My Cochin originated from eggs from a show line. They are/were (some were dinner for the bobcat) big fluffy birds with the roosters weighing in at 15 to 18 pounds. When butchered at 8 months, a cockerel will make a lovely roasting bird.
The hens will begin laying at 9 to 10 months. My 8 pound hens when laying give 3 to 4 eggs a week. That being said, if two or three eggs accumulate in a nest box, a Cochin will decide to go broody. She can easily cover a dozen to 15 eggs. They adopt chicks nestled under their wings when their clutch of eggs has hatched if the chicks are given to her within a 24 hour period.
I had a hen named Martha that adopted 12 incubator chicks along with her clutch of 12 and then let 15 young juveniles come with her as she freeranged with her chicks. She taught them how to catch bugs, what grasses and seeds to eat and even attempted to shelter them in the hen house. I'll find some pictures and edit them in.
Free ranging helps with the feed bill. My Cochin really are not feed hogs, but egg and meat return is not equal to the cost of feed. The benefit is in the natural incubator/brooder the hens provide.
And they are a gentle friendly breed...the hens talk oooh-ooo-ooo while the roosters have a pretty good crow.