This chicken was originally bred in China and later exported to Britain and America in the mid 19th century.
As a very distinctive breed of chicken, it apparently created a bit of a craze among poultry lovers effectively launching poultry fancy as we know it today.
Not only was this breed one of the largest seen, with cocks weighing up to 5 kg (11 lb), but also its soft and very plentiful plumage, similar to the Japanese Silkie, makes the bird conspicuous by exaggerating its already large size. It was successfully bred into other birds.
Cochins are also known to be good pet hens for the garden, as they are tame and regarded as one of the most ‘friendly’ chicken breeds. Cochins are rather quiet chickens, and tend to be quite calm as well. We find that the Partridge colour are the most forward in behaviour. The buffs and whites tend to be quieter and more closely interact when used to human company.
