I Have a Question About Cochins?

[RowanTheRed]

We are fairly new to raising chickens ourselves, although we both grew up with chickens around the home. Of the 8 chicken we now have, I picked up one silver laced cochin.

So my question is, is it a normal trait for ALL Cochins to stand and walk so upright? Or is that more specific to the gender? I've noticed ours stands almost on its toes. And it reminds me of a tiny ostrich or raptor!

Here's a few pictures to demonstrate what I'm talking about. Meet Piper, our nearly 4 week old Silver Laced Cochin

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm not sure I understand but here are a lot of cochin chick picks for comparison.
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Cochins/BRKCochChix.html

 

[RowanTheRed]

Sorry for the confusion, the question was of the breed in general. Compared to my other chicks, this one (the Cochin) seems to stand taller and walk more upright than the other breeds I have. The others don't appear to be so straight legged and lean or hunch over more with their legs bent more. So I was curious if this was a trait shared by the cochin breed itself or perhaps it's more a trait of gender. Does that make any sense?

 

[TattooedChicks]

I know my bantam cochins walk around like little footstools, low and round, unless they have spotted something interesting or the two boys are squaring off, but even they keep a profile closer to the ground than your chick here.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

In the second pic... looks like lacing is starting to come in.... barred or mottled at the top of the wing, meaning cockerel. Also, them are some good sized looking waddles. On laced varieties females will have very nice lacing on their wings while boys will be splotchy near the top of the wing.

You may just be looking at a young cockerel... Does it run around chest bumping or pecking other chicks?

ETA: yes, I think it's gender related.

 

[RowanTheRed]

I know my bantam cochins walk around like little footstools, low and round, unless they have spotted something interesting or the two boys are squaring off, but even they keep a profile closer to the ground than your chick here.

Exactly, that's how my other chicks walk around. At least most of the time. It's not to say they don't ever perk up, but for the most part they are squatty!

Hi, welcome to BYC! 

In the second pic... looks like lacing is starting to come in.... barred or mottled at the top of the wing, meaning cockerel. Also, them are some good sized looking waddles. On laced varieties females will have very nice lacing on their wings while boys will be splotchy near the top of the wing.

You may just be looking at a young cockerel... Does it run around chest bumping or pecking other chicks?

ETA: yes, I think it's gender related.

Lol, I did notice the waddles coming in. But at the same time the comb has remained more pale yellow so I wasn't certain. Like I said, I'm very new to this. But in my regular job, I have to constantly be on the watch for very subtle changes in very tiny beings. So I tend to try to keep watch on the little things.

I agree, I'm thinking Piper might be a roo. And yes, I do see him/her chest bump with 2 of my other chicks. But my bigger girls also chest bummed all the time lol.

Oh, and thank you for the welcome and for both of your replies

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I'm a massive over thinker, so the little changes are very much at the forefront of my mind! To the point I will notice a rodent poo on my 1 acre.

Probably see some pinking up over the next couple weeks. Depending on breed... but often around 5-6 weeks I start to see pink.

Ya, chest bumping is only one indicator... so many individual personalities, gender aside.

I would say 90% you got a boy there... unless the lacing somehow gets more defined as it ages.

My Cochin all seem to be much heavier feathered than that... and squatty as y'all desribe them... but different lines effect things like that. They look like they are kicking themselves in the hiney when they run from all those feathers!

 

[The Moonshiner]

Its both breed and gender related if youre talking LF cochins.
LF and bantam cochins are different. Bantams are like others have said. A low fluff ball. We have a frizzle that looks like a tumble weed rolling around. LF are more upright then bantam cochins and most regular laying breeds. The LF roosters look like kids stomping around in baggy pajamas when they move.
Gender wise i think in about every breed the males carry themselves a bit more cocky then females. Little more upright with chest up and out. Pullets chest bump to btw. Cochins are slow growing so sometimes its hard to tell sex for a while. Ive always had trouble sexing silkies sometimes also. With both of those breeds ive been right about sex of different chicks sometimes because of how they move before any other sign. Sometimes a boy will really stand out so its easier to spot a male over a female chick. Sometimes though theres been males that didnt stand out and i would think pullet so some males arent as cocky as others.
I dont have any silver laced but I know the pattern are different one male vs female so agreed that will be your give away. With both size cochins at times I had to wait for hackle feathers on males to know for sure.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Yes, I have very young chicks right now... silkies which have a couple of definite boys standing out by behavior alone. Under 2 weeks, but a couple were way early on. I have also had boys not stand out by behavior at all and suddenly sprout a comb and turn red over night!

My only Cochin experience so far is LF. But I have a chick right now that was labeled Giant Cochin... really, is there a difference between standard and giant? Or are they calling standard giant I wonder? Feed stores rarely know if you ask them questions.

Love the description of a kid stomping around in jammies!

 

[RowanTheRed]

As far as I know, this one is a standard Cochin. The breeder i bought these last 4 chicks from doesn't have bantam cochins listed on her site.

Three of the four I bought have been pretty slow to feather and grow I my opinion, besides the cochin I also bought an Orpington and an Ameraucana who also seem slow to feather and grow. Only the EE I got from her has grown differently. She's has more than double the feathering and is nearly double the side of the other 3