utilise : Cochin chickens are pop exhibition poultry , but they ’re also productive , dual - aim pith and egg makers . Their telling size and aristocratic demeanor make them standouts in any crowd , while their fluffy plumage and docile natures help them surpass as huggable pet chickens . cochin come in full and bantam sizes , in a wide of the mark range of colors .
History : Cochin Gallus gallus ( once holler Shanghais or Cochin Chinas ) were an insistent smash when they arrived in America and England in the mid-1800s . Queen Victoria , who adored fancy domestic fowl , acquired five pullets and two cockerels in 1845 . When fowl from Victoria ’s Royal Aviary were show at the esteemed Royal Dublin show in 1846 , everyone wanted to own Cochin chickens . cochin china were included in the first book of the American Poultry Association Standard of Perfection , published in 1874 . Although they never touch with commercial success , Cochins were bring up for meat prior to the industrial enterprise of the American chicken . As a heritage breed , they are include on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy ’s Conservation Priority List in the Watch class , making them an uncommon but not critically endangered chicken breed .
contour : The APA Standard of Perfection for full - sized Cochins calls for 11 - Cypriot pound cocks and 8½-pound hen , but their soft outer feather lays over a monumental amount of down , make them seem heavy . Bantam - sized Cochin cock average 32 ounces and biddy average 28 ounces . Underneath the feather and fluff , the Cochin chicken have strong , broad bodies with short wings and well - rounded breast . They have lily-livered skin , a medium - sized individual comb , and profusely feathered legs and foot .
Although the first Cochin chickens were more or less buff - color , today they come in an raiment of coloring material , including buff , partridge , bloodless , black , silver - laced , golden - laced , mottled , birchen , dark , brown , red , columbian and barred . They also come in a frizzle diverseness , in which their delicate cover feathers turn over outward .
Special Considerations / Notes : Cochin chickens are mediocre layers of large , Christ Within to medium - brown eggs , averaging 150 to 180 eggs per year , and they lay through the cold-blooded winter month . Cochins shine as broody hens ; they incubate even dud and duck testicle with ease . They do n’t fly , they adapt well to travail , and they ’re relatively quiet domestic fowl – all qualities that make them an first-class choice for in - town chickens . While they savor room to roam , they ’re fair lethargic , so this is n’t a breed that can scrounge its own dieting .
Although they ’re dauntless , their feathered feet and leg pick up mud and ice , so they should be kept indoors when it ’s muddy or snowy outside . Because Cochins ca n’t fly very well , they involve scurvy roosts . Their unique looks , hardiness and loveable temperament make them a well - stake breed for novice crybaby keeper .
