Why two names – Cochin and Pekin – for one breed? Or is it two different breeds with several types? Ever since I can remember, this question of two names crops up periodically in England and forms a subject for controversy. In America the breed is called Cochin, and in England Cochin or Pekin?

If these bantams are to be miniature Cochin, let us make them so. If they are to be miniature fowls with heads like a Japanese, low down and shallow like a Scotts Dumpy and with feathers on their legs like booted bantams, such as are seen winning prizes, I, for one would like to know, so that I could set in motion the machinery to produce them.

To say that our present day Cochin bantams are Miniature Cochin fowls is far from correct. I served my schooling in Asiatics from the late Geo. Breeze. The present day large Cochins as shown in England are taller than those shown in earlier times, although they have been improved in thigh fluff and perhaps, to a certain degree, in wealth of feathers all over. The placement and length of bone control the balance of a fowl. One must first look at the orders of levers. The further the weight is away from the fulcrum, the more power and strength it takes to raise it. So a bird will take a different balance, or line according to its length of bones and the angles they take at the joints. Example of Modern Game The leg bones are almost upright, which helps to maintain the weight. When lifting a fence post up in a hole, the higher the post is lifted towards the perpendicular the less energy is required. So the higher the Modern reaches the less strength is required to control its balance. Here is proof: Watch any reachy breed of poultry feeding, not only in the young stages but after as adults. When they have to reduce the angle at the joints of the leg and the weight of the body comes forward they will often resort to dropping on the hocks; to continue feeding.

“Tilt” in the Cochin

One of the features of a Cochin that a lot of breeders pay little attention to is the tilt. I consider this feature one of the breed’s pleasing parts and it also helps type considerably. I have given this subject much thought during the last season. There are a few changes in the life of a Cochin that are extremely interesting. The chick comes from the egg a most pretty thing and experienced breeders can often select the best at this early stage taking length of fluff, shape and lowness into consideration.

The first change is that the chicken increases in size. The fluff does not grow but the chicks get a bit taller and appear all feet. They then drop into what I call the pretty stage, at about 3 months. They are fully feathered and some show a decided tilt and can be picked for lowness, length of feather and shape. The third stage is the gawky stage; they go up again and some retain the tilt.

Being so interested in the feature I selected one that had the tilt very pronounced and clipped the feathers on the whole of the leg and portion of the wing and side, the better able to see the angles and length of the bone as the youngster dropped into the fourth stage – adulthood. I liken these gawky Cochins to humans on the verge of puberty before settling into the adult figure.

Look at Fig. 2 and note the tilt the fowl has to the front. If anything, my observation specimen dropped even more to the front. When standing still, A and D were perpendicular, the hock joint C well behind and the angle become smaller. The angle at B was also reduced. I watched the fowl more closely at this point when approaching his final makeup. Having a rather long neck he found he could take some of the weight off the front by throwing his head well back, consequently, he now has that undesirable feature – hardly any back but a full front similar to Fig. 1.

A Suggestion for Poultry Clubs

Some breeders may contend that the tilt and balance are controlled that the hip joint A; others that the length of the leg bone BC controls the balance. Anyway it is subjects such as this that could form the basis of most interesting discussions of meetings. No club is complete with a blackboard and chalk by means of which members may convey their ideas regarding different angles and curves. Read a standard and let members interpret it on the blackboard – more exactness can be obtained in this way than by making comparisons to fowls.

Taking the sketch again, it will be noted that the angle the thigh bone AB makes with the line of the backbone is the same in both sketches although in Fig. 1 the back drops to the rear whilst in Fig. 2 the hock joint C is well to the rear of the line and the angle at C is also smaller which seems to give the fowl a lower appearance and also add to the tilt.

Importance of Cushion

A number of breeders appear satisfied when they have a full fronted, low fowl; they seem to forget the back part – the cushion – which is a very important feature of a good Cochin. The Americans endeavor to have the cushion very full and consider the top of the cushion and the head should be on a level. This brings up another important part of a Cochin’s makeup – head and neck. Too many specimens are to be seen with a long neck and heads far from having the appearance of an Asiatic. More attention needs to be paid to producing the short thick head and small comb.

Body and Wing Carriage

One often sees exhibits reported upon as being short or too long in leg. This is a mistake when referring to a Cochin. They should be spoken of as being “low”. It is the manner in which the body of a Cochin is swung between its legs which gives it its lowness, caused by the angle at the joints and the wealth of feathers it possesses.

The fascinating waddle of a good Cochin is obtained by the low slung body. Wing carriage either makes a Cochin or just a feather-legged bantam. If the wings are carried well up, the wealth of fluff on thighs can be shown without which a fowl ceases to be a Cochin. How often we see shallow pretty little specimens right on the ground with only an inch between the bottom of the wings and the last feather.

Foot Feathering

Some judges and reporters make too much of this foot feather and some of their remarks make it appear as if it were one-half of the Cochin. Cochins must have a quantity of feather on the shank right down the middle toe. These feathers on leaving the shank and toes sweep around toward the back of the fowl.

I have seen Cochins described as being “well booted”. There is as much difference between the feathering on the legs of a Cochin and a booted bantam as that shown between the Langshan and the Cochin. A booted bantam’s feather reaches six to seven inches in length and the feathers are stiff, wide and straight, leaving the feet at right angles – and undesirable feature in the foot feather of a Cochin. It is not the length of the foot feather that matters in a Cochin, it is how much of it there is. The feathers of the thigh, leg, shank and toes should mingle together in a feathery mass.

Summing up these notes my advice to breeders of the Cochin bantam is to look to small combed, thick heads, mounted on short necks; aim at a wealth of long soft feather especially in cushion; wings as short in flight as possible, carried well up. When you have these features you have something resembling a Cochin.

I hope readers do not have the impression that my writings are of a fault finding nature. My objective is to give stimulus to our poultry clubs and the fancier generally, where discussions on subjects upon which I commented will bear fruit through the joint endeavors of members to come to a mutual understanding as to what is correct. Such discussions create enthusiasm and a certain amount of enjoyment.

While interesting discussions are taking place in “Poultry” why not start an album containing illustrations with regard to where there is a variance of opinion? Get a blackboard to work; give a voice to your opinions at your meetings, apart from coming to an understanding amongst members, the time will arrive when various affiliated clubs will be asked to cast a vote on some point and a club that has thrashed out a problem can quietly record its vote to the satisfaction of its members.

I do not expect fanciers will see eye to eye with everything I write nor have I written the foregoing for the purpose of raising a discussion. It will provide material which will be the means of passing a pleasant evening at a club meeting where it can be discussed by members.