Buff Orpington or Buff Cochin??? Opinions please!!!

[karrint]

I already posted this question in "breeds, genetics and showing" with no response, so am trying again here. I'm still not sure if this is the right forum, but I'd so love some feedback!

So, I'm wanting to add one more girl to my flock, and I keep going back and forth between getting either a Buff Orpington or a standard Buff Cochin. I'd love to have both, but my flock is nearly filled up. AND, unanticipated, I just adopted a Silver laced crested polish that was way too sweet to turn away. Guilty...

I've read that BO's are basically clean legged Buff Cochins but are better layers. I'm wondering if this is true and what other BYchickers experiences have been with both of these two breeds. Thoughts please?

Anyone care to help an indecisive girl??? smile

Thanks in advance!

 

[Judy]

I think Cochins are more likely to go broody. You could look over Hendrson's breed chart (Google it) or My Pet Chicken hatchery has a breed selector tool on their site.

 

[alaskanchicken]

I thought that buff cochins weren't great layers, but are good brooders. I can't tell you because the only buff cochin I have is a baby.. My BO does lay better than my blue cochin though.

 

[Tala]

My 2 BO's were great layers, they attempted to brood once each, one quit and the other one lost her eggs to rats I think, so I started putting out poison. They were the only ones that ever gave me double yolk eggs. I don't have any experience with the Cochins to compare though.

 

[DancingHen]

I have both in my flock right now.

Both are super calm, friendly, social chickens. If you want good egg production I would go with the BO....they are great layers and very hardy. If you want a hen that will happily brood and raise chicks for you then go with the Buff Cochins. I do find that my 2 buff cochins enjoy being held more than my orpingtons, but my orpingtons are always the first to run up and greet me when I go outside. Hope that helps.

But really, both breeds are so great you really can't make a "wrong" choice.