Cochin Showing/Breeding Tips?

[Bo Garrett]

It would appear from their phenotype that they were probably crossed with a black a couple of generations ago to improve their type, this would definitely explain the black heads and hackles and the gold leakage you may be seeing. Crossing with whites may have been the better option as the silver gene is present in some lines of whites and this would eliminate the gold leakage. Your work is cut out for you on this variety since their are not too many good ones out there. I will look for a few breeders and PM you their names and contact info. You'll need a really nice cockerel or cock bird to improve the color on the offspring and still maintain the type you already have, granted their type still needs improvement to be competitive with the blacks and whites. I thank you for taking on one of the more difficult varieties of cochins and wish you success in this endeavor.
Read the standard on this variety and devote it to memory, then breed and hatch large numbers from which you will cull down to just the best five or ten birds, be hard in your culling selecting only the best in type (first and foremost) and then color.