man · Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 5 Location: Ballarat, Victoria

Hi My name is Paul and I have been working on recreating the Cochin breed in Australia for about 25 years. As best we can tell the Cochins died out in Australia during the 1st and 2 nd World Wars. Importations were baned at about the same time and have not been lifted unless you have many tens of thousand of dollars to go through the official channels.

So I commenced a breeding program involving Pekin and Large buff Orpingtons of which we have quite a few in this country.

Some 300 to 400 birds are bred most years with many hundreds of culls in the early years, bare middle toes because of the orpngton influence and smalll size due to the Pekin influence were the main problems experienced.

However we are close to getting there with birds around 10 lb and reasonable feathering and cushion evident. Only the buff variety has been created at this stage may be blue, white ect will be done over the next few years. Have to recover from making the buff first.

Like to hear from other Cochin breeders out there to swap ideas.

Cheers Paul

Wilt · Joined: 09 Nov 2006 Posts: 31

Good on ya Paul, It's a real shame about the authorities not allowing the importation of hatching eggs even. Given the fact there are so few problems that can be tranfered through the egg.

Like all breeding there will be a lot of hit and miss, with the worse part of it being the culling. With garden chickens being ever more popular now. At least it is only the cockerels that have to go. And with those it is also possible to grow them on for the pot. There is also a growing market for that also.

I too have been attempting new colours within the cochin breed. I have been attempting to produce a Jubilee cochin. But the problems I have found using the Orpingtons, is the problem with the dominance of the white skin they have gained through dorking within in Mr Cooks breeding scheme. To that I have been useing Wyandottes. for their leg colouring, given that the single comb is dominant to that of the rose/pea comb. So this gives less rejects.

Given the problem with white skin and size. I would have thought the Australorp might be a way forward. But you will certainly have problems moving to the black colouring from Buff, without the brassiness showing in the blues. If you can get your hands on some white Wyandottes they would be a good step in the right direction.

Here is my attempt at increasing the size of the partridge cochin. Given it is the building block to an awful lot of fancy colours, it is the smallest of the British Cochin's. Even though it lays the biggest egg. And some whites with promise.

And this is also an attempt at increasing size. The lighter Gold laced girls in the above post are the ones from Buff Cochin crossing. These are some growers with promise

All the best Paul and keep it up!

Tim

The Cochin Man · Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 5 Location: Ballarat, Victoria

Great to hear from you Tim. You will find that if you use a Cochin over a white leg breed, that the 1st cross will give all white legs with moderate outside toe feathering. The next step I have found is to mate the 1st generation togther which then natuarally produces the 2nd generation . From this if you breed sufficant quanities will result in 25% yellow leg, large numbers are needed as from that 25% you will need to select also birds with reasonable centre toe feather and the colour you are aiming for eg Jubilee.

At least that has been my experience at least you will not have the difficulties of the bantam genetics that I had to put up with in the beginning from the Pekin X Orpington.

I used the orpington as they are one of our largest breeds in Australia and have very good buff colour.

Thanks for the info, it awsome to actually communicate with breeders who breed the real deal and exchange our knowledge.

The Cochin Man · Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 5 Location: Ballarat, Victoria

Sorry Wilt, I got your name wrong on my last post I still am gettting my head around this web thing. I wll try to send some photos when I work how to send them as well. Really like the White Cockeral in front in your photo that you posted.

The Cochin Man · Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 5 Location: Ballarat, Victoria

I have got another couple questions for Cochin breeders in the U.K. are there any rough numbers of breeders known and are there any major breed faults you have to contend with. Many Austrralin lines have for example white legs and black or dark colouring in the tails of buff males and the shortened or missing fourth toe. I am intesested in how the breeed is developing and is lack of fresh blood a problem with such things as fertility ect.