Is my Cochin Purebred?

[SnookumsGal]

Whether or not my Cochin is purebred doesn't really matter. She's just a backyard hen whom I love regardless. I thought it would be interesting to know what you guys think!

I learned a couple weeks ago that my Silkie Roo (who I traded for some mutt young hens because I couldn't keep a rooster) wasn't purebred Silkie. This made me wonder if my Cochin, who I got from the same hatchery, was also partially mixed with anything else?
This was him btw:


She is currently 4mo and 1.5 weeks old. I think that if she isn't fully Cochin then she is a very high percentage.
I have skepticism because I feel that her butt, although very fluffy, isn't 'as fluffy' as some others I've seen pictures of online. As well, her leg feather furnishings sort of slim down on her legs, where again, in pictures of other Cochins I've seen seem to be more like full fluffy stockings.

Maybe I'm just crazy, maybe it's because she's still young so all her feathering hasn't come in yet, maybe she is 100% Cochin... who knows!

And here's a link to a short snapchat video I took of her.

 

[QueenMisha]

Both your Silkie and Cochin are pure. They are simply hatchery quality.

 

[drumstick diva]

Hatchery breeds often appear to be mixed breeds.

 

[SnookumsGal]

Both your Silkie and Cochin are pure. They are simply hatchery quality.

Oh. Interesting. When I traded him the lady didn't think he was pure and let me hold another Silkie Roo she had. Granted my Silkie was young, but the other Silkie she had was softer and didn't have any "straw-like feathers" like my rooster did. She said she was thinking about using him in shows, but when I brought him over she said she didn't think he was full Silkie and therefor not show-quality.

Hatchery breeds often appear to be mixed breeds.

That's interesting as well. Just for reference, how would you be certain to get a full breed show-quality chicken then?

 

[QueenMisha]

Oh. Interesting. When I traded him the lady didn't think he was pure and let me hold another Silkie Roo she had. Granted my Silkie was young, but the other Silkie she had was softer and didn't have any "straw-like feathers" like my rooster did. She said she was thinking about using him in shows, but when I brought him over she said she didn't think he was full Silkie and therefor not show-quality.
That's interesting as well. Just for reference, how would you be certain to get a full breed show-quality chicken then?

Hatcheries don't care about quality, they care about production. They will happily breed birds with defects or even disqualifications, including the solid, poorly shredded feathers like your male had, among others.

Admittedly certain hatcheries mix their stock to produce better layers or a more productive fowl. Others don't mix their stock but simply breed for production qualities from the birds they have while ignoring desired aesthetic qualities. If you get a bird from a hatchery, never assume you are 100% certain to get any kind of perfect or even good representation of the breed. Many hatcheries cross out and then cross back for several generations, creaing a bird which is "mostly" purebred. Considering that the majority of chickens are hatchery stock, I would say that anything which bears a general resemblance to the breed it's supposed to be and is descended from, is indeed a purebred, but hatchery quality, specimen.

You'd need to go to a well-known, respected breeder and ask for a show quality specimen. Be prepared to drop a lot of money. That is the only place you will find a show quality bird.

 

[SnookumsGal]

@QueenMisha Thank you, that is very informative! If I ever gain more chickens in the future and decide to go to shows, I will definitely keep this in mind.