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 wiLi 
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 different 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 egg 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 very 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 rump , 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 white or mealy. I 
do not object to their being black, but a good rich buff is to be preferred ; but if white or mealy it 
is sure to produce mealy-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. 
