Cochin chicken
The Cochin is a huge, heavily feather-legged Asian breed whose arrival sparked the 1850s 'hen fever'. Today it is kept mainly for exhibition.
The Cochin is a pure-bred chicken breed in the PCGB Soft Feather Heavy class. Its origin is given as China. It appears on the RBST Watchlist as a priority breed, so keepers of pure stock help conserve it.
It is kept in large form. Recognised colours: Black, Blue, Buff, Cuckoo, Partridge, Grouse, White. Typical adult weights: cock about 4.5–5.1 kg and hen about 4.1–5 kg.
Expect roughly 150–200 eggs a year, with tinted shells. It is mainly kept for eggs, for the table and for exhibition or as an ornamental bird.
Compiled from poultryclub.org, rbst.org.uk, poultrykeeper.com, en.wikipedia.org. See sources
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Identity
- Species
- Chicken
- Type
- Pure breed
- PCGB class
- Soft Feather Heavy
- Origin
- China
- Kept for
- Eggs, Table, Exhibition or ornamental
History
Large feather-legged fowl came from China to Europe and America in the 1840s–50s. They were first called 'Shanghais', then Cochin-Chinas, though they were unrelated to the birds actually imported from Cochin-China around 1843. Buff was stabilised soon after arrival in the UK, then Partridge. The Cochin was in the first British standard (Tegetmeier, 1865) and the first American standard (1874).
Appearance
Its defining feature is the profuse plumage down the legs and feet. The 1865 standard listed buff, black, cinnamon, grouse, lemon, partridge, silver buff, silver cinnamon and white.
Recognised colours
Black, Blue, Buff, Cuckoo, Partridge, Grouse, White
Size and weight
- Forms
- Large
- Cock
- 4.5–5.1 kg
- Hen
- 4.1–5 kg
Eggs
- Eggs a year
- 150–200
- Egg colour
- Tinted
Temperament
- Keeping notes
- Keep it in a covered run and out of mud in wet weather to protect the foot feathering.
Hardiness
Not recorded yet.
Broodiness
Not recorded yet.
Flying
Not recorded yet.
Suitability
- Good to know
- The bantam called 'Cochin' abroad is the Pekin in the UK.
Conservation status (RBST)
A priority breed on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust Watchlist.
Breed club
- The Cochin Club, breed-specific
Sources
This page is compiled from:
Review
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