BREEDING SEASON
Plan Your Timing
Planning timing for your breeding will depend on what you are hatching. Separate breeds need to be kept apart.
If you have specific dates in mind for birds of a certain age, check the calendar to determine when you must have the pens together and when the chicks should be hatched.
Consider Fertility
For many breeds, you may not see fertility in the first two weeks. Factors such as the time it takes the females to get used to the male or a temporary lapse in laying can all contribute to this delay in fertility.
Large Cochins will have fertility any time, so you can put those pens together whenever it is most convenient. In this way, you can plan around which shows you will need birds ready for.
Cochins are one of only three breeds in the APA’ s Asiatic class. They have soft, fluffy feathers, covering them down to their feet. Their lush plumage makes them look even bigger than they already are, with fully mature hens weighing about 8.5 pounds and roosters weighing 11 pounds.
Master Breeder Bruce Sherman Offers These Tips for Housing and Feeding:
• Consider your space. Bantams get about 5 square feet per bird and large fowl average about 8 square feet. Example: a 4-by-10 pen could handle four to five large fowl. Typically, our breeding pens are no larger than three females and one male.
• Have a raised nest box with clean shavings.
• Ensure pens have roosts varying in distance from the ground.
• Offer fresh water daily and ensure waterers are cleaned weekly.
• Provide plenty of ventilation and let birds out often in a fenced run for additional sunlight and exercise.
• Deworm prior to breeding and saving eggs.
8 Winter 2024 www. chickenwhisperermagazine. com