POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1856, 17 June 1887, Page 8

POULTRY NOTES.

COCHINS. There never was a fowl which created such a sensation as the Cochin did some fifty years ago. To such a length did it go that it was commonly called the hen fever, and fabulous prices were paid for them. Their praise was sounded in all moods and tenses. They were to supply eggs all the year round, to be like turkeys on the table, and their gentle quiet disposition, was to teach children morals. Everybody tried to possess them, and when they were disappointed — having been led to expect fabulous things — the breed very soon became unpopular and neglected. The parody on Moore's Lesbia contains the following lines :— Most hens do lay one egg a day, Mine lays two— my Cochin China.

When people found that they only laid one egg a day, and not more than five eggs in the week, besides all this that the creatures would like to sit pretty often, they were set down as a failure, and many banished them in disgust. The fact is their merits were much over stated, and as always happens in such cases, their true and real merits — for such they undoubtedly had — were eclipsed in the feeling of disappointment which followed.

Like most show fowl, Cochins have suffered at the hands of the fancy. When we got them they were a fairly good general fowl, that would lay 40 eggs or so, and then become broody. They were as good winter layers as, could be wished, and were valuable sitters and mothers. They were fairly good table fowl when killed young. But the Cochin as now bought and sold is a poor layer. So poor that no one could recommend them as a profitable g breed. They still lay well in winter ; but' from 12 to 20 eggs is the most may be expected before they seek to hatch. Their sitting propensities are very great — they might be said to have a mania for hatching. When a hen becomes broody it is useless to put her under a coop or in a strange pen, for here she will sit on the ground quite as contentedly as if she had her nest. This is a very great advantage where many chickens are reared, for Cochin hens can always be depended on ; then they are very quiet mothers: here they have a fault — where is there anything fautless ? They are very large, awkward birds, likely to break eggs and kill chicks with their great feet. There are four varieties — namely, black, white, buff, and partridge ; according to many we should say five varieties, and include the Langshan. With which we do not agree, for a Langshan, when a Langshan — not a fraudulent imitation — is a very useful and noble fowl. All the four varieties are almost equal in economic value. They should be about the same size, and as layers there is little difference. Some prefer the partridge as a layer, and we have found individuals of this variety very good layers. The buffs are the most popular. The blacks are prized by many town fanciers, who cannot keep the others clean owing to the smoke. They are a very popular variety of exhibition fowl, and a poultry show without Cochins has a very stark naked appearance. They are very large — in fact, the largest fowl we have. They have single combs, which should be rather small and neat. They have immense foot and leg feathers and a great abundance of " fluff," or soft downy feathers. This may look like a description of the Brahma ; but the two breeds differ greatly, and we cannot better describe the Cochin than by giving the points of difference. The Brahma is a close, hard-feathered bird ; the Cochin is a loose, soft-feathered bird. The Brahma has a square, broad back, the hackle is pretty full, and the cushion rises gradually till it reaches the tail, which grows up clearly out of the cushion. The Cochin has also a very large hackle, which grows down well over the shoulders, and its cushion rises where the hackle reaches the back in a globular form and entirely covers the tail of the hen, and often almost covers that of the cock The breast of a good Brahma is full, deep, and broad, but the breast of the Cochin is rather poor as a rule. Of course good breasts are sometimes seen, but the absence of breast is the defect of the breed. The fluff is more abundant on the thighs, and under part of the Cochin than it is on the Brahma. Sometimes white Cochins are offered as Brahmas with single combs, but the difference can easily be seen if the feathers are opened. The Cochin feather is white to the skin ; the light Brahma feathers are dark when opened. In fact they are only white on the part visible when the bird is at ease.

The merits of Cochins have been hinted at. They are exceedingly useful for hatching and rearing broods. They are very good winter layers, and where large numbers of chicks are reared we strongly recommend a number of hens to be kept. Their own eggs should not be set for market chickens, except they be mated with a Dorking cock. Nor should the be set to produce layers unless mated with a cock of some noted laying breed, such as the Leghorn or Andalusian or Minorca. A small cock wilj. not suit for cross breeding with Cochin hens, therefore we could not think of the Hamburg cross. This, however, can be obtained by mating a small Cochin cock with good-sized Hamburg hens. As to hatching, Cochins are ygry much superior to Brahmas; for if a really good strain of Brahmas be kept they cannot be depended on to sit at all. As we write we have a large number of Brahma hens which layed since November and December, and not one can be even enticed to sit, though a full nest of eggs is left to them. This is not so with Cochins. Any month or any week a sitter is wanted she can be had, and, unlike the Brahma, she will never desert her nest. — Home Paper.

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