Cochin Bantams are a very docile and sweet natured breed. There is no question as to why they are the second most popular breed in the US today, following closely behind OEGB. Cochins are know for their diverse color patterns, sweet nature, pet like qualities, round shape, feathered feet, and most commonly known for their broodiness and mothering instinct. Cochin Bantams are very popular around the world as well, being called Pekins in most other countries. Cochin Bantams come in two varieties as do most any breed; Frizzle and Smooth. Bantam Cochin Frizzles are actually the most common Frizzle breed in the US. And you can get most every color variety of Cochin Bantam in both of these varieties. Cochin Bantams come in a very wide variety of color patterns. With not all being accepted by the American Bantam Association(ABA) and the American Poultry Association(APA). Here is a list of Cochin Bantam varieties offered here in the US with more colors being added year after year: White, Black, Blue, Splash, Buff, Barred, Partridge, Silver Laced, Golden Laced, Silver Penciled, Mottled, Blue Mottled, Columbian, Buff Columbian, Mille Fluer, Birchen, Red, Brown Red, Silver Blue, and Lemon Blue. Cochins are a relatively small bird but with the exceptional amount of feathers and under fluff they have they appear much larger. With Cocks weighting approximatley 30 oz, Hens and Cockerels weighting 26 oz, and Pullets coming in at 24 oz. But with the large amount of plumage they posses they appear to weight much more than this. Cochins arent prolifant layers but do lay fairly sufficiant when in season and when not broody, which is something Cochins do very well. Here are a few pictures that represent excellent representations of a Cochin Bantam, in Frizzle and Smooth.
*Note* It is very important to remember when breeding any breed of frizzle that you never breed two frizzled birds together unless you have no other choice. Frizzle is NOT a breed, rather a description of the way the feathers turn towards the head of the birds instead of laying flat to their body like smooth feathered birds. It is important to breed a smooth bird to a frizzle to insure that the offspring will not carry the double frizzle gene and make the bird over frizzled or "frazzled" as some breeders call it.
Hope that the information on this page has been of some help to you, and hope you enjoyed the pictures.
~Casey
*Note* It is very important to remember when breeding any breed of frizzle that you never breed two frizzled birds together unless you have no other choice. Frizzle is NOT a breed, rather a description of the way the feathers turn towards the head of the birds instead of laying flat to their body like smooth feathered birds. It is important to breed a smooth bird to a frizzle to insure that the offspring will not carry the double frizzle gene and make the bird over frizzled or "frazzled" as some breeders call it.
Hope that the information on this page has been of some help to you, and hope you enjoyed the pictures.
~Casey