The most indecisive person on BYC strikes again/help me decide what to get

[fluffycrow]

OK I promise, this is the last time (for this week) that I'm going to make a similar thread to this. After joining BYC I have completely fallen in love with two breeds. The brahma, and the cochin/pekin bantam. I have already received some recommendations for brahmas, and they seem like an excellent choice for me, BUT..... I finally found a seller of bantam cochins, and who can say no to these guys theyre just way too poofy not to adore! And now I'm a bit conflicted on what to get. If anyone would like helping/having some fun (because at this point it's comical how quickly I change my mind) then say what you think would be the best. My absolute ideal bird would have all these qualities
1. Starts laying and brooding early, ideally I would like to get the birds this year and have my first hatch by the end of summer (the seller sells one month olds so after some quick calculations that means that from I am planning on getting them to the end of summer they would be about six months, and no if anyone is asking, i am not good at math)
2. They should be cold and heat hardy, we have had some rough winters (no snow though, just chilly), and some HOT HOT summers here
3. They should be friendly, not in a cuddly way, but in an unbothered or even curious way
4. They need to be poofy
5. I have got some bossy chickens, so i would like for them to either stand their ground, or for the bantams be fast to be able to escape pecking (this isnt as important for the bantams though, as im planning to keep them in a separete area than the main flock, this is just as a precaution in case one escapes)
I think that is it! Thank you for once again bearing with me!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Y'all are seriously going to make me cry! For so many years I genuinely thought they were going the way that the silkied Ameraucanas have gone, practically non-existent at this point. To not only see them recover, but gain appreciation as well, just really warms my heart! I absolutely adore these birds with all my heart and all I want is to see them as a variety thrive.

 

[Chookwagn]

OK I promise, this is the last time (for this week) that I'm going to make a similar thread to this. After joining BYC I have completely fallen in love with two breeds. The brahma, and the cochin/pekin bantam. I have already received some recommendations for brahmas, and they seem like an excellent choice for me, BUT..... I finally found a seller of bantam cochins, and who can say no to these guys theyre just way too poofy not to adore! And now I'm a bit conflicted on what to get. If anyone would like helping/having some fun (because at this point it's comical how quickly I change my mind) then say what you think would be the best. My absolute ideal bird would have all these qualities
1. Starts laying and brooding early, ideally I would like to get the birds this year and have my first hatch by the end of summer (the seller sells one month olds so after some quick calculations that means that from I am planning on getting them to the end of summer they would be about six months, and no if anyone is asking, i am not good at math)
2. They should be cold and heat hardy, we have had some rough winters (no snow though, just chilly), and some HOT HOT summers here
3. They should be friendly, not in a cuddly way, but in an unbothered or even curious way
4. They need to be poofy
5. I have got some bossy chickens, so i would like for them to either stand their ground, or for the bantams be fast to be able to escape pecking (this isnt as important for the bantams though, as im planning to keep them in a separete area than the main flock, this is just as a precaution in case one escapes)
I think that is it! Thank you for once again bearing with me!

All of them!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Well, brace yourself.

I don't raise Cochin chicks any differently than any other chicks. Just make sure they have a clean brooder, fresh food and water available, and a heat source, and you're good to go.

They're on the slower side for maturity, generally around 8 months old at the earliest for laying. I would estimate they lay about 5 eggs per week per bird in their first year of laying, obviously less if they go broody. Their broodiness depends a lot on the line; one line I have goes broody and never quits, another goes broody only occasionally, but at least once a year. They can cover a decent number of eggs, I'd say 8-10 depending on if they're bantam or large fowl eggs.

Fertility can be tricky. Sometimes the butt fluff just gets in the way. Trimming the fluff around their vents can help with that, though!

How well do they fly? My experience may not be best to say as most of mine are silkied, which means they fly even worse than a smooth-feathered Cochin would. As youngsters they can fly decently well, but as they mature and fill in they are less able to jump as high and less able to get enough lift under their wings to propel them. Still, mine can get up ~2 feet high to hop up to their perch by themselves, so they aren't totally incapable. They tend to do better with wider perches to sit on in my experience.

As for antics, goodness, where to start! They are the sassiest little fluffballs you'll ever know! Experts at giving the evil eye to the extent that even larger birds cower and flee. They aren't pushovers by any stretch. Bear in mind I have no true gamefowl so I couldn't tell you how well Cochins would handle themselves against them, but in a mixed flock of your average, egg layer or dual-purpose large fowl breeds, they hold their own. They can get sassy with me, too, but it always comes off as saving face for the rest of the flock. They don't want to damage their reputation with the other birds, you know? But if I'm sitting out there, they're perfectly happy to come over and sit in my lap, or they'll wait at my feet for me to pick them up.

Also, they have the cutest vocalizations! The girls are always 'baww-ACK?-ing' at me for my attention, and my boys like to go, 'bookity-bawww' in sort of a low tone. Their crows are adorable as well, sort of higher-pitched and with fewer syllables than the crow of larger breeds.

I especially love how interactive my boys are. Most other breeds I've had, the boys either don't want anything to do with me or they just want to fight me. The Cochin boys definitely go through a phase where they're kinda buttheads, but then they come out the other side of that and they're just the best. Chill, curious about me, tolerant of being handled. Here's Gus on my knee, for example, just checking in on what I was doing out there.

Also nothing, I mean nothing, is cuter than a brooder full of Cochin chickies in their fuzzy footsie pajamas.

I think that covers about everything you were asking about, anyway.

 

[3KillerBs]

Y'all are seriously going to make me cry! For so many years I genuinely thought they were going the way that the silkied Ameraucanas have gone, practically non-existent at this point. To not only see them recover, but gain appreciation as well, just really warms my heart! I absolutely adore these birds with all my heart and all I want is to see them as a variety thrive.

I'm not a fan of silkied feathers myself, but I am a fan of preserving interesting breeds and interesting varieties.

 

[fluffycrow]

Cochin/Pekin bantams - that way you can have 3 times as many birds in the same space.

I like the way you think! I guess I'm a little scared to get them because of my recent silkie fail, they all passed and the last one was one of the hardest deaths I've had to deal with, and I've seen some gruesome stuff over the years

 

[fluffycrow]

Cochin/Pekin bantams - that way you can have 3 times as many birds in the same space.

OK but can we talk about how genius this is? Like, genius to the point where I'd say, chicken math does not apply to bantams, and I definitely like the sound of that

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Based on the criteria in your first post, I also think Cochin bantams fit the bill best of those three breeds.

Regarding large fowl Cochins, while my bantams are fine in the heat, my large fowl Cochins really struggle if it's very much warmer than 80-85°F. I refer to around that temperature as their 'melting point', as they like to lay out on the ground when they're too warm and it looks like they're melting into a puddle. See attached picture for an example of a melting large fowl Cochin. So if excessive heat is an issue where you live, bantams would probably be a better choice in my experience.

 

[Painted Calls]

@Overo Mare convert me to bantam cochin-ism

Eyelashes.

Round.

Booty.

Floofy.

Graceful.

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

They are SO dang poofy!

Oh yes, they definitely have an abundance of fluff, whether silkied or smooth.