Breeding silkied Cochin bantams to the Standard

[Party_Chicken]

Cochins are supposed to be really good broodys so would it be possible to run a program without an incubator and just with hens? I’m asking because we don’t actually own an incubator and we have to borrow it from a friend and I’d rather not interfere with there breeding programs

 

[CastielH]

Cochins are supposed to be really good broodys so would it be possible to run a program without an incubator and just with hens? I’m asking because we don’t actually own an incubator and we have to borrow it from a friend and I’d rather not interfere with there breeding programs

If the cochins can't keep up you could always get a silkie or two, they'll try to hatch rocks

 

[Party_Chicken]

If the cochins can't keep up you could always get a silkie or two, they'll try to hatch rocks

My friend has one and it stole her earring to hatch

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Cochins are supposed to be really good broodys so would it be possible to run a program without an incubator and just with hens? I’m asking because we don’t actually own an incubator and we have to borrow it from a friend and I’d rather not interfere with there breeding programs

Maybe! I've found that broodiness varies a lot in Cochins. I've had some that only brood very occasionally, all the way up to some that, well, would try to hatch rocks as Castiel said! My BBS line are more on the former side, but out of all my birds I do usually get at least a few to brood every year.

The capacity at which I hatch, I don't think I could only use broodies to do it. But if you're only wanting to hatch a few a year, you could probably get away with that via broodies if you can't get an incubator.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Maybe! I've found that broodiness varies a lot in Cochins. I've had some that only brood very occasionally, all the way up to some that, well, would try to hatch rocks as Casteil said! My BBS line are more on the former side, but out of all my birds I do usually get at least a few to brood every year.

The capacity at which I hatch, I don't think I could only use broodies to do it. But if you're only wanting to hatch a few a year, you could probably get away with that via broodies if you can't get an incubator.

Cornish bantams and Phoenix also are stupid broody a lot of times. They're the ones I use a lot. My araucana also love it, but they're still kinda new

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

We've got two air-breathers this morning The next batch of babies is on its way! These are more Wyatt babies (hence the W on their shells).

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

A Splash and a Blue are out so far We've got 4 more external pips and just one more egg beyond that. I'm a bit concerned that last egg that hasn't pipped yet might be malpositioned, so I'm just hoping for the best on it

 

[Party_Chicken]

A Splash and a Blue are out so far We've got 4 more external pips and just one more egg beyond that. I'm a bit concerned that last egg that hasn't pipped yet might be malpositioned, so I'm just hoping for the best on it

So cute!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

We've got 6 little peeps out this morning! Looks like 4 Splashes and 2 Blues! The seventh sadly did not make it. Upon opening the end just to confirm whether or not my suspicion about it was right, I found that the little one was, in fact, in the correct position after all. I now think, since that egg was a bit skinnier than the rest of them, that the chick simply couldn't move like it needed to to externally pip.

But, I've still got 6 more precious little Wyatt babies that did make it out. Here are the two that hatched yesterday:

And the four that hatched overnight:

Y'all remember when I used to never get Splash babies? Anyway, we're all out in the brooder now, leg banded, and resting up from our tough night of hatching.

 

[NanaK]

Great pictures!
They are so precious!