Cochin Question

[jimnjay]

I have 4 Mottled Cochin Babies around 4 weeks old. There are three obvious cockerels and one Pullet. The Cockerels all have next to nothing yet for a tail while the little pullet has a nice tail developing.

Is it common for the Cochin Cockerels to take longer to develop tail feathers or do I have some poor quality little boys?

 

[baldie]

Mine all developed the same.

 

[cottagegarden]

We have Bantam Cochins from some of the top breeders in the country and I have noticed the cockerels chicks are slower to feather in general. The more pronounced comb and longer period of time where they just have short wing feathers and the pullets are more covered seems to make them pretty easy to sex early. They just seem to take longer, Im sure yours will be as beautiful as all your babies soon!

 

[warmfuzzies]

Tails???? They actually HAVE tails????????

I diddnt know! I thought they were secretly basketballs masquerading as chickens....

 

[shelleyb1969]

I agree with cottagegarden. My cochin cockerels always developed combs & wattles rather quickly, but were slower with feathering...especially in the tail department. I was actually able to sex my white bantam cochin chicks at 3 weeks of age based on feathering.

 

[shelleyb1969]

Quote:
that is just too darn funny!

 

[shelleyb1969]

Forgot to say....

HI JIMNJAY...so nice to see you!

 

[DiVon80]

Boys are all slower.

 

[jimnjay]

DiVon, How could I have forgotten that! LoL

Thanks for the input, I was able to say with certainty one was a male at two weeks the others were suspicious at that point. During the last two weeks they are so much different and the little girl with a still yellow comb and long tail is easy to spot.

I have 12 other bantam cochin chicks in the incubator due on Saturday so I will have some from a different breeder to compare. These will be very special from my friend at Harvest Breeze. She raises awesome Cochins and I am really looking forward to having some.