Blue Laced Red Cochin?

[ki4got]

I'm contemplating trying this as a project, and wondering if anyone else has worked on them. If so, how did you start it, what are you doing to improve, and what have you got so far? (and how long ago did you start?)

I'm debating using a blrw bantam vs starting with good type cochins and building the color from scratch.

I'd rather plan this from the ground up, rather than wing it as i go... so looking to see what others have attempted and how their project is progressing.

 

[mibirder]

Karen-

My interests generally lie with laced varieties of Cochins although I have just a few projects. Last year a brought in some Mottles to my Mille Fleur project for type and size. I also added blue looking for blue MF. This year I cross both back to parents and had some F1xF1 crosses. Interestingly from the f1s I got one poorler quality blue laced red and one black laced red. I say red as they are more mahogany than buff. I suspect they resulted from not getting the mo gene from the F1 parents and although mainly black based obvious there was some blue in there too. Now that im at that point Im thinking of crossing the two red laced birds together with fingers crossed.

Personally I think sticking to the same breed is quicker in terms of type management - its a bit of a crap shoot waiting for the right gene combo to pop up but with the right sets of genes in parents eventually it may become productive as in my accidental case. If I do breed these two together I'll let you know how it works out. FYI I also have two gold laced females I can use once I get a few more blue laced birds going.

Dave

 

[ki4got]

Karen-

My interests generally lie with laced varieties of Cochins although I have just a few projects. Last year a brought in some Mottles to my Mille Fleur project for type and size. I also added blue looking for blue MF. This year I cross both back to parents and had some F1xF1 crosses. Interestingly from the f1s I got one poorler quality blue laced red and one black laced red. I say red as they are more mahogany than buff. I suspect they resulted from not getting the mo gene from the F1 parents and although mainly black based obvious there was some blue in there too. Now that im at that point Im thinking of crossing the two red laced birds together with fingers crossed.

Personally I think sticking to the same breed is quicker in terms of type management - its a bit of a crap shoot waiting for the right gene combo to pop up but with the right sets of genes in parents eventually it may become productive as in my accidental case. If I do breed these two together I'll let you know how it works out. FYI I also have two gold laced females I can use once I get a few more blue laced birds going.

Dave

i was actually thinking i might go about this both directions. but need a laced hen to put the blrw cock i have with. silver laced hen would be good, because then i can sex chicks immediately and not waste time on the cockerels. keeping the darkest reds (and blue). then also have the color crossed line to keep the type and increase the chances of color. maybe by coming at it from 2 directions at once i'll see better results sooner.

btw, if you have eggs available, let me know? or birds possibly if you don't want to pursue the project. i need gold laced with good type for sure, if not blue laced reds.

 

[mibirder]

Karen-

My two were June hatches and I'm hoping their pattern holds fair well after their first full molt. Of course type will be more telling then too. I try to hold on to chicks as long as possible as they do take so long to develop. Right now if all goes according to current thinking, I'll put these two reds with my two older gold hens and shoot for a batch or two to see what develops next year.

I'll be constructing more breeding pens in a new pole barn as soon as the weather breaks after Winter which should be about the time they be ready to breed. Always more building! I'll keep you posted.

Dave

 

[ki4got]

well, i'm waiting to hear back from the person i have eggs on order with, but her reds aren't laying right now, and she only has silver laced, not gold laced... so i may have a 3-pronged attack to work out on this.

There's a huge swap coming up this weekend, so

that i can find good birds to use with the project... i already have a nice blrw if i decide to use him... but i'd rather not as i'm hearing from others, that getting the foot feathering back is the most difficult part.

 

[Chickenman39]

Hi Karen,

I had to use a Silver Laced Wyandotte a couple years back on SL cochin hens due to a raccoon killing my SL cochin cock. It has been terrible getting the foot feathering back. I agree with Dave's advice.

Also, several people have made some nice Blue Buff Columbians that I've seen perusing the cochin forums. If you could find a really dark blue mahogany columbian male and breed him to a good typed Golden Laced hen by someone like Annamay Carlson. Then, you could cut this project down to two generations. Select the best blue mahogany columbian cockrel with partial breast lacing from the above cross and breed him back to the original GL hen.

Hope this helps,
Russell

 

[ki4got]

Hi Karen,

I had to use a Silver Laced Wyandotte a couple years back on SL cochin hens due to a raccoon killing my SL cochin cock. It has been terrible getting the foot feathering back. I agree with Dave's advice.

Also, several people have made some nice Blue Buff Columbians that I've seen perusing the cochin forums. If you could find a really dark blue mahogany columbian male and breed him to a good typed Golden Laced hen by someone like Annamay Carlson. Then, you could cut this project down to two generations. Select the best blue mahogany columbian cockrel with partial breast lacing from the above cross and breed him back to the original GL hen.

Hope this helps,
Russell

thanks... the pics of the red/buff columbian cockerels that were posted were my boys... i saw your reply on the cochin thread too. I don't know if they're truly mahogany yet, but don't think they're buff either way. I've decided to take the middle boy. the lightest will stick around for breeding buff columbian but the darkest has some sort of melanizing factor making his hackles WAY darker/heavier than they should be. so now it's a matter of finding a good laced girl to work with.