Large Fowl Cochin Thread

[mibirder]

I see two common tail weakness in Cochins. The first is the discussed "bunny tail". A good shape has the base of the tail feathers nearly as wide or wider than the shoulder section and not pinched in where the tail begins. Think circle (good) rather than figure eight (bunny tail) when viewed from above. The other common weakness is a pointed tail. Here the center tail feathers are stiff and longer giving the tail an end that is pointed. Think tear dropped shape (pointed) rather than the circle from above.

One consideration to keep in mind is the length of the back. Short back length helps to create that wider look. Longer backs can either looked pinched in and/or tend to be more pointed.

Dave

 

[k0r1nag]

I see two common tail weakness in Cochins. The first is the discussed "bunny tail". A good shape has the base of the tail feathers nearly as wide or wider than the shoulder section and not pinched in where the tail begins. Think circle (good) rather than figure eight (bunny tail) when viewed from above. The other common weakness is a pointed tail. Here the center tail feathers are stiff and longer giving the tail an end that is pointed. Think tear dropped shape (pointed) rather than the circle from above.

One consideration to keep in mind is the length of the back. Short back length helps to create that wider look. Longer backs can either looked pinched in and/or tend to be more pointed.

Dave

Dave,

Thanks once again for the supremely helpful information. I think I understand, but let me just clarify. If a cochin breeder talks about "bunny tails" they are referring to a tail that is narrow at the base, but breeders of non-cochins (Wyandottes for example), use the term to refer to tails without stiff feathers to hold them up.

Here are a few of my LF ladies. None of these are "bunny tails", right? Most are wider than the shoulders when viewed from the top.

I do have a few hens with a couple of feathers in their tails that stick up. I have enough good hens that I won't use them to breed, but theoretically, if they have other great conformational attributes (nice yellow feet, wide brows, full keels, etc.), how hard is it to breed those few feathers out of the line?






Thanks a ton!
Korina

 

[mibirder]

Korina-

My comments regarding bunny tails in Cochins explains what they look like and the Wyandotte discussion explains the why. Cochin feathers should be soft which creates the draped round look. The Wyandotte tail should have the stiffer feathers to have their correct shape.

You are correct that the pictured hens are not bunny tailed. Generally they look like they and wide individual feathers which adds to the softness and rounded overall appearance.

As far as tail faults go, if the faults are somewhat minor, it may be ok to bred a slight fault to a stronger tailed and cull to the best offspring. The improvement may take a few generations to completely bred out.

If you looked a large number of different color varieties you'd probably see that some colors are much better tailed at this point in time - generally the more popular solid colors are much better overal than the pattern colors as they've been bred longer, by more breeders, and more skilled breeders.

Dave

 

[jbwells30]

This will be my first spring with enough stock to truly get some chicks hatched. I have a nice blue roo, blue hen, and several splash hens and roosters. I also have a partridge rooster. Shoot me some suggestions as what i might expect to get, knowing the partridge is kind of off beat with the others, should i let him breed any of my hens?

 

[sueblack]

I have 2 Cochin hens a year old and am getting one egg per week out of the two of them. Is this normal? I would like to collect eggs for hatching, but can't figure out what the problem is. Is it too early in the spring for Cochins to be laying well?

 

[CibolaChooks]

I have 2 Cochin hens a year old and am getting one egg per week out of the two of them. Is this normal? I would like to collect eggs for hatching, but can't figure out what the problem is. Is it too early in the spring for Cochin's to be laying well?

3 of mine actually lay really well for Cochin. they are year old also and already laying for about a month now as far as the winter slow down goes. I have one that only lays on the ground so her box is different. the others lay 6 feet up off the ground in a high box. maybe you can experiment with different types of boxes maybe they are picky in some way.

I sold some of my laying hens to a guy, i was getting close to 30 eggs a day. he kept txting me saying hes not getting any eggs yada yada yada. finally after weeks of back and forth problem solving i finally said mine always love the pine shavings in their nest box. he went out got some filled his boxes and sure enough he started to get way way more eggs. I didn't think a hen could stop laying like that for a preference. at first i thought it was the stress of the move that maid them stop but they showed me and Cochin's in general will start and stop when they want or are unhappy. just my opinion though

 

[NanaKat]

Changing the rooster can also affect egg production. I was getting 3 to 4 eggs a day from four hens under one rooster in pen 6. After 50 chicks, I changed to an older rooster over the same hens. The hens stopped laying for three days and now I only get 1 to 2 eggs a day.

 

[Beginningbreede]

I have 2 LF cochins/wyandotte babies and 2 LF cochins and I love them very docile will eat right out of my hand

 

[Westguy]

Draco,

Nice looking blue cochins. The female by herself in front of the post has very nice type. If you breed her a blue male who's a bit darker in the hackle you can produce some nice birds.

Chris

 

[NanaKat]

Here are two of the pens hatch for March 16
This first picture is pen 6: These 8 bring total to 55 chicks. Second picture is sire out of eggs I bought at auction last year from Bo Garretts blue pens. The nexte two pictures are the hens..three from JHeintz and 1 from Carl Jarvis.



and Pen 15 first to hatch: Sire over the same hens from pen 6