Bantam Cochin Tips

[QuillPen]

After seeing my neighbor's mixed banty the other day, I've been looking at bantams on line and catalogs. He's a proud little sucker! I shoo'd him out of the road and he crowed at me!

Anyway, I'm interested in bantam Cochins because I love their shape and everyone seems to agree on their sweet personalities.

I was hoping for some tips:

Do you let your little Cochins run/roost with your standard sized chickens?

If you have separate quarters, how much room do you give them?

Do you keep them permanently confined due to predators? With this, I am mostly concerned with hawks and owls. I'm going to keep my standards mostly confined because of my dog and an overabundance of coyotes this year...grrr. But I hadn't considered a cover for the run, just a strong fencing.

If you don't show your birds, do you do anything special for feather maintenance? Do they have problems with their leg feathering if you let them free range?

Any other things I should think about?

Thanks for your input. I've learned so much from this site! Everyone is so helpful.

 

[silkiechicken]

I don't have bantam cochins but I do have some standard mixes... they free range and break off all their feet feathers.

As for can they stay with the standards, as long as they aren't too small they may be able to do just fine. But a 13 lb rooster and a tiny hen is not a good mix.

Best of luck!

 

[laughingllama75]

My cochin bantams free range and thier feathering on thier feet is great. I will see if I can dig up a photo. I would not put bantams hens in with a standard roo, he would seriously harm them.

Edited to say:
I will get some pics tomorrow, I don't seem to have any real good ones of thier feet feathering.
Also, I LOVE the personalities of the cochins, you cant go wrong with them.

 

[seedcorn]

Quote:
agree w/this. Some strains are more viable than others. Get quality and it will pay in the long run.

 

[laughingllama75]

Ok, here are a couple of my black cochin bantam roo, Lucky. he was the only one who wanted to cooperate with me this morning. His girls were too busy out looking for bugs to show me thier feet.

 

[QuillPen]

Thank you for taking the time to post pics. Now I really want some! Do they fly?

But...I also want standard Buff Orpingtons and (this week I've decided on) Barred Rocks. It's not that I don't have the space to keep several, I have to limit my numbers because they will be confined for safety's sake and I want them to be comfortable.

I guess because I will be ordering pullets, I hadn't thought about the problems that can arise with a standard sized rooster and a banty sized hen. Since it will be a small order, I think I will wait to see if the hatchery makes a mistake and/or sends me a packing peanut (or two) before I order bantams.

Thanks for the comments.

 

[AtRendeAcres]

Love my Bantam Cohins I keep some with regular size Hens
(that they orginally brooded with)

the rooster is a very good protector when they free range!

but, I will separate soon so he can just concentrate on the cochin girls instead of all my hens

((I don't know how far he gets put he sure likes to try))

I was just pointing out to dh last night that egg to feed ratio is definitly better than my bigger girls! & considering 3 bantam eggs is equal to 2 regular size eggs it just makes better finiacial sense (& most have way better personalities)

so in essence I should proubly get more bantams!

 

[laughingllama75]

They do not fly much at all.....they are a "heavy" bantam breed, so they are much like thier larger counterparts. My other bantams (OEG's, Nankins, dutch) fly like crazy, especially when I call them with a treat. The cchins all come running, they look like old women with long skirts on when they run, LOL.

 

[QuillPen]

Now, I just don't know what to do! Standards or Bantams?
Hhheeelllpppp!!

Is is safe to say that all the "heavy" bantams are the same as their "heavy" standard counterparts. Again, I'm concerned with the flying if I choose other types of bantams. Of course I've read that True Bantams fly, I just haven't concentrated on bantam versions of standard chickens.

Our first very small flock of chickens were bantams and they roosted EVERYWHERE--rafters, gutters, trees...they didn't last very long.

 

[AtRendeAcres]

My bantams are Cochin, Brahma & Silkie

none of them really fly they will fly over a pile of snow not to walk in it! & I don't let them out to free range till late after noon maybe 4 or 5 ((till all eggs have been layed))

I did want to get some RIR bantam because they lay a nice size small egg but I hear they fly cause they are lighter! So I have decided to get some Bantam Buff Opingtons which also lay that lice size egg but are a little heavier & don't tend to fly as much
((from what I hear & read))