cochin color mixes what could I get?

[junior67]

I ended up with a blue cochin Rooster that we decided to keep. I am debating on trying to hatch some eggs next year from him. the main reason is I would LOVE a splash cochin and haven't found them around here and I have a blue pullet so know there is a chance of blue, black, and splash from that cross.

My question is I also have buff and a silver laced pullets. If I end up hatching any of those eggs crossed with the blue rooster what color would the babies be? I am hoping I can tell apart my other chicken eggs so I only hatch the cochins but not sure on colors of these crosses......

 

[NatJ]

I ended up with a blue cochin Rooster... I also have buff and a silver laced pullets. If I end up hatching any of those eggs crossed with the blue rooster what color would the babies be?

The babies would be black or blue, with possibly a chance of white from the buff mother.

As they grow up, they will probably have some white or buff leakage in their feathers, but I don't think you will be able to tell them apart as young chicks.

(If the other mothers were different breeds, you might be able to tell the chicks apart by comb type or amount of leg feathering or something like that. But that won't work when all the parents are Cochins.)

 

[junior67]

The babies would be black or blue, with possibly a chance of white from the buff mother.

As they grow up, they will probably have some white or buff leakage in their feathers, but I don't think you will be able to tell them apart as young chicks.

(If the other mothers were different breeds, you might be able to tell the chicks apart by comb type or amount of leg feathering or something like that. But that won't work when all the parents are Cochins.)

Thanks! I also have 2 light Brahma's (so hoping their eggs look different from the cochins since not sure I want a cochin/Brahma mix. LOL) , A salmon Faverolle (think their eggs are different color than the cochins), and an EE that I am hoping lays a color. So IF I hatch any hoping it is just cochin x cochin would prefer to just hatch my blue cochin eggs but unless I see her lay them I won't know what ones are hers. LOL

 

[NatJ]

would prefer to just hatch my blue cochin eggs but unless I see her lay them I won't know what ones are hers.

You might be able to pen her, with the correct rooster, apart from the other chickens for the time it takes to collect the eggs (probably a week or so.) If you were worried about having just one hen with the rooster, either put him in for a few hours about twice a week (which should be enough to keep her laying fertile eggs), or include some other hens that lay clearly different eggs (after you know who lays what color/size.)

I've also read of people dripping food coloring into a hen's vent, so the eggs come out with streaks of color. It's usually recommended when trying to see which hens lay which eggs, but it should also be safe for eggs to hatch. (If you want to try that, I suggest you try it before you are ready to collect eggs for hatching, to get the details figured out-- like if one color works better than another, and whether you need to reapply it every day or if it lasts for several days.)

I also have 2 light Brahma's (so hoping their eggs look different from the cochins since not sure I want a cochin/Brahma mix. LOL)

A Cochin/Brahma mix should have a different comb than a pure Cochin, so you'll be able to recogize them at some point. It will probably look similar to the Brahma's comb, but a bit bigger.