- SHAPE – MALE
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The Chinese Shanghai fowl came to England and America in
1845. The name of this
Asiatic breed was later changed to Cochin. The earliest Cochins were more or less buff in color.
Its striking appearance, due to great size and profuse soft
feathering, distinguished it from all other known breeds at that
early period. Cochins
created a sensation in England, resulting in a great boom for the
“Cochin China” as it was called in the days of “Cochin
Craze”.
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At that time, four varieties were recognized; namely Buff,
White, Black and Partridge, all being admitted to the Standard in
1874.
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Both male and female are massive in appearance, with an
extra-ordinary profusion of long, soft plumage and a great abundance
of down fiber in the under-fluff, producing a rather bulky
appearance, and conveying the idea of even greater weight than
actually exists. Hard
or closely fitting plumage is a very serious defect also specimens
lacking greatly in size and cushion.
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- ECONOMIC QUALITIES
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Although primarily bred for exhibition, the Cochin is capable
of being bred as a meat type fowl.
Color of skin, yellow; color of eggshells brown.
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- DISQUALIFICATIONS
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Vulture hocks, shanks not feathered down the outer sides,
outer toes not feathered to last joint, bare middle toes (See
General Disqualifications and Cutting for Defects)
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- STANDARD WEIGHTS
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- Cock...............................11
lbs.
Hen.......................................8
1/2 lbs.
- Cockerel...........................9
lbs.
Pullet..........................................7
lbs.
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- The Male Shape – as
defined in the American Poultry Association, Standard of
Perfection
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- COMB:
Single; of medium
size, set firmly on head, stout at base, straight from front to
rear, low in front; serrations moderately deep, dividing comb into
five regular points the middle one highest; free from wrinkles, fine
in texture.
- BEAK:
Short, stout at base,
curving to point.
- FACE:
Smooth, fine in texture.
- EYES:
Moderately large.
- WATTLES:
Rather long,
well-rounded at lower edges, thin and fine in texture.
- EAR
LOBES: Smooth, well-defined,
about two-thirds as long as wattles.
- HEAD:
Rather short, broad,
deep, prominent over eyes; juncture with neck well defined.
- NECK:
Short, full,
well-proportioned, well arched from rear of head to back.
- Hackle -- very long
and abundant, flowing well over shoulders and cape.
- BACK:
Short in appearance, very
broad and well-rounded; shoulders, very broad, flat under hackle;
saddle or cushion rising at base of hackle or cape, long; saddle
feathers, flowing over tips of wings and mingling with fluff and
under-plumage of tail.
- TAIL:
Main Tail -- short, well
spread at base, filled underneath with profusion of soft feathers.
- Main
Tail Feathers -- broad and overlapping.
- Sickles -- short, well-rounded and enveloped by
coverts and lesser sickles, showing as little of the stiff feathers
as possible; saddle and tail to have soft, round, bulky appearance.
- WINGS:
Small, carried well-up and
well-folded; fronts embedded in plumage of breast; tips nicely
tucked under saddle plumage.
- Wing-Bows
-- smooth and exceedingly well rounded.
- Primaries
and Secondaries -- broad and overlapping in natural order when wing
is folded.
- BREAST:
Carried forward, very
full, well rounded, of great breadth and depth.
- BODY
AND FLUFF: Body -- moderate in length, broad, deep, well-rounded from point of
breast to abdomen, well let down between the legs, broad and
well-rounded from breast bone to tail, depending more on length of
feathers for fullness than on muscular development.
- Fluff -- soft, full, abundant.
- LEGS
AND TOES: Legs, set well
apart, straight when viewed from front.
- Lower
thighs -- medium length; large, straight; the more long, soft,
outstanding plumage, extending well down the shanks and covering
hack joints, the better, having the appearance of two great globes
of feathers concealing the legs from view.
- Hocks
-- covered with flexible feathers, curving inward about the joints;
free from vulture like feathering.
- Shanks
-- short, stout in
bone; plumage, long beginning just below hocks and covering front
and outer side of shanks, from which it should be outstanding, the
upper part growing out from under thigh plumage and continuing into
foot feathering. There
should be no marked break in the outlines between the plumage of
these sections; they should merge naturally into each other and
blend together.
- Toes --
four on each foot, straight, stout, well spread; middle and outer
toes, heavily feathered to ends.
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