The New Flock 2021: Back to Basics

Cricket and her chicks were taken outside late this afternoon for the first time so poor mama could get a dust bath and poop outside. The youngsters were so wide-eyed and the blue one figured out what mom was doing and copied her movements. The splash one didn't quite catch on yet, but they are only 4 days old. I will tell you that in bright sunlight, I see the blue chick's tiny comb, whereas I can't even see the comb on the splash baby at all. That is clue #1. Clue #2 is hidden in the wing feathers. The flight feathers on the blue chick are much longer than the rest of the wing feathers, while the splash chick's are pretty much all even. What does that tell me? I have a blue male and a splash female. Time will tell if I am correct. DARN IT! I wanted a blue girl! Not sure I have a place for another male unless I separate the flocks and give him a few EE girls, but that makes the male-female ratio in that pen even worse. I was hoping to add two girls to that group. Bummer. And you know me, I will fall in love with that blue cockerel. Been a long time since I had a blue rooster around here, not since big old Suede. Maybe I'm wrong about the sex of the little cutie...but experience tells me I'm probably not.

Generally in cochins the females feather faster. So hopefully you are wrong. In a couple of weeks the boys will get bright red combs.

You don't want anymore trouble making roos Cynthia? Only breed I can't put in the freezer in a bantam Cochin.

I have a video that will drop today showing these two chicksters. The blue one has a longer tail, but a larger comb at a week and a half old. Of course, we won't have to wait long for the red to creep into that comb if either is male.

Here is your Cricket update video. In the video, I said I didn't have any bantam Cochin before other than Shadow and Xander to recall the male-female development, and of course, I did-I had Cricket's group, but I don't recall the development at that time. Those two were from Ideal and Cricket's group came from Cackle. A lot of the stuff I talk about in chicken videos are for the benefit of my subscribers who don't have chickens or are new to chickens. Most on BYC know those things already.

Cricket is a gorgeous Cochin.

Isn't she precious? I just love her. She has a minor hip issue, not as bad as Forrest, but apparently the same. Must be genetic in the Cackle buff Cochins. The blue one has to be a Buff x Splash so I'm not 100% sure it's not her own chick, though I tried not to get one of her eggs. Hers are generally more round and a beige color rather than off-white like Bee's or Luna's. Could be from one of the splash hens sired by Magnus. Forrest has little chance of siring a chick with his hips as bad as they are. Of course, the splash is from Bodie or Gunnar with Luna or Bee. I don't know which egg I had because I didn't mark them. Sometimes, I know who laid it and put a name on it, but this time, I didn't.

She's so fluffy. Puts my hatchery cochins to shame. I used to have some show lines cochins years ago. They are all adorable no matter where they come from.

Cackle apparently has some nice looking Cochins. Bodie's comb isn't great, but otherwise a good looking boy and such a great leader. He breaks up fights instantly most of the time and other times, I just have to say 'Bodie, stop those guys!" and he will intervene when Gunnar and Forrest get into it. Forrest has delusions of grandure, always picking fights with 2nd in charge, Gunnar. Forrest is pretty handsome, but he has that hip deformity that makes him run like a young Forrest Gump in leg braces. They are all very good boys. Gunnar and Magnus are swoon-worthy. Magnus and Forrest, the buffs, both occasionally ask to be picked up. Gunnar and Bodie will allow it, but they don't beg. Magnus has earned the nickname "Bucket Boy" because he can't stay out of the bucket when we're scooping poop in the morning. I will be in another pen and hear Tom say, "Magnus, will you get out of there!" I think Magnus reminds me most of Xander, though Xander was black
Miss Bumblebee is a hoot. If I walk by her sometimes when she is on what we call the Princess Bar, a two bantam size roost bar that was put there for someone who likes her space, Bee will literally scream at me, just belts one out. If you bend down and stare her in the face, she'll do the same thing and it cracks me up every time. Sometimes if you pick her up, she cuddles and other times, she'll bite my hand. She loves to be picked up and carried into the barn when they are being put back inside and will wait for my husband, putting her in danger of being left out if he doesn't see her, but now, he looks for Bee specifically. She is such a diva! Luna runs around making these Olive Oyl "woe is me" sounds, but on occasion when she can't find a place she wants to lay her egg, she will let out the same scream at random. She reminds me of our lavender hen, Shadow, more than the other two, very round and talkative. I was laughing so hard one day, I was in tears from those two splash girls, couldn't see to finish my chores. Cricket is very quiet and super sweet. I'm glad she finally got her wish and has her chicks after five attempts to get eggs. They are my daily entertainment. The Easter Eggers are just my daily challenge. They do lay nice eggs, though, especially Shelby, whose eggs are humongous and a pretty light blue.

I'm gonna eventually just keep a few bantam cochins. They are the only breed I still enjoy. The rest just seem too loud and obnoxious to me now. Bantam cochins always bring a smile to my day.

oldhenlikesdogs said:

I'm gonna eventually just keep a few bantam cochins. They are the only breed I still enjoy. The rest just seem too loud and obnoxious to me now. Bantam cochins always bring a smile to my day.

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I completely understand that now. One day I'll probably do the same. They are manageable for me alone, though I'm fond of my big birds. The bantam Cochin boys are just such easy keepers, even with the little rivalry between Forrest and Gunnar that pops up every few days. The hens just make me laugh all the time.