The constantly growing population of the Earth requires intensive development of meat production. Therefore, Cochin chickens breeding more productive meat crosses of chickens is a constant task facing breeders and poultry geneticists. However, to obtain a species with good performance indicators, good source material is needed. The breed that laid the foundation for most related species of meat chickens, as well as many modern broiler crosses, was the Cochin chicken breed.
Origin of Cochin chickens
The breed’s name is consonant with the area in southeastern Indochina, where the distant ancestors of these chickens originated. The Cochin breed was first registered in the early 19th century, although birds with such distinctive features were obtained a long time ago.
Cochin chickens arrived in Europe only in 1843, and half a century later they reached Russia. It was here that this breed took root and became the basis for the creation of a large number of highly productive meat-egg and meat crosses, many of which have an external resemblance to their genetic parents.
For example, an uninitiated poultry breeder can easily confuse Cochins with another meat breed – Brahma chickens. This is not surprising, because representatives of both species are similar. After all, Brahma is a product of crossing Cochins and Malayan chickens.
In modern conditions, the Cochin has become a virtually endangered species, as these birds remain only in private farmsteads and with collectors. Amateur poultry farmers are attracted to this type of chicken by its breed physiological characteristics: endurance, the ability to lay eggs even in cold weather.
Description of the breed
The appearance of Cochin hens and roosters can be seen in detail in the photo.
The description of Cochin chickens should begin with the fact that they are large and massive birds. They have a muscular, very wide chest, and a short and equally wide back. The transition from the neck to the shoulders has a pronounced bend. The Cochin rooster wears his tail with great dignity, decorated with short braids. The heads of these birds are small. A short yellow curved beak, as well as a small leaf-shaped comb, are its decoration. The legs and neck are short and strong. The wings are also not very long, when folded they are hidden under the tail feathers. The eyes are red-orange. The shins are developed, proportionally folded, and abundantly feathered.
The hens of this breed, compared to the roosters, have a lower figure and a stocky neck. They have a small short tail, and the whole body is slightly tilted forward, which creates the impression of a massive and squat bird.
The plumage of birds of this breed can be of different colors, the characteristic features of the color depend on the subspecies. But in the Cochin breed it is lush, loose, allowing to describe the chicken as a spherical creature. The plumage also hides the legs. Peculiar feather pants protect the chicken feet in cold weather.
Advantages:
- the bird is highly productive in terms of meat production;
- hardy and easy to maintain;
- does not reduce egg production in winter cold;
- their maintenance does not require long walking areas;
- hens of this breed have a well-developed brooding instinct;
- has a beautiful decorative appearance.
Flaws:
- prone to obesity;
- Cochin chickens have poor feathering and mature late;
- preserving breed characteristics at home is a rather complex process that requires special knowledge;
- In industrial production, representatives of this breed are practically absent, which makes them quite expensive to purchase.
Productivity characteristics
The productivity of hens and cockerels of this breed is not very high today in comparison with high-productivity broiler crosses. Egg production does not exceed 100-120 eggs per year, the weight of which is 50-60 g. The color of the shell is dark brown.
The Cochin rooster reaches 4.3 kg of live weight, and the hen – 4 kg. The taste qualities of the meat are at a high level, but during fattening there is a strong fat deposition.
Chickens of this breed mature quite late. You will have to keep them for quite a long time until the Cochin hens start actively laying eggs.
Breed varieties
During the selection work over such a long period, several stable varieties of this breed were registered. These include such breeds of chickens as blue, black, white, dwarf, Cochin fawn, and partridge.
Black
The Black Cochin is the most common subspecies of this breed. The name refers to the main color that dominates the bird’s coloring – rich black with a greenish tint. A purple tint is acceptable, but not desirable. The shaft of the feather should also be black. White undercoat is allowed, but it should not show through the main plumage. The beak is yellow or dark horn is allowed, the metatarsus is yellow or slightly greenish.
Birds with black tarsi or a brown tint in their plumage are subject to culling.
Whites
This subspecies should have all its plumage pure white with a silvery sheen. The tarsus and beak are necessarily yellow.
A yellow tint in the plumage and white color of the horny scales of the metatarsus is not allowed.
Blue
The Blue Cochin is almost as common as the Black, due to its unusual plumage. Its color should be uniformly colored, without a characteristic border. The rooster’s tail has a well-defined shade of blue. The head, collar, wing coverts and loin can be black velvety. A small part of the down can be white. The beak is yellow or dark horny is allowed, the metatarsus is also yellow or slightly greenish.
