Standard cochins and giant cochins?

[OkieChickenGal]

I was wondering, are giant cochins and standard cochins the same exact thing? Or are they both a different size of cochin?

 

[lilmillefleur]

I do not know, but I once had a blue cochin, was not a bantam, but was also nowhere near a 'giant' cochin most people think of. So maybe.

 

[OkieChickenGal]

I was wondering because I'm going to buy a flock of cochins and sell their hatching eggs. I saw some people advertise theirs as "giant cochins," and they were more expensive. I just don't want to falsely advertise

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I was wondering, are giant cochins and standard cochins the same exact thing? Or are they both a different size of cochin?

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Oh boy, I faced the same confusion this past spring.. Now I've had both.

The "giant" are actually still close to the same body size and are the same breed just selected more for show I think. A little bit larger and way fluffier. Both girls we had were pretty but the "giant" girls was fun to look at.

If you have many birds, more feed might be a factor for you. And I personally wouldn't feed layer when they hit that age with 16% protein since that is meant for light bodied layers like leghorn. And feathers are made of 90% protein and the amino acids that make it up. The giant Cochin has lot's of feathers. I would be more inclined to feed an 18-20% protein feed and offer oyster shell on the side for them to access as needed.

Yes, they are a slightly different size.

 

[OkieChickenGal]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Oh boy, I faced the same confusion this past spring.. Now I've had both.

The "giant" are actually still close to the same body size and are the same breed just selected more for show I think. A little bit larger and way fluffier. Both girls we had were pretty but the "giant" girls was fun to look at.

If you have many birds, more feed might be a factor for you. And I personally wouldn't feed layer when they hit that age with 16% protein since that is meant for light bodied layers like leghorn. And feathers are made of 90% protein and the amino acids that make it up. The giant Cochin has lot's of feathers. I would be more inclined to feed an 18-20% protein feed and offer oyster shell on the side for them to access as needed.

Yes, they are a slightly different size.

Thanks! So If I sold their hatching eggs. I would have to advertise them as standard cochins, Right? Because the place i'm buying them from said they were standard cochins

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thanks! So If I sold their hatching eggs. I would have to advertise them as standard cochins, Right? Because the place i'm buying them from said they were standard cochins

Yes, I think so.

 

[The Moonshiner]

There is no breed of Cochin known as "giant Cochin".
That's just for marketing.
Standard Cochin are supposed to be big. Decades of poor breeding has brought their size down considerably. Giant Cochin vs standard Cochin is more correctly poorly bred standard Cochin vs well bred standard Cochin.
I would not advertise any as giants. Some people might believe they're something special and buy them but myself I would be put off by the phrase and would pass on them just for that reason.
Go to a show and look at the Cochin entered and talk to the breeders. You will pay more but you will get some way above average birds and when it comes time to sell you'll be way above the crowd with your birds and they will sell well.
Or stick with what everyone else has and sell them as plain Cochin.

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

The correct term is Large Fowl but that really does not matter. If it is not a bantam whether one calls it Giant, Large Fowl, or Standard it is all the same breed in Cochins. The Cochin organizations distinguish by Bantam and Large Fowl.