The Cochin Bantam chicken: A sweet-hearted ball of feathers with feet
“Fluffy is an understatement,” said one chicken keeper of her Cochin Bantams. “…and,” she continued, “[they] are SOOO soft! You won’t be sorry with Cochins.”
And that’s the general consensus of Cochin Bantam keepers. If you want a tiny, sweet, adorable, quirky little bird for your backyard flock, Cochins are a phenomenal choice.
But, as with all chickens, Cochin Bantams aren’t for everybody. As small birds with extravagant ornamental feathering, these little chickens require certain care and a particular environment to remain in good health and happiness.
In this article, learn everything you need to know to determine if Cochin Bantams are right for you. This article covers:
What Cochin Bantam chickens look like in their many different colors and patterns
Everything you ever wanted to know about Cochin Bantam egg laying
Climate considerations for Cochin Bantams chickens (are they a good fit for your region?)
Cochin Bantam temperament (are they right for you and your family?)
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Have Cochin Bantam chickens?
Cochin Bantam chicken facts
Category: Pet
Origin: China
Egg-laying ability: Moderate-good
Broodiness: High
Cold tolerance: Poor-moderate
Heat tolerance: Poor-moderate
Predator evasion: Poor
Foraging ability: Good
Toleration for confinement: Good
Temperament: Docile (roosters may be aggressive)
Aggression toward flock members: Low-moderate
Noise level: Moderate-high
Origin of Cochin Bantam chickens
Cochin Bantam chickens were developed from Chinese progenitors who were exported to Britain and America during the 1800s. The authors of The Complete Encyclopedia of Chickens, have remarked that:
“Although the breed’s name implies that it is a question here of a dwarf form of the large Cochins, Cochin bantams do not resemble Cochins enough to be regarded as such.”
So, some Cochin strains may not have actually been bred down from larger Cochins, but may have come from different Chinese progenitor stock, and perhaps from a type of Chinese bird that was already small.
American breeders have bred Cochin Bantams to maximize their fluffy, rounded look. Unfortunately, this has resulted in some birds with legs that are excessively short.
Cochin Bantams are kept mainly as show birds and as backyard pets. Some have called them “garden ornaments.” These chickens are one of the most popular bantam breeds on the market, coming in second only to the English Game Bantam.
(To learn more about the history of the non-bantam—i.e., regular-sized—Cochin chicken, check out my article, Cochin chickens: The gentle and gregarious backyard giants.)
What do Cochin Bantam chickens look like?
“One’s first impression