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The origin of the Cochin chickens is not known for certain. The Cochin China region is located in the Mekong Delta in the southwestern part of Vietnam, and one version claims that the Cochin China breed of chickens comes from this region, and only rich people kept chickens of this breed as a court decoration.
Another version, referring to written sources, proves that cochinchins, especially dwarf cochinchins, appeared at the court of the Chinese emperor, and Chinese courtiers liked to give them to foreign diplomats.
Perhaps both versions are true, and Cochinchins really appeared in Vietnam, and later, having got to China, the breed was further developed. Blue Cochinchins were bred in Shanghai and at one time were called “Shanghai hens”. It is likely that dwarf cochinchins were also bred in China.
In the first half of the XNUMXth century, French diplomats brought Cochinchins to Europe, where chickens caused a real stir. Europeans quickly appreciated not only the beautiful appearance of chickens, but also their delicious meat. Chickens came to Our Country fifty years later.
Cochinchin chickens have one feature that was very much appreciated in pre-revolutionary Our Country: the peak of egg production of this breed falls on winter time. In those days, buyers paid dearly for freshly laid winter eggs. After the end of egg laying, cochinchins were usually either slaughtered or sold as hens in March-April, receiving a very significant amount for them at that time.
With the development of industrial poultry farming, cochinchins have lost their significance and are now kept in the backyard of amateurs and at breeding stations in order to preserve the livestock.
Description of the breed of chickens Cochin
Due to their magnificent plumage, covering even their paws, Cochinchins look like very massive birds. However, in part they are such, since the weight of an adult rooster is 5 kg, and that of a chicken is 4. At 4 months, with proper feeding, Cochinchin can gain 2,7 kg. It is the weight of the Cochinchin chickens that is the reason for the preservation of their gene pool at breeding stations: this is a breed suitable for breeding meat industrial crosses, since their egg-laying characteristics are low: up to 120 eggs per year with an average egg weight of 55 g. Chickens begin to lay no earlier than Seven months.
Although Cochinchins are often confused with an apparently related breed, bred in approximately the same region – Brahma chickens, which also have plumage on their paws, although it will not be difficult for a trained eye to distinguish one breed of chicken from another.
Cochinchins are rather short-legged and resemble a feather ball, especially chickens. The bramas are long-legged, the legs stand out clearly under the body.
Cochinchin breed standard
Cochinchins are chickens 50 cm high in the back. The body is short and wide with a very broad chest. The transition from the neck to the shoulders is pronounced. The neck and legs are relatively short, which gives the Cochin Chin an impression of a ball. This is especially true for laying hens, since their legs are shorter than those of a rooster.
The wings are set high, together with the back creating a saddle topline.
A small head crowns a short powerful neck. The eyes are dark orange. The beak is short, depending on the color of the plumage, it can be yellow or black and yellow. Comb single, simple shape.
The plumage is very magnificent. The short, wide tail of the roosters resembles an arc because of the sickle-shaped feathers covering it.
Disadvantages of Cochin Chickens
There are flaws that are unacceptable for Cochin chickens, since they clearly indicate either degeneration or an admixture of another breed. These disadvantages are:
- poorly feathered metatarsus (most often it is a cross between);
- narrow, long back (may be a sign of degeneration, which is much worse than a cross);
- narrow, shallow chest (a sign of degeneration);
- white earlobes (most likely a mixture);
- large, coarse comb (mix);
- too bulging eyes.
When buying chickens for a tribe, special attention should be paid to these shortcomings.
Colors
The breed standard for Cochinchins has several colors: black and white, partridge, blue, fawn, striped, pure black and pure white.
In Our Country, the most common fawn color of the Cochinchin, although it can be safely called red.
Black, white and fawn colors are solid and do not need a description.
Fawn chicken.
Fawn rooster.
cochinquin fawn
Black cochinchins.
black cochinchin
White chicken.
White rooster.
The remaining colors, although they do not differ in overflowing color over the body of a bird, as, for example, in Araucan or Millefler, deserve more detailed consideration.
Partridge color
Partridge chicken.
