Large Fowl Cochin Thread

[potagergirl]

It is said that the hens of this breed average around 8 lbs. I don't know where that weight stands today or if that was the stat of years gone by. I recently purchased 4 white hens and they are growing quite well. This breed was a parent bird used in the makings of the Belgian Malines that I currently have. I am hoping to interbreed to gain fresh blood into the malines without giving up meat flavor and weight loss. I could have used brahmas or langshans but opted for the cochins because I thought they had more to offer. If any of you are weighing your birds at maturity, I would care to know the weight you are achieving. Thanks.

Hens at maturity are weighing out over 8 lbs for me. Maturity for a Cochin is aprox. 16 months not 12 like most breeds. Cochin are slow to mature. Someone asked about a rooster crowing which is also later than most breeds at a minimum 6 months and I have one that waited till 9 months. Hens begin to lay about 9 months, yet I have 2 girls that started at 7 months. For us the pay off is in the winter. Cochin are double feathered and more comfortable in winter so they lay all winter (at least mine have). We do not use extra light or heat in our chicken house. This is the normal time frame and growth we have found with our LF cochin. I think where you live makes a difference on how any chicken breed does in the area.
Another thing we have found are that splash are weaker and have more defects at hatch then black or blue. Another LF Cochin owner I spoke to said it is because they have the weaker genetic line. Not sure how this works out because of their color but it is what we have found.
Good luck with all your Cochin I think you will love them, they are docile and fun to watch as they are so big it is more of a waddle than a walk =)

 

[Our Roost]

potagergirl, I want to thank you so much for responding and also the great breakdown of how well you presented your experience with the cochin breed. I have slow growing Belgium malines that I will be outcrossing the cochins with, so I am well aware of waiting for a good thing to happen. I am using white cochins hens outcrossed to my malines cockerels that are a herringbone barred feathering mix. The barring will be dominant and I shouldn't see much change except better blood amongst the malines breed. It is good to know I wont sacrifice much if any weight size. In fact, I may gain a bit.
The 4 cochin hens I have are very inquisitive and docile. I love the feathering!

 

[GrammiChelle]

this is my second year keeping chickens. My first time having Cochins. My chicks are 14 weeks old now and I'm very afraid I got a bunch of cockerels on my hands. I ordered straight run but it sure looks like I'd best not make any bets any time soon. I have two Blue Splash, one of which I'm certain is a cockerel, the other one, I'm still hopeful. I also have three Blacks. When they were a few weeks old, there were definitely differences in their leg and foot sizes. But they all developed comb and wattles quite young.
This Splash I'm sure is a cockerel.His name is Dwight Yolkem

This Blue Splash hoping MIGHT be a pullet. I'm HOPING her name might be Dolly. The behavior seems more pullet, and although she has comb and wattle development greater than my Partridge Cochins of the same age, it is much lighter in color than the one I think is a cockerel.
What do y'all think?

And I have three Blacks. I don't have pictures of them all but here's one of them.

And I'm pretty sure this is a different one.

I'm afraid all 5 of them are cockerels, which is rough because this was a straight run of Feather Footed Fancies. I got a pair of Dark Brahmas and a pair of Light Brahmas. I'm pretty sure the one Buff Brahma I got is a cockerel. I got a White Langshan that seems like a hen, but not certain yet. I got two pair of Partridge Cochins. So that's 5 cockerels already, plus these potential 3-5? More out of 15 chicks, that seems I got a a bit more than my share. I'm really hoping the Blue Splash and one of the Blacks turns out to be a pullet, which would make it more of a 50/50 kind of thing. Otherwise I only got 5 pullets out of 15 chicks! Bummer! To top it off, they sent me a free chick, which is a lovely Dominique, which is, of course, a cockerel! Good thing I ordered my Easter Eggers as pullets!
I LOVE roosters! Don't get me wrong. But I don't have anywhere near enough hens to keep that many boys happy! I keep chickens for the eggs, and don't really have much interest in raising them for meat. I knew it was a risk buying straight run, but I did that last year and came out okay. I don't think I'll be so lucky this year.
So, please tell me what you think of these pics. Any pullets in there, do you think?
I'll try to get better pics of all three Blacks to compare them.
Thank for any insight you might have!

GrammiChelle, proud grand mother of Livy, age 12, Ashlynn, age 8, Conner, age 7, Jonah, age 5, and Ronin, age 4.
This is my first flock and I'm really loving my RIRs pullets. They're quite friendly. I really adore my Langsgans, a blue roo, and a blue hen, a black roo and 3 hens in varying shades from blue to black. Since they're still about 9 weeks, the Langshans are not completely done...
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[tvlgal85]

Here are pictures of some of my cochins that were hatched in Feb.
Ben is a handsome boy.
Gabby is my talkative girl.
This is Beatrice, one of my other ladies.

 

[Eclipse390]

This is my new patridge cochin rooster. I got him from a local breeder who had a few too many roos. To my knowledge he's a pretty good example of the breed

 

[Our Roost]

I ordered and received 4 beautiful large white fowl cochins July 21. My intent is to outcross and use as the parent bird of another breed. One of these did not survive the transfer into the coop from the outgrow box. 2 of the 3 remaining are doing rather well and have been accepted finally with the rest of the flock. Looks like I will only have 2 survive this winter to breed in the spring. The temperament of this breed is very pleasing and they are adorable! It is my intent to acquire a few more breeders in early spring that are ready to use.

 

[cabinchicky]

Our Roost it may be farther than you would want to drive, but search Facebook for S&C Bird&Animal Farm. or www.scbirdfarm.com. They have many breeds of LF Cochin. Its where my 3 are from, and I hope to add more in the spring plus hatch some.

 

[Abesinger]

i just order blue and white cochins i will posy pics this spring!!

 

[Sunflower3628ac]

Do we know of any breeders of lemon blue large fowl cochins in So. Florida? I would love to add some to my cochin population.

 

[wwmicasa1]

Do we know of any breeders of lemon blue large fowl cochins in So. Florida? I would love to add some to my cochin population.

I'm not in Florida....California, however, I ship. Here is a link to my past & present breeders.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.262863473766608.81586.223900187662937&type=3