is there a difference between Standard and "Giant" Cochins??

[v.cyr]

Was recently at a local fair, and saw 3 different classes of Cochin in the 4H pavilion... 10 bantys, 4 standards, and one that was labeled as a "Giant" Cochin... it was a black rooster, and he was big... card said 17 lbs, and I believe it... he was bigger than the turkey in the cage next to him... I haven't found any reference to a "Giant" class of the Cochin breed, and I was just wondering if it was an actual class of Cochin, or if it should be considered just a freakishly large standard bird...

 

[Illia]

Highly doubt he was 17 lbs.


Giant is just the world McMurray hatchery puts on for Standard Cochins. There's just bantam and standard

 

[v.cyr]

Quote:
I dunno, he was huge... and the standards that were there too weren't nearly that big

 

[sjarvis00]

v.cyr :

Quote:
I dunno, he was huge... and the standards that were there too weren't nearly that big

Many of teh show lines have been breed to be both a bit larger in size and much heavier feathered, I have two males that look absolutley huge due to feathering not to say they are'nt large anyway, but the excess fluff makes up at least 1/3 of thier bulk we have to double coop them due to thier apparent size. many refer to the LF Cochin as Giants but they are just standards that have been breed for size and fluff.

timing your hatches for shows is another trick associated to this, for the truly larger birds to have a chance to mature it will aften 18 months for full size to be achieved, but showing a cockrell (under 12 months of age) when he is 11 1/2 months against a cockrell that is 8 months there will be considerable difference same with cock birds a 2 year old vs a 13 month old there is no comparison.​

 

[v.cyr]

so if it was true about the weight, he would have been a freakishly large standard... he was older than the others...he was 5, the oldest of the other standards was 2 year old birchen roo, so it should have been done growing at that point, right... and he was still much bigger than that one... I know a couple people in the local 4H...I might try to track down the owner, see if they are selling any chicks from him or his progeny...

 

[sjarvis00]

v.cyr :

so if it was true about the weight, he would have been a freakishly large standard... he was older than the others...he was 5, the oldest of the other standards was 2 year old birchen roo, so it should have been done growing at that point, right... and he was still much bigger than that one... I know a couple people in the local 4H...I might try to track down the owner, see if they are selling any chicks from him or his progeny...

They are typically done growing around 18 months. the Birchen had to have been outcrossed with a different breed not too far back as teh Birchen gene does not exist normally in Cochin, it was either a birchen look alike extended balck or Birchen was brought in from another breed.
I have seen 14-15 lb LF cochins so 17 might be possible based on the feed and conditioning program utilized but he is likely a very large bird with a great deal of under down making look even bigger.
If you could aquire a young bird from him and one of his daughters breed to each other that would be a good starting point but you should try to get 10-12.​