Cochins. 
143 
brown on breast and fluff may moult out to a perfect colour, so should not be discarded on that account. 
Birds that are badly twisted in comb while young may be safely condemned. The pullets intended for 
Exhibition should, at an early age, be placed in quarters by themselves, apart from any of the opposite sex, 
until after the Shows, as the plumage being of such a soft and delicate nature, quickly becomes 
damaged and disfigured. The hens are of such a quiet and docile disposition that, though a 
little clumsy in their movements, may still be claimed as among the best of sitters and mothers, 
the propensity to "sit" being at times a positive nuisance, but being easily broken off, will 
frequently begin laying again in a fortnight. As a first cross for ordinary purposes the breed is of little 
value, though at the same time the Cochin has played a most prominent part in the production of the 
majority of the Utility breeds, such as the Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, etc. ; but this has been done by 
judicious selection, and by using top crosses on the progeny of. the first raw Cochin cross. To use a 
Cochin cock among a lot of ordinary barn-door fowls would certainly not produce a class of Poultry 
commendable from any point of view, and the use of one should strictly be avoided for this purpose. 
The following notes on this variety are kindly supplied by Mr. W. C. Forster, Coward Street, North 
Botany, N.S.W., whose successes in the Show-pen, especially with the Partridge variety, are so well-known 
Mr. Forster writes : — " To breed Buff Cochins, as there are two or three shades admissible for the Show-pen 
I will at once state that to breed the various shades we must be careful to mate together birds exactly alike 
in colour. For instance, a lemon cock should be mated with lemon-coloured hens, and a cinnamon cock 
with cinnamon hens. At the same time good birds may be produced from mating the different shades together, 
but there is far more likelihood of success attending the self-coloured matings, a greater proportion of good 
ones being bred in this manner. In breeding Cochins of any variety the stock must have neat combs, and 
be strong, healthy, vigorous birds. The cock or cockerel heading the breeding pen especially should be neat 
about the head and comb. In breeding the Partridge variety, as in the Dark Brahma, success depends in a 
great measure on the soundness and pencilHng of the hens, and if the cock used to mate with them is rich 
and sound in colour, and was bred from a rich-coloured cock and a well-pencilled hen, this rule again being 
adhered to, the stock thus bred will be of good quality both sexes. Though at the same time good coloured 
cockerels can be bred from dark brown hens devoid of pencilling; but these cockerels, if used for breeding 
purposes, would destroy the lovely pencilling in the pullets bred from them. The method first given is the 
certain way to obtain success in breeding Show stocky and what is of more moment, will at the same time 
assist considerably in perpetuating the desired points of excellence. Blacks, Whites, and Cuckoos should be 
selected as pure in colour as possible, mating each successive year those birds of either which are the purest 
in feather — Blacks to Blacks, Whites to Whites, and Cuckoo to Cuckoo." 
To Mr. Geo. Leeder, " The Avenue," Hurstville, N.S.W., well known as an enthusiastic admirer and 
breeder of the Partridge variety, we are indebted for the following notes. Mr. Leeder's experience extends 
over a period of six years, and he states : — 
"To my mind they are the most handsome of all Fowls of the heavy breeds, and the most hardy. 
As a Utility Fowl they possess all' the desired characteristics, the hens being good winter layers, splendid 
incubators, but not particularly good mothers in consequence of their great size and mass of foot-feathering, 
and an excellent cross for producing Table Poultry. The Partridge Cochin, from all farming standpoints, are 
not to be surpassed. 
"I have crossed this breed with the British Game, and the cross-bred pullets have given excellent results 
in egg-production, with all other desired qualities. I merely mention these facts, being, perhaps, outside a 
Fancier's point of view ; but the progress now being made in breeding Poultry for export, a hint is, I hope, 
not out of place. The Partridge variety is one well adapted to almost any climate characteristic to Australia, 
only that in the warmer parts they are liable to become broody quickly, whilst in cooler places and 
times of the year they lay well ; in fact, during 1896 I had a pullet which laid almost daily for at least 
three months, became broody, hatched a batch of chickens, and was not long before she again repeated her 
wonderful laying performance. From a Fancier's standpoint, a well marked and coloured specirnen is much 
