Cochin Bantams

[emmahannah]

Hi,

We have 2 RIR hens for eggs and are thinking about getting some of the blue cochin bantams. Are they good egg layers? We also have the option to show in 4H so any breeder info. would be appreciated.

Thanks, Susan

[Glenda L Heywood]

Basically any show bantam generally lays eggs feb or march thru july or aug at most.
I raised a lot of cochin bantams and never depended on them for eggs other than for showing and exhibiting the offspring.
you should get enough eggs to incubate offspring at any rate
I kept a 100 watt lite bulb on them, in the chicken shed, all winter so they ate and drank to keep their bodies in fit shape. also kept heated watereers on in the shed
I fed only 16% laying crumbles NO corn
Some times soaked (in milk whole) oats so their bodies didn't get fat on them and ruin the possibility of getting eggs to incubate. Some birds tend to gain fat in their bodies and cause slow laying.
I mated one to two females per one rooster in cage sttings
I also pulled (slowly one feather at a time) in a 3 inch circle the vent feathers off the males and females
as cochins tend to have too many feathers and the males sperm gets deposited on the vent feathers instead of inside the hen.
Glenda L Heywood
frizzlebird5@yahoo.com
http://www.gkpet.com
click on pet forum

[greg rountree]

Cochins are not good layers--typically they lay 6-8 eggs then get broody and are hard to get out of the broody state. The first year of lay is when you will get the most eggs out of them--and if you get 50-60 eggs out of them that first year you have got a good laying Cochin--they are excellent mothers. :) Greg