Partridge rooster.
This, so to speak, is the original color inherent in wild ancestors – bank chickens. And, perhaps, the only one where there are several colors that turn into each other.
A chicken is “simpler” than a rooster. The main gamut of partridge color in a chicken is brown. The head is covered with a red feather, which turns into a golden-black plumage on the neck. The back is brown, the chest is brown-yellow, black and brown stripes alternate on each feather. The guide feathers of the tail are black, the integumentary feather is brown.
The rooster is brighter in color than the hen. The general impression when looking at a walking rooster is a red-red color. Although in fact his tail, chest and belly are black. Intense red color of the rooster’s wings. On the mane and lower back, the feather is yellow-orange. Red head.
striped color
In , they would be called pestrushkas. Although this color is the same throughout the body of the chicken, each feather is bordered by a dark stripe. Due to the alternation of white and black stripes on the pen, the overall impression of a motley chicken is created.
Chickens of breed Cochinhin striped
Black and white color
Black and white chicken
Black and white rooster
Black and white color is also called marble. The amount of black and white in this coat can vary, but each feather has only one color, either white or black. There are no intermittent stripes or multi-colored areas within one feather.
Cochin blue
blue hen
blue rooster
The blue color to some extent can already be called two-tone. The feather on the neck of the chicken is darker than the main color of the body. The rooster has a dark back, neck and wings. Belly, legs and chest are lighter.
In all colors of Cochinchins, the appearance of a white feather, which is not provided for by the standard, is a defect in which the bird is culled from breeding. In turn, in white Cochinchins, the defect is a yellow feather.
Chickens breed dwarf cochin
This is not a miniature version of the Cochin, it is an independent, parallel breed of chickens bred in China of a smaller size. At the same time, dwarf cochinchins have some relief in the color of plumage. So, in the photo of a striped rooster, colored feathers on the chest and wings are clearly visible.
There is also a silver-maned fringed color in dwarf cochinchins.
There is a birch color.
But the most common in this breed is the golden color.
In addition to small copies of the large cochinchin variety, breeders have now bred dwarf curly-feathered cochinchins, sometimes called chrysanthemums. The colors of these Cochinchins are the same as those of ordinary dwarfs.
Young hens of a dwarf curly Cochinchin of white color.
White curly rooster pygmy cochinchin.
Black Curly Dwarf Cochin.
Blue hen of the pygmy curly cochin.
Productive characteristics of dwarf cochinchins
The productivity of dwarf cochinchins is low. Hen weight 800 g, rooster 1 kg. Laying hens lay 80 eggs per year weighing up to 45 g. For incubation, you need to lay eggs weighing at least 30 g. Smaller chickens will not work.
Black Curly Cochin
Features of keeping and feeding cochinchins
Chickens of this breed have a calm disposition, are inactive and do not require special walking. If it is not possible to arrange an aviary for them, Cochinchins can be kept simply in a barn. Chickens can’t fly: a clear confirmation of the saying “a chicken is not a bird” – so do not arrange high perches for them. They don’t jump. Chickens of this breed can be kept simply on the floor, on a bed of straw or large chips.
They are fed like any other meat breed chicken. But it must be borne in mind that due to a sedentary lifestyle, Cochinchins are prone to obesity, and excess fat negatively affects the already low egg production. If chickens start to get fat, it is necessary to transfer them to low-calorie feed.
Everything is like people. Excess weight? We go on a diet. Only it is easier for chickens to follow a diet, because no one will offer them anything extra.
But in this case, it is almost impossible to balance in the diet all the vitamins, trace elements and nutrients they need.
With “dry” feeding, chickens are fed with ready-made complete feeds. This method is more expensive, but saves the owner from the hassle of calculating the diet. Dry food should always be in the feeders so that the chickens can eat as much as they need.
Breeding
When breeding for one rooster, 5 hens are determined. Cochinchin laying hens are good hens that have not lost their incubation instinct. After hatching, the chicks show themselves to be caring mothers.
Fully chickens will acquire a feather only after a year, when they are already a sexually mature bird.