212 The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 



one year old should not be less than from eight to nine pounds each ; at two years old they will 

 increase in weight to ten or eleven pounds each ; and at three or four years old I have had them 

 to weigh nearly twelve pounds each : but hens ten pounds each at two years old are a good 

 average weight, and quite heavy enough. The head should be long, not too thick or coarse ; the 

 comb fine, upright, and not too large ; breast broad, prominent, and full ; shoulders broad and 

 square ; the wing small, the under flight-feathers carried well under, and the outer flight-feathers 

 closely clipping the sides ; the legs thick as possible, and a good bright yellow, well-feathered, 

 and quite free from any long hock-feathers. The most important point in a Cochin hen is the 

 cushion ; in a very high class hen the cushion should be very large and prominent, forming 

 quite a ball on the rump, and hiding the whole of the tail with the exception of the ends of the 

 longest feathers. 



" In mating birds for breeding, the information I shall endeavour to give will be such as I have 

 gained myself from many years' practical experience; and I may say — having made it a study how 

 to produce colour, feather, form, and size — by following the few practical hints I shall give, those 

 who wish to breed this most useful variety of fowls will not get very far wrong. 



"In commencing to breed Cochins, inexperienced people are very apt to think that by 

 purchasing very moderate birds from some good breeder of a noted strain they may breed as 

 good a bird as if paying high or fancy prices for very high-class specimens. This is not my 

 opinion. To produce high-class birds you must not have a fault in your stock birds ; little faults in 

 parent birds develop themselves on a much larger scale in the young stock. I will give an important 

 instance of this. Some years ago I had a very fine strain of cocks, that for quality could not be 

 beaten ; but there was a great peculiarity in the comb — the two middle spikes were much shorter 

 than the rest. This defect I never found show itself in the pullets by this cock ; but many of the 

 cocks had the same defect as their sire — the combs being precisely like his. Cocks I have always 

 found resemble their sire, and pullets the hen. We have found it very difficult to breed birds 

 perfect in colour and quality from the very best stock that can be put together ; and I am quite 

 sure imperfect birds cannot as a rule produce perfect stock. Amateurs who wish to breed Cochins 

 I do not advise to be guided in their purchases by the awards at our difierent shows, and purchase 

 the prize birds for stock purposes ; they must bear in mind that many of the highest class 

 exhibition birds are of no other use than for an exhibition pen. If you can keep birds (Cochins) 

 healthy and lively, the older they are the larger they get, and the more valuable for exhibition. I 

 have had many large high-class exhibition hens that to my knowledge have never laid an (tg^ for 

 the last two or three seasons of their life. Choose your hens from one year old, and not over two 

 years ; large, square, heavily-feathered birds, rich buff in colour, not too light, and quite free from 

 any mixture of shades in the colour of feathers, but a decided colour throughout ; plenty of width 

 between the legs is a vciy important point ; legs as thick as possible, and a good yellow. The 

 larger your hen in cushion behind, and more prominent her good points, the better ; a flat-backed 

 hen, with no riunp, however beautiful in colour and good in other points, I would not run in my 

 yard for breeding purposes. Be careful also the ear-lobes are not streaked with white; comb as 

 small, fine, and upright as possible ; feet large and well feathered ; toes thick, long, and straight. 



" The cock bird to run with these hens should also be a rich buff, a good sound colour through- 

 out ; great care should be taken in not having the under flight-feathers of wing zi'Intc or mealy. I 

 do not object to their being black, but a good rich buff is to ht preferred ; but if white or mealy it 

 is sure to produce meal}--flighted cocks. The wing should be as small as possible, well carried up, 

 and closely tucked into the side ; a large, long, loose-winged bird scarcely ever carries his wing close, 

 and is very objectionable for stock purposes. 