The Blue Cochin does not correspond to the breed color if young cockerels develop white feathers in the tail, as well as in cases where the plumage has a reddish or brownish tint.
Fawn
The yellow Cochin, also known as the yellow Cochin, is characterized by a predominantly bright, shiny, rich yellow color. All of the plumage of these birds, the down, the shafts, as well as the beak and the tarsus, should be yellow. The tail and wings are a beautiful bronze shade.
The Fawn Cochin is subject to culling if a black feather or black rods appear in the flight feathers. Also, a very light, whitish bloom on the plumage, as well as a reddish tint in the color or the presence of a white undercoat do not correspond to the declared breed.
Partridges
The Cochin Partridge gets its name from its beautiful multi-colored plumage. However, representatives of this subspecies must also have strictly regulated coloring to be classified as a pure breed.
Roosters have a reddish-brown head, a golden-brown collar. Each feather should have a distinct black line along the shaft and a golden border along the edge. The shoulders and back should be reddish-brown, and the lower back from golden-brown to golden-yellow. The flight feathers are black on the inside and brown on top. A stripe of rich black with a green tint runs across the wing. The plumage on the chest is black with a slight brownish border, on the belly, metatarsus, and tail it is also black, and the down is necessarily dark gray.
The hens of this subspecies are golden-brown in color. Each feather should have a characteristic multi-row border that repeats the shape of the feather. The collar is black, each feather should have a golden-yellow border along the edge. The tail is also black, slightly diluted with a brownish color. The beak and metatarsus are yellow. A dark horn color of the beak is allowed.
Culling occurs due to such discrepancies as the absence of a pattern on the rooster’s feather cover, red or ginger color in the plumage, white feathers in the tail and wings, unclear pattern on the plumage of the hens, light chest, and belly.
Dwarf
Dwarf Cochins are originally small birds, not miniature versions of larger ones.
This breed was bred in China in parallel with the usual Cochins. During selection, they retained the typical characteristics of the breed: massiveness, stockiness, and roundness. Hens are capable of laying about 80 eggs per year, the weight of which is approximately 30 g. The color of the shell is light brown, it can have another light shade. Hens reach 650-700 g of live weight, and cockerels – 750-850 g.
According to plumage color, just like the large Cochins, they are divided into several subspecies: partridge, brown-breasted, birch, curly, and others.
Maintenance and care
The organization of keeping Cochin chickens is quite simple since representatives of this breed are quite unpretentious and hardy. They are well adapted to the low temperatures of the Russian winter and do not require additional heating of the chicken coop. Birds of this breed are also not demanding of walking. In the absence of such, they feel calm and comfortable in a common barn.
Hens and roosters of this species have a phlegmatic character, so they like to rest quietly in a shelter. They cannot fly at all, and high perches can become an insurmountable obstacle for them.
When buying adult birds or young birds, be sure to take care of sending the new inhabitants of the poultry house to quarantine. It should last for a month since some infectious diseases have a long incubation period.
Feeding
The unpretentiousness of Cochins is also evident in the organization of their feeding. They have a good appetite, and it is quite difficult to choose a feed that representatives of this breed would refuse. However, do not forget about the general rules for organizing the feeding of chickens: balance, quality of feed. The presence of mineral feed, vitamin supplements is a must. Regular sanitization of feeders and drinkers will help maintain the health and beauty of these birds.
The main feature of feeding these chickens is their tendency to obesity. Therefore, an amateur poultry farmer should promptly identify overweight chickens or roosters and try to maintain their weight within the norm. This can be achieved either by limiting the amount of food given out or by offering the bird low-calorie compound feed.
Breeding
Having gotten to know these majestic birds better, many poultry farmers begin to think about breeding Cochin chickens in their backyards.
This process can be carried out in several ways.
- You can buy a Cochin hatching egg, from which the chicks will come. Do not be alarmed by the fact that they will hatch naked and will remain so for a long time. This is a characteristic feature of the breed. However, you will receive confirmation of the breed characteristics of the grown young only after a year.
- A poultry farmer can buy young or adult birds of this breed, and then try to breed these chickens from hatching eggs of their own production. In this case, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the diet of the parent flock, since fat birds do not lay eggs and reproduce well. The undoubted advantage of this option is that Cochin hens hatch chicks very well, and in the future they are caring mothers.
Although representatives of this breed do not outpace modern hybrid crosses in terms of productivity, however, having decided to have Cochin chickens in your yard, you will soon be convinced of the correctness of your choice. If you follow simple rules, these chickens will please you with their beauty, as well as healthy and tasty products.
