cochin leg color

[papa]

I have Black bantam cochins. I hatch out 15-30 per year. I have good/better type birds. What I don't have is what I would call good leg color. Any suggestions on how to improve leg color without giving up the quality that I now have? Thank You.

[Evy]

I have Black bantam cochins. I hatch out 15-30 per year. I have good/better type birds. What I don't have is what I would call good leg color. Any suggestions on how to improve leg color without giving up the quality that I now have? Thank You.

Get some from a breeder that do have the proper color. You can't improve if you have nothing to work with.
http://jamiescochincollection.cochinsrule.com/

[papa]

I got my original birds from who I consider one of the best black bantam breeders of all time. I was looking for advice/suggestions on what to look for when selecting birds for the breeding pen. My birds are GOOD I am trying to make them better. When I go to shows I know my birds can compete but that I would like to see is more yellow on the legs.

[MKG]

Papa, what is the nature of the leg color problem? Too pale a yellow? Or too much black in the epidermis? Females only, or males as well? If the problem is too much black in the epidermis of females, the problem is genetic.
A geneticist from Australia says that to produce females with good yellow legs, they have to be Eb based (e locus) while males must be E. That requires double mating and at least a rudimentary knowledge of poultry genetics. If, on the other hand, you need a darker yellow the problem could be related to diet. It's possible it could also be genetic if your blacks are sex linked silver instead of sex linked gold.
Poultry husbandry is both an art and a science.

[Patrick]

Try hatching more birds. Your numbers are not nearly high enough to get a good selection to choose from. Even with the best birds, from lines with traits which have been set by careful selective breeding, you'll get a number of birds which don't measure up. I wouldn't consider less than 50 to give me much of a chance at getting a decent selection. In one line of ducks, I shoot for 75 hatched to give me a dozen good show birds. Some people, depending on breed and variety, hatch thousands to choose the best few dozen breeders and show birds.

[papa]

Thank you to all for the advice! I started with a very good trio and bought several more hens and a cock a few years later. After culling I now have about 30 nice birds some better than others but all are at least what I would describe as good. I am just trying to come up with a better plan than I have used when all I was really trying to do was get my numbers of good birds up to a sustainable level. I only show several times a year and spend more time trying to get 4H kids started. I appreciate that so many of you with knowledge are so willing to share it with us. I am a poultry fancier but definitely not an expert so thanks again to you who respond. Keep up the good deeds.

[papa]

MKG asked me great questions.I went out and checked each of my birds. I have both issues. Too light on some of the hens while deep yellow on some that are pullets. Some hens also have green leg but are of good type. Cocks have black/green leg on many. Only one with good leg color that I did not cull because of the color but not of the best type like the rest of my cocks/cockerals that I kept.

[MKG]

Papa, do you understand that yellow skin/leg color can be diminished via egg production? The yellow pigment leaches out and goes into the egg. Taking this into account, save males out of your females with the very best leg color, and breed those males back to the mothers. See if that does not yield a higher proportion of pullets with the leg color you need. Don't to forget to maintain some genetic diversity - that will require multiple matings. Good luck!