Bantam Cochin questions

[Aamanda]

Ok so I posted this in a different area but kinda got past up. So ill try it here.

Im so glad I found this thread!!!! Im a bantam Cochiin Newb. I got some bantam Cochin that were hatched locally on Aug 20th. I got them mostly so they could sit eggs for me. But fell in love with them! They are so sweet (for the most part lol) But other than broodiness I have little knowledge on them. I got 12 and think I have 8 cockerels. I keep in touch with the breeder and she says that some I think are boys might be girls. But I don't understand. I have four with teeny tiny combs and 8 with big ones. As much as I like them I have to get rid of the Cochin boys. .Some of them are only 1/3 of the size of the others? I have a few pics and can take some tomorrow but would really like to understand comb development and the dif in size. Any help is much appreciated!

Breeder says this is a hen



Roo for sure lol. He already crows. Is that normal for this age?



Same roo in the background. This guy is TINY!



Breeder says this is a hen.



Breeder says maybe a hen


Better pic of above "hen"


Let me know what you think. I know that two have large combs but hen bodies. Also any idea on why such a size differ. I will try to get some pics side by side if you need.

 

[donrae]

How sure are you on ages? If they indeed all hatched Aug 20 they're only 10 weeks old, and they look much older than that to me, from the pics I'm thinking 4 or 5 months at least. If the age you give is correct, then all those birds are male--that much comb at that age is male, especially in a slow developing breed like cochins.

If I'm correct and they're older, is my thinking----
first bird is a hen
second bird is a rooster
third bird looks like a hen, not as positive as the first bird.

I also have bantam cochins I use as broodies and love them! I've been pleasantly surprised at how good they lay, also, when they're not brooding. My big girls have shut down all the way, I have a 3 or 4 year old bantam cochin girl giving me 5 eggs a week, and someone else in the pen is also laying about that well, not sure who but the youngest bird in the pen is 2 years old. They've been great mothers, I even had 2 co-brood last year and raised the chicks together with no issues. I usually give them 6 large fowl eggs, but got ambitious this spring and gave my best broody 8 large fowl eggs--she hatched them all out and they're all healthy 5 months old now!

 

[Wyandottes7]

How sure are you on ages? If they indeed all hatched Aug 20 they're only 10 weeks old, and they look much older than that to me, from the pics I'm thinking 4 or 5 months at least. If the age you give is correct, then all those birds are male--that much comb at that age is male, especially in a slow developing breed like cochins.

If I'm correct and they're older, is my thinking----
first bird is a hen
second bird is a rooster
third bird looks like a hen, not as positive as the first bird.

I also have bantam cochins I use as broodies and love them! I've been pleasantly surprised at how good they lay, also, when they're not brooding. My big girls have shut down all the way, I have a 3 or 4 year old bantam cochin girl giving me 5 eggs a week, and someone else in the pen is also laying about that well, not sure who but the youngest bird in the pen is 2 years old. They've been great mothers, I even had 2 co-brood last year and raised the chicks together with no issues. I usually give them 6 large fowl eggs, but got ambitious this spring and gave my best broody 8 large fowl eggs--she hatched them all out and they're all healthy 5 months old now!

I agree.

 

[BantamLover21]

I agree.

x2. Pretty birds!

 

[Aamanda]

How sure are you on ages? If they indeed all hatched Aug 20 they're only 10 weeks old, and they look much older than that to me, from the pics I'm thinking 4 or 5 months at least. If the age you give is correct, then all those birds are male--that much comb at that age is male, especially in a slow developing breed like cochins.

If I'm correct and they're older, is my thinking----
first bird is a hen
second bird is a rooster
third bird looks like a hen, not as positive as the first bird.

I also have bantam cochins I use as broodies and love them! I've been pleasantly surprised at how good they lay, also, when they're not brooding. My big girls have shut down all the way, I have a 3 or 4 year old bantam cochin girl giving me 5 eggs a week, and someone else in the pen is also laying about that well, not sure who but the youngest bird in the pen is 2 years old. They've been great mothers, I even had 2 co-brood last year and raised the chicks together with no issues. I usually give them 6 large fowl eggs, but got ambitious this spring and gave my best broody 8 large fowl eggs--she hatched them all out and they're all healthy 5 months old now!

Yes im sure of the age. They were hatched by the breeder and I have pics of them still wet. I was noticing the same thing. All the pics I have seen looks smaller at that age. One of em crows already!! Some are 3 times larger than the others..Guess ill wait and see if I get eggs lol.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I agree with what you labeled them as. My cochins got really big red wattles and combs, there combs and wattles are quite a bit bigger and more red now, these pictures arent very recent. Your rooster is a bantam.

Here is a picture of some of the cochins I have, some are SQ some arent

This a mottled bantam cockerel


this is a mottled bantam pullet, now she has a really small comb and wattles and they have almost no color to them


this is a black LF pullet, her combs larger now and both her wattles and comb are more red

 

[Aamanda]

I agree with what you labeled them as. My cochins got really big red wattles and combs, there combs and wattles are quite a bit bigger and more red now, these pictures arent very recent. Your rooster is a bantam.

Here is a picture of some of the cochins I have, some are SQ some arent

This a mottled bantam cockerel


this is a mottled bantam pullet, now she has a really small comb and wattles and they have almost no color to them


this is a black LF pullet, her combs larger now and both her wattles and comb are more red

Thank you for the pics!! They are all "bantam" I saw the pics of the roos and hens these came from so the colors are all mixed. All have feathered feet but some more than others. I got them for brooding so not picky but I sure like the red on the neck ones. Pretty!! And one I think might be a roo is very lovey. So maybe its a hen. Two of the little hens you can just scoop right up and hold. They are all so different in size!! I will try to find a pic of em when they were still fluff.

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

Thank you for the pics!! They are all "bantam" I saw the pics of the roos and hens these came from so the colors are all mixed. All have feathered feet but some more than others. I got them for brooding so not picky but I sure like the red on the neck ones. Pretty!! And one I think might be a roo is very lovey. So maybe its a hen. Two of the little hens you can just scoop right up and hold. They are all so different in size!! I will try to find a pic of em when they were still fluff.

I didnt even realize it said that in the title lol! All offspring will have feathered feet it is a dominate trait. Sounds like you like them and are happy with them!

 

[Aamanda]

I didnt even realize it said that in the title lol! All offspring will have feathered feet it is a dominate trait. Sounds like you like them and are happy with them!

Yes I am. Holding off till I know for sure before I get rid of any "Roos" Cant believe I have one already crowing lol. Just trying to lean more about the breed. I got them to sit eggs for me. They are just soooo sweet (for the most part lol) and an "In your face breed" A question though. If the feathered feed are dom would a cross with a different large fowl breed have feathered feet? Or would it be a "bantam" sized chicken with feathered feet?

 

[Aamanda]

Ok some pics from when I first got them.







You can see the camera date stamp. Is it normal for them to develop so fast? Like I said I have one crowing!!