Honestly none of them.Once you have a nice bantam cochin to compare a hatchery one to you will see just how bad they are..cute sweet but nothing like they should be.But,if you just want a pet and don't want to spend a lot they are still fun.
I am really happy with my hatchery Cochins. They lay almost daily, unless they are broody. Mine are all from Ideal Poultry, and I have ordered bantam cochin assortments from them multiple times. Generally, they are all good looking cochins. Their blacks are consistently by far the best out of the varieties I have kept. The shape, laying abilities, and personalities are very nice, especially considering they are from a hatchery. Looks wise, the buffs aren't near as nice, and the foot feathering was sparse on the couple of reds I had briefly. I have no complaints otherwise. However, almost all of the varieties have been exceptionally gentle, quiet, and friendly, whether hand raised or hen raised. There are lots of pics on my blog, but here are a few pictures of my bantam cochins:
Quote:
Its now what you win but rather what you beat.
I bought giant cochins from Ideal a long time ago and I sold my roo-he WAS Stunning and won 1st place for best in show for the folks who bought him. Once in a while a few good ones might slip through and surprise people. I had a cochin quad and they assumed they were all from private breeders. Before they bought him-I told them where he was from and they were shocked-but happy. It happens-like it or not.