WestKnollAmy
The Crazy Chicken Lady
I have to chime in on the dual purpose thing.
My lovely bantam Cochins lay very well. As good as, if not better, than my LF in all the other breeds I own. I seldom sell the eggs for eating but have done it when I needed to and we eat them when we need to but mostly I set them for hatching. My Cochins and Silkies are laying now and did through our 9 degree nights.
Look at my website you see I have a lot of bantam Cochins in many colors and patterns. Mine are not strictly show birds but are first and foremost my pets. They live outside on the ground in most cases, are certainly allowed outside on the ground every day for great health. I do not like to keep my birds in little cages. Hate that! But that is another rant for another time.
I have well over 100 bantam Cochins here, most times over 200. I eat my extra boys. I get great meat off of them. They have great breast meat though the leg quarters are stingy. I am a realist. No use making the boys fight among themselves, giving or selling to a horrible home when they can go gracefully into the next realm. I have never taken mine to an auction or sale and I never will! That makes me nauseous. But to each his own.
I have birds that are very competitive at shows. Big whoop. When you breed a lot of birds they have to go somewhere and mine go in my freezer. Naturally, my favorites don't.
But, yes, mine are dual purpose. Mine are not hatchery birds but lay very well! They grow up thick and meaty. I don't breed for that, they just are made that way. Healthy birds produce well in both areas.
Cochins are royalty but you got to do what you got to do.
I am sorry this thread took a wrong turn and I seldom come here because of things that get out of hand but as being one who uses the birds as dual purpose, I had to chime in!
Oh, and for going broody. Mine might go broody twice a year but mostly they do not. I have busy girls. I think they become more broody when bored though I still have some that go broody when the need is there. I will let them sit on eggs, hatch and raise the babies. I have some bantam Cochins that have never gone broody and are 5 and 6 years old.
My lovely bantam Cochins lay very well. As good as, if not better, than my LF in all the other breeds I own. I seldom sell the eggs for eating but have done it when I needed to and we eat them when we need to but mostly I set them for hatching. My Cochins and Silkies are laying now and did through our 9 degree nights.
Look at my website you see I have a lot of bantam Cochins in many colors and patterns. Mine are not strictly show birds but are first and foremost my pets. They live outside on the ground in most cases, are certainly allowed outside on the ground every day for great health. I do not like to keep my birds in little cages. Hate that! But that is another rant for another time.
I have well over 100 bantam Cochins here, most times over 200. I eat my extra boys. I get great meat off of them. They have great breast meat though the leg quarters are stingy. I am a realist. No use making the boys fight among themselves, giving or selling to a horrible home when they can go gracefully into the next realm. I have never taken mine to an auction or sale and I never will! That makes me nauseous. But to each his own.
I have birds that are very competitive at shows. Big whoop. When you breed a lot of birds they have to go somewhere and mine go in my freezer. Naturally, my favorites don't.
But, yes, mine are dual purpose. Mine are not hatchery birds but lay very well! They grow up thick and meaty. I don't breed for that, they just are made that way. Healthy birds produce well in both areas.
Cochins are royalty but you got to do what you got to do.
I am sorry this thread took a wrong turn and I seldom come here because of things that get out of hand but as being one who uses the birds as dual purpose, I had to chime in!
Oh, and for going broody. Mine might go broody twice a year but mostly they do not. I have busy girls. I think they become more broody when bored though I still have some that go broody when the need is there. I will let them sit on eggs, hatch and raise the babies. I have some bantam Cochins that have never gone broody and are 5 and 6 years old.
