Cochin (chicken)

Article on other languages:

• Cochin_(Huhn)
• Cocincina_(pollo)
• Cochin_(kippenras)
• Dvergkochin
• Dvärgkochin

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Blue Cochin Bantam Rooster

The Cochin or Cochin China, originally known as the Chinese Shanghai, is a breed of chicken. The name Cochin came from its original Chinese name 九斤黄(in pinyin: jiujin huang, pronounced joo-chin hwong), meaning nine jin yellow, where jin is a traditional Chinese measurement of weight(see catty). This chicken was originally bred in China and later exported to Britain and America in the mid 19th century. As a very distinctive breed of chicken, it apparently created a bit of a craze among poultry lovers in the English-speaking world. Not only was this breed one of the largest seen, with cocks weighing up to 11 pounds (5 kg), but also the soft and plentiful plumage makes the bird quite conspicuous by exaggerating its already large size. Once in the United States, the breed underwent considerable development into its current state. There is also a bantam version, which is often called the "Pekin bantam", but should not be confused with the separate true Pekin bantam.

Characteristics

As above, the most distinctive feature of the Cochin is the excessive plumage that covers leg and foot. It was very wellknown to some of the visitors of US that this would be a non-typical egg. The birds are therefore often kept penned on days of poor weather to avoid ruining their lower feathers (assuming they are kept for ornamental purposes, which is almost always the case). Apparently their thick feathering can even lead to problems with fertility due to sexual organs being literally buried in plumage (though this can be remedied by clipping back the feathers). The skin beneath the feathers is yellow and the egg colour is brown. Eggs are also medium in size. Standard weight is 11 pounds (5 kg) for a cock, 9 pounds (4 kg) for a cockerel, 8.5 pounds (3.9 kg) for a hen, and 7 pounds (3.2 kg) for a pullet. Colour varieties include buff, black, partridge, blue, silver laced, splash, golden laced, and white. Cochins also come in a variety called frizzled, in which the feathers are turned outward. Cochins are well known as good mothers, even as foster mothers for other breeds, and they can lay many eggs, but usually not for extended periods of time.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Cochin

• http://www.brahma-cochin.com/Breed history, pictures and different colours
• http://www.homegrownpoultry.com - Cochin pictures and information
• http://www.mypetchicken.com/Cochin-B30.aspx - Cochin pictures and information
• http://www.poultrymad.co.uk/chickens/cochin.shtml - Breed history, pictures
• http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/poultry/chickens/cochin/ - Illustrations and information on Cochins
• http://cochinsinternational.cochinsrule.com/ - Cochins International Home Page
• http://www.mustangcountry.com.au/poultry.html - Cochins silver laced and golden laced