Cochin Chickens
eat just about anything and suffer from the resultant obesity. However, if one
wants a chicken to love, choose a Cochin.
Their large size,
full plumage and heat-producing appetites equips them for the cold weather.
Cochins only lay an average of two, medium brown eggs per week or 120 per
annum. Cochins seldom fly or wander and forage little. Overall, they produce
poorly in every category. They lay few eggs, mature slowly as a meat fowl, and
succumb to metabolism, heart, liver, and fertility disease. However, what they
lack in production, they make up in personality.
Cochin are
peaceful, friendly, quiet, and easily handled. They seemingly like confinement
and make themselves comfortable in any environment. Good pets, the Cochin do
well in a backyard. They seldom cackle even when laying. The hens make great
mothers. Breeders have even seen Cochin roosters feed and warm the chicks.
Cochins have a submissive demeanor with all. Owners seldom choose Cochins for
their production qualities.
Like a rabbit in
the chicken world Cochin have the appearance of a big, fluffy ball of fur or rather
feathers. Thick, downy feathers cover even their legs and feet. Cochin come in
many colors: Black, Buff, Partridge, White, Barred, Brown Red, Golden Laced,
Mottled, Silver Laced, Birchen, Blue, Columbian, and Red. The cock weighs
eleven pounds. Hens typically weigh nine. The Cochin rooster has a medium-size,
single comb with the usual five points but an unusually long third point. Hens
have a very small single comb that follows the curve of their heads. Both the
rooster and hen have long red wattles with matching oblong earlobes.
The feathers
which make the Cochin so attractive also present several problems. Leg and foot
feathering of the Cochin can cause mud balls which lead to frostbite or fungus.
Confine them on wet days. Inspect your chickens often. Their feathers can hide
small scrapes which easily succumb to infection in the moist environment of
their downy feathers. The Cochin's dense feathers can inhibit reproduction.
Breeders either clip vent feathers or resort to artificial insemination. Finally,
their plumage can lead to overheating. Keep your Cochins in temperatures below
ninety degrees Fahrenheit. Monitor your Cochin's feed and provide abundant
greens to prevent obesity with its associated diseases.
About Cochin Chickens
