I do breed some for the freezer... thats why I have mixed pens
How do yours handle the snow and ice? I know when we get rain the feather legged birds all need a bath again to keep the feathers in shape, and I have seen pictures of ice/snow matted into the poor birds leg feathers. Beautiful colors on your Cochins, reminds me of a color of Orpington we are growing out this year.
So far for me I have not noticed a difference in bantam to standard dealing with the cold. Of course common sense would be to make sure they are locked up in their coop at night safe from the bitter cold. We do not heat our coop at all there is not even a light in the cochins coop but they are doing fine. Our weather doesn't get quite as cold as yours but still I don't see an issue as long as they had adequate shelter.
Ours don't really do the outdoors so much when it's nasty. They hate snow, but will come out momentarily for a drink but back to the coop they go such sissy's. The cochin pen is on high ground and it drains pretty well so they don't really have a mud issue where they are. The silkies are on lower ground but they don't really play around in it. To the water bowl and back to the coop or just sit on the ramp to the coop. My birds are wimps about bad weather..... They can't wait for spring. If they were going to be shown they would need their feet washed but it doesn't cake on their feet because they have plenty of room in the coops to stay out of the nasty.How do yours handle the snow and ice? I know when we get rain the feather legged birds all need a bath again to keep the feathers in shape, and I have seen pictures of ice/snow matted into the poor birds leg feathers. Beautiful colors on your Cochins, reminds me of a color of Orpington we are growing out this year.
one color hitting the grow out pens
another color of orp hitting the grow out pens
