142 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF POULTRY. 



better morals than even Dr. Watts' hymns for the children, 

 who were from them " to learn kind and gentle manners," and 

 thenceforward to live in peace. 



Such a state of things, of course, could not last, and the 

 breed is now perhaps as unjustly depreciated by many as it was 

 then exalted ; for Cochins still have real merits, and on many 

 accounts deserve the attention of the poultry-keeper. They 

 might have stood much higher, as many of the early birds had 

 very good breasts ; but unfortunately early fanciers adopted 

 the contrary model, and so spoilt the breed as a table-fowl. 



As now bred for the show-pen, the breed presents the 

 following characteristics : The cock ought not to weigh less 

 than 10 or 11 Ibs., and a very fine one will reach 13 Ibs. ; the 

 hens from 8 to 9 or 10 Ibs. The larger the better, if form and 

 general make be good. The neck is rather short, the hackle 

 flowing widely at the bottom over a very short and broad 

 back, which should rise at once into a broad saddle in the cock, 

 and an ample " cushion " in the hen, whose tail is nearly 

 buried in it ; there should appear almost no actual back at all. 

 The body is correspondingly short, but very deep down to the 

 setting on of the thighs ; the legs being as short as possible, and 

 set widely apart. The breast should be as broad and full as 

 possible consistent with these requirements, but must neces- 

 sarily appear high and little developed, and this want of breast 

 is the greatest defect in the Cochin formation from a table 

 point of view. The shanks are to be heavily feathered down 

 the outside to the ends of the outer and middle toes, the thighs 

 well furnished with soft downy fluff, standing out in a sort of 

 globular mass, and the hocks well covered by soft curling 

 feathers. The fashion in hocks has varied much. When this 

 book was first written, any sign of vulture-hocks (stiff feathers 

 projecting from the hock) was rigidly disqualified at all shows. 

 This led to fraudulent plucking; and to avoid this some 

 approach to vulture-hock was gradually allowed; later on a 



