COCHIK FOWLS. J 



POULTET. 



[cochin rowLs. 



5. Body deep from back to breast; wide 

 on the rump, and very broad behind, which 

 part, as well as the thighs, ought to be covered 

 with downy feathers, in such abundance as to 

 give them a very large appearance. Tail and 

 wiug very small ; thigh remarkably thick, and 

 the stilt short ; den^e fluffness of the stern and 

 thighs ; legs well-feathered, or looted, down 

 the outside. 



In matters on which there are many opinions, 

 it can never be an iujudicious plan to give 

 what are esteemed the best, by those who have 

 a large acquaintance with the subject of which 

 we are treating. Accordingly, from others 

 which we will presently give, we select the 

 following for insertion here, as being from an 

 amateur of great experience : — 



" The cock bird is of a dark-red colour, with 

 a dark hackle, edged with yellow ; very fluffy 

 about the thighs ; each flufly feather presents 

 a very peculiar characteristic — viz., being semi- 

 double, or as if it had been split from the apex 

 to the base (I have never found the feathers 

 thus in half-bred birds) ; the wings very short, 

 and doubled under ; comb single serrated, but 

 not deeply so; legs short, flesh-coloured in front, 

 pink down the sides, and somewhat feathered ; 

 a few sword feathers in the tail ; the crow 

 generally ending in a prolonged kind of roar : 

 weight about 10 lbs. Hens partridge-coloured; 

 by abundantly, very dark, middle-sized eggs ; 

 weight tbout 7 lbs. or 8 lbs, each. Chickens 

 feather slowly; cockerels even more so than 

 pullets. When about three months old, cocks 

 weigh 41 lbs. ; hens, 3 lbs. to Z\ lbs. each : 

 roost on the ground at night ; all of a quiet 

 disposition, seldom or never fighting. Hens 

 excellent sitters and kind nurses." 



The remarks of Mr. Trotter, of Henley Mill, 

 near Hexham — written in further illustration 

 of the Essay for which the Eoyal Agricul- 

 tural Society, in 1851, awarded him a prize — 

 merife notice here. They are valuable, as 

 coming from a gentleman of great practical ex- 

 perience, who carried off several prizes at the 

 Northumberland and Durham Society's show, 

 for the best Cochins, Dorkings, Spanish, and 

 Pencilled Hamburglis. 



*' Beneath the vent," he says, " there is a 



much^ greater abundance of ' fluffy' feathers 



than in other varieties of fowls. The feathers 



on the thighs also partake greatly of this 



826 



fluffy nature. The outside of the legs, and 

 the outside toe, ought to be profusely covered 

 with feathers. The wings are so short as 

 almost to deprive the birds of flight ; in fact, 

 it is with difficulty they can mount a balk two 

 feet high ; it is therefore necessary to have the 

 balks where these fowls are kept, even lower 

 than I have already recommended. These 

 fowls having great length, breadth, and depth, 

 attain to almost incredible weights, averagino^ 

 about 11 lbs., if good specimens. The hen 

 weighs seven, eight, nine, or even sometimes 

 as high as 10 lbs. ; but as some commence to 

 lay much earlier than others, a greater dif- 

 ference prevails in their weights than in those 

 of the cocks. 



" The most esteemed colour of these fowls is 

 ginger ; but as there are pure bred birds of 

 almost all colours, including black and white, 

 I am in favour of selecting them as much by 

 their shapes as by their colour. No judge of 

 * short-horns' would, when acting in that capa- 

 city, give preference to an animal of * fine roan,' 

 the shape of which was less perfect than 

 one of a less admired colour — such as red or 

 white — providing the character of purity were 

 evident. Neither do I think any judge of 

 fowls ought to give advantage to any Cochins 

 on account of colour, if the shapes are less 

 perfect than others of less admired colours. 

 The colour of the legs varies in different speci- 

 mens ; but a ' pinky' is most admired. Their 

 eggs mostly partake of a chocolate colour, but 

 difler very much in deepness of hue ; some ap- 

 proaching almost to pink, while others are only 

 a few shades removed from white." 



As a basis for forming a judgment, the fol- 

 lowing points are given by a Dublin ama- 

 teur :— 



The Cock. 



Head. — The beak, in the lighter varieties, yellow ; 

 in the darker, horn colour. — Eyes pearl, or 

 orange red. — Comb low, single, serrated, free 

 from sprigs, and smooth. — The wattles full and 

 round. — Earlobe very full, falling to a level with 

 the wattles. — Face brilliant crimson. 



Neck. — Orange, varying in tint according to variety. 



Back. — In the light-coloured varieties, orange ; in 

 the dark, orange marone. 



Wing. — Shoulder, and throughout, graduated tints 

 of orange yellow in the light colours ; in the dark, 

 orange marone ; flight feathers bay. 



Breaat. — In light colours, buff; in partridge- 

 coloured, brown, with dark markings, sometimes 

 pheasanted ; in grouse-feathered, black breasted. 



