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My cochins did the same thing. They started laying late (7-8 mos old) and didn't roost until they started laying. They used the nesting box as a bed and "litter" box. I tried many tricks mentioned on BYC, including putting golf balls in the box and continuously putting them on the roost. What...

Happens now and then to us; our cochins seem to lay about two or three hours later than the previous day, and sometimes the urge strikes at night. I do think they're just too tired (or maybe they are dreaming about something more important) to step down and get to the box. No worries, just...

My cochins didn't start until they were 7 and 8 months old, but once they did, they've been great! Hang in there! They started laying about a week or so after their combs developed and got red. When I first read about cochins, I learned they are low producers, just a couple eggs a week...

I have cochins, and they get broody every three months. I've tried to break them without success, and they don't lay for the full three weeks. If you don't mind the break in production, I can't recommend them enough. Our girls are very sweet and well behaved; they like being held, get along...

I have just two cochin hens, and we raised ours from chicks with a lot of love and attention, too. One loves being held and comes to me every time I open the door. The other had always been skittish. I basically trained her to be held with the old Pavlov's Dog routine. When I open the door...

Um, what's BO? I have two cochins, and I have to keep the fluffiest's hiney trimmed. She would get a bit distressed with that egg stuck to her backside, and they can be tough to get off once the goo dries. I feel like I will hurt her, pulling the thing off. She would just stay in the nesting...

Thanks Barn Goddess...you may very well be right, they do need to work it out. It's just so unusual that everything has been fine until now. They never really fought, the bigger hen just assumed she was the Queen, and the biggest tiff they have ever had was when she would shoo the other away...

Thanks math ace. Making the bully wait to eat is a great idea! I will do that. I have been holding her down right after the attacks, too. They're both so docile, I don't have to chase her so I can grab her right away and show her who is boss. I will continue to do that when I am able to be...

My guess would be that she is now much warmer being inside, and just like many animals, doesn't need her winter "coat". But, being fairly new to chickens myself, I don't understand why they moult when the weather turns cold...seems like it would make more sense to moult AFTER winter. Could be...

Our friend got three and my two boys fell in love with them. We have a totally protected 10x10 atrium in the center of our house, and we felt it was ideal for chickens-no predators, big enough, and we could watch them (like an aquarium!) from three sides. We took the plunge, got a used small...

Well, I put them back together and sat with them. Vivienne stayed very close to me (after laying her egg), and they got within three feet or so of each other with no issues. BB definitely is thinking about an attack-small pupils, craned neck, watching each other intently. They did relax after...

Thanks for the responses. I only have the two hens, no roosters and have an unusual setup...I live in the city and my house has a 10x10 atrium in the middle. That's where the girls have their coop, food, water and garden. I have a little back yard (15x10) with a garden (which is just dirt...

I have two 18-month old cochins who have always gotten along since birth. Vivienne is larger and clearly the alpha hen...until today. Her smaller sibling, BB, jumped on her and bit her comb, which of course bled, inviting more attacks. Vivi is now terrified, and either hides behind my feet...

Boy, can they have different personalities, and they do change over time. I just have two 18-month old cochins, and the larger one (Vivienne) acts like a cat...rubs up against my legs, loves to be held. Her "sister" could care less, and used to run away until she experienced the wonder of the...

Great info, and I had a similar situation since my girls were old enough to lay during winter. Mine were a whopping 7 and eight months old when they started laying, and it happened when I extended their day with a light on a timer. Now I give them 14 hours of daylight all year around. I have...

Thanks to everyone for the useful information. Out here in California it's been pretty warm with 60-70 degree days, 50 at night. But last night, it dipped to 20 degrees, and yes, I scrambled to find my old red light bulb setup from when my two cochins were tiny. I hooked it up in their coop...

Had to put in a good word for us minimalists-we have two, and probably won't have more (though it sure would be fun to have our two diva cochins be mommies!). We have the smallest farm in the world; a 3 x 10 garden, two big fluffy chickens, two cats, two fish, two teenage boys and Speedy the...

Mine did this...lasted a couple months, but here's what I did because now I sleep in. I crawl out of bed when I hear them, then throw them some scratch. That keeps them content for an hour or so and they seem to get into other chicken doings-scratching for bugs, etc. One day they just stopped...

We don't have a rooster either, and one of my cochins is broody. Sounds like she'll be doing this often due to her breed. I'd take the eggs or they'll be wasted-she may sit there whether there are eggs or not, mine does. You can wear gloves or I have had luck with just talking to her and...