Cochin Thread!!!

[TheLittlestPig]

Not sure about his parentage, we got him as a chick.

 

[ki4got]

I concentrate on red bantam cochins - I have about 70 in my barn right now. Of various ages.

I have a small group of hopefuls growing out... 5 pullets and a cockerel. how lucky could that be? and I also have an older red roo (not really mahogany red but decent type) that i'm hanging onto until I see how baby roo develops.
here's a few pics of mine... they're just turning 3 months old. this is my red 'starter flock'... I don't dream that type will be as good as Joanie's, but I can hope. 8)

one of the pullets

2 more pullets being lazy (the trash can sits there to keep the blind horse out of the grain LOL)


and I couldn't get a good pic of the cockerel, but thought this was cute... he was watching a bumblebee buzz around up above.
(with a Swedish flower hen buddy)


and the 'other' red roo

his comb's a perpetual mess because he insists on challenging the easter egger roo daily.
(and he was stretching his neck up to see something behind the can, he's not normally that long-necked).

 

[DaveyFig]

This is "Goose". Goose is my daughter's favorite chicken, because it's the only one that we have that will allow her to just walk up and pick it up.

 

[SanderB]

She looks like a diluted partridge - nice form!

She was actually my ugliest cochin bantam i had.

 

[LOVEMYCHICKS03]

This is "Goose". Goose is my daughter's favorite chicken, because it's the only one that we have that will allow her to just walk up and pick it up.

OMG that your snake in the avatar I LOVE snakes!

 

[aleubanks]

I recently purchased a black bantam frizzle cochin because my daughter just had to have something "frizzled." I never wanted a cochin. I don't care for the feathered legs. I've also never been big on banties. My favorite birds have been my buff orpingtons. I just have to say...I am in LOVE with this little bird. She is super sweet. Loves to cuddle and hang out. She acts like a big chicken in a wee body! I have been converted into a cochin lover!!!! Any advice for keeping her happy and healthy?

 

[LOVEMYCHICKS03]

There's so many ways... Just like you would other chickens

 

[lilcrow]

I recently purchased a black bantam frizzle cochin because my daughter just had to have something "frizzled." I never wanted a cochin. I don't care for the feathered legs. I've also never been big on banties. My favorite birds have been my buff orpingtons. I just have to say...I am in LOVE with this little bird. She is super sweet. Loves to cuddle and hang out. She acts like a big chicken in a wee body! I have been converted into a cochin lover!!!! Any advice for keeping her happy and healthy?

Just like lovemychicks said, treat her like a chicken and love her. One thing you may not be accustomed to is watching their butts and feet, for the obvious reasons just check her periodically to make sure her feet and bottom aren't too poopy. Some birds seem to stay really clean and others are always dirty. If she's a dirty bird you can trim the feathers on her butt to help her stay clean.

 

[ki4got]

I recently purchased a black bantam frizzle cochin because my daughter just had to have something "frizzled." I never wanted a cochin. I don't care for the feathered legs. I've also never been big on banties. My favorite birds have been my buff orpingtons. I just have to say...I am in LOVE with this little bird. She is super sweet. Loves to cuddle and hang out. She acts like a big chicken in a wee body! I have been converted into a cochin lover!!!! Any advice for keeping her happy and healthy?

I don't do anything differently for my cochins than I do for the wyandottes dorkings or Swedish flower hens...

they all free range as much as possible, clean fresh water is available in several locations, plus they get both lay pellets and scratch grains for breakfast (they're cooped overnight with no food/water in the coop, so I feed breakfast when I turn them loose) then they forage most of the day. they get an afternoon snack too, or else my house is overrun with "starving" chickens looking for a handout. LOL

 

[lilcrow]

I don't do anything differently for my cochins than I do for the wyandottes dorkings or Swedish flower hens...

they all free range as much as possible, clean fresh water is available in several locations, plus they get both lay pellets and scratch grains for breakfast (they're cooped overnight with no food/water in the coop, so I feed breakfast when I turn them loose) then they forage most of the day. they get an afternoon snack too, or else my house is overrun with "starving" chickens looking for a handout. LOL

I think free ranging really helps to combat the poopy butts, but I have a problem with hawks. I'm afraid to let my bantams FR for that reason. I've got some LF Brahmas that are too big to be carried away and I've never had a hawk bother them, but my friend who breeds the Brahmas says that Coopers will kill and eat on the spot. So far I've been lucky.