Birchen Cochin Bantam Chicken
Birchen Cochin Bantam Chickens are one of many bantam varieties of the
Cochin Chicken.
Cochin Chickens are a chicken breed originally bred in China and were traditionally known as
Chinese Shanghai or
Cochina China. This exotic breed was first exported the England and America in the mid 19th century and eventually led the craze for the poultry "fancy" movement - chicken breeders new desire for foreign poultry to show and raise as pets.
The
Cochin Chicken is classified as a heavy chicken breed, cocks weighing in up to 11 pounds. They appear excessively large due to the abundant amount of soft and fluffy plumage covering the birds body. The
Cochin Chicken's most notable feature is the amount of frilly plumage covering the leg and foot or the bird, uncharacteristic to any other chicken breeds.
Though the
Cochin Chicken is not known for its strong egg production, laying only a few medium sized brown eggs per week, they yield a sizable amount of meat and will make a great boiler or fryer.
Cochin Chickens do make excellent mothers and will even mother baby chicks of a different breed, and their docile nature and beautiful fluffy plumage allow them to make great pet chickens.
