Large Fowl Cochin Thread

[Puddin Fluff]

That's a wonderful idea! I could do the same here in Spain and we can swap stories and photos about them!
For me the chickens are to help in the garden, tilling, clearing the veggie patch at the end of the season, to make compost and to catch bugs under the apple trees (Codling moth in particular. That bug ruined my whole apple harvest last season - I heard the only sure fire way to rid your apple orchard of codling moth is to get chickens!) If they lay an egg or two, that's an added bonus. And their characters are developing - The Orpington who has already developed a red comb and wattles is the top of the pecking order, that's for sure!

And I'm lucky here - very few predators! Occasionally I see a raptor overhead, but there are plenty of trees and shrubs that the chickens can forage and hide under. And I'm always planting more

Sounds great! Our are just for fun mostly. We enjoy the eggs and I enjoy watching them. We have a lot of predators but the raptors are the only ones who worry me as they are out in the daylight hours. We have had one bird taken by one, several years back, but it makes us extra cautious. They only free range when we are also outside. But their pen is large so they are certainly not confined.

I am looking close at the combs. 3 are certainly boys, two others, I am still not sure about. I keep telling them to stop growing that comb and be a girl but I've tried that before and it didn't work. LOL.

 

[elaineinspain]

I am looking close at the combs. 3 are certainly boys, two others, I am still not sure about. I keep telling them to stop growing that comb and be a girl but I've tried that before and it didn't work. LOL.

...do you have enough females to go round if there are more than 3 boys? Or have you enough room already to make a start on your 'bachelors only' house?

 

[Puddin Fluff]

It depends on personalities. I had sold off my boys before this hatch anticipating new ones. I have 11 girls and the 8 chicks. Depending on roo personalities, I could do 3 but have not had that kind of luck in the past. I expect there will be some boys finding new homes. I am not interested in having different coops right now. I can separate as needed but I prefer everyone together.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Babies are getting big. These are their colors, I think from left to right -
Lemon Blue (boy), Lemon Blue or Lemon Splash (possible boy), Blue/Black (girl), Silver laced (girl), Blue Mottled (possible boy), Lemon Blue (boy), Lemon Blue or Lemon Splash (girl).

And the one who wouldn't poke out, Mil Flur (boy).

 

[elaineinspain]

@Puddin Fluff Aren't they adorable?!

Now you've told me the colours, and checking them out on google images, I believe one of mine is a lemon blue! And the other is a blue.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

@Puddin Fluff Aren't they adorable?!

Now you've told me the colours, and checking them out on google images, I believe one of mine is a lemon blue! And the other is a blue.

Whoo hoo! I just picked up 6 more LB eggs today for my new broody. Of course with all chicken math, the seller threw in 3 Frizzled Cochin eggs as well so now my girl is sitting on 9 eggs. Tomorrow will start the count down. Again, 21 days feels like forever!

 

[TLWR]

How big are the cochin chicks at 4 weeks old?
I have a gold laced that should be LF and not bantam but she seems so tiny still. She's about half the size of my 5 week old lavender orpington and she still easily fits through 2x4 welded wire fencing. We saw the breeding stock and did not see any bantams.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

The answer to how big are Cochin chicks at 4 weeks is "it depends". They certainly have a variant depending on the parent history and also just based on some don't grow as big as fast. The chicks in this photo are both LF and Bantam. The dark on on the left behind mama and the two lighter ones to the right behind mama and the little yellow and white one in the front are all from LF. The three dark ones in the front and right are all Bantam. If you look close the two directly in front of mama, size wise are reversed. The dark one is as big as the other LF chicks and the light one is about the size of the bantams.

I would think that LFCochins would be about the same as Orpingtons in general. I have not raised orps but they seem to be similar depending on line they come from.

 

[MarySue]

I have a 13 week old Blue Cochin Roo who is having problems with his beautiful feathered feet. Ingrown feathers are causing him pain and he is limping. My Bramah hen is having similar issues. Is it common for the feather footed breeds to have those kind of problems with their feet?

 

[Puddin Fluff]

You might post on the disease ad medical thread and post some pictures if you can. I've never had a problem with mine other than broken foot feathers.