BREEDING COCHINS. 



The Value of All Varieties of Cochins for Practical Purposes— The Best Method of Feeding and 



Housing Growing Chicks and Mature Fowls— A Discussion of the Principles of Mating 



Standard Cochins, and Instruction in Preparing for Exhibition. 



By J. D. Nevius. 



M 



ANY years ago, just at the close of the war. 1 be- 

 came attracted towards the tien most popular 

 Shanghai or Cochin fowl. There was something 

 about their general appearance and attractiveness 

 of color that led me to select the Buff Cochin fowls and to 

 follow them continually from that day to the present time. 

 During the past thirty-five years I have kept constantly in 

 touch with all the advancements and improvements made 

 in the Cochin family. To speak of itheir early history would 

 simply carry us back to the opening day of the gates of 

 Pekin to the English, about 1840. From that time on there 

 came to England and this country specimens of the Asiatic 

 type of fowls of many kinds and colors, and the colors most 

 irregular and unattractive. 



From these several types, kinds and colors of Asiatic 

 fowls have been built up the four varieties of Cochins, also 

 the two varieties of Brahmas and the Langshans might 

 well be classed with them. The most interesting part of 

 Cochin history is the fact that the American fanciers, of 

 which I am so pleased to be one, have contended from 

 the very first for a true Cochin type and distinctive high 

 class coloring. Long legs, flat breasts and stiff hocks should 

 be discarded and kept out and away from $he entire Cochin 

 family. 



It cannot but be admitted that the full rounded breast 

 and the proper Cochin formation adds not only to their 

 beauty, but to their value as well for market poultry. Free 

 range is of benefit to all poultry, and while the Cochins will 

 stand confinement when properly cared for and fed, better 

 than almost any other poultry, they gain equal advantage 

 with others through having a free range. The trouble that 

 confronts us in the confinement of Cochins is that they are 

 apt to become too fat, but if they are largely fed on oats, 

 either clipped or hulled, wheat and but little fattening food 

 they will do very well. 



I give my young growing Cochins after they are six or 

 eight weeks old, the free range of a three acre orchard that 

 has been sown with oats in the spring. What they do not 

 consume as green food ripens and is eaten in that condition. 

 In addition to this they are fed all the whole wheat, cracked 

 corn and mixed food that they can be induced to eat until 

 grown to maturity. 



There is a general misunderstanding as to the ability of 

 Cochins to produce eggs. It is not unusual at all to have 



early hatched pullets begin laying in October and continue 

 a profitable egg production throughout the entire winter. 

 It is largely a question of proper care and feeding. When 

 Cochins are properly fed they are quite as apt to produce, 

 a large egg yield as are any oi our meat or general purpose 

 fowls. It is not reasonable to compare the egg yield of 

 Cochins with the Mediterranean family, they producing so 

 much more flesh and feather than is produced by the non- 

 sitting varieties. At the same time I am fully satisfied that 

 equal profit can be made from the Cochins "as market poul- 

 try and eggs as from any of the breeds. 



I feed the laying hens but very little corn, depending 

 almost entirely upon wheat, oats, buckwheat and mixsd food 

 largely made from the products of wheat, and in addition to 

 this ground oats and cut clover. My mixture is two parts 

 of fresh cut clover, two parts ground oats, one part ground 

 meal. This is fed once a day in reasonable quantity. There 

 cannot be any set rule for all to follow in the selection of 

 foods for the Cochins. The surroundings and advantages 

 at gaining good food products for egg production may be 

 different in one locality than in another, but you may ,rest 

 assured that when you wish to have eggs from Cochins, you 

 must feed for eggs, make them exercise and work for parts 

 of their grain food the same as other poultry. The relative 

 value of the Cochins as egg producers in my experience 

 seems to be as follows: Whites, Blacks, Partridge and 

 Buffs. Whites and Blacks lay the largest egg and the Part- 

 ridge the smallest, their advantage over the Buffs being 

 that they produce a larger number of eggs. 



It has always been my earnest endeavor to select my 

 matings of such a quality as to make it almost unnecessary 

 to sell any of the chickens for table poultry. For this rea- 

 son we seldom have enough of the inferior quality to fur- 

 nish our own family table. My former partner, one of the 

 largest buyers and shippers of dressed poultry in this state, 

 much prefers a Cochin or a Cochin cross to any of the varie- 

 ties that he can purchase in heavy poultry, the meat being 

 remarkably fine, tender, juicy and soft. 



FEEDING FOR GROWTH. 



In feeding my young chicks I have always selected that 

 manner of food which seemed to get the greatest size in the 

 shortest possible time. In this we must consider the grow- 

 ing of bone and muscle as well as flesh. 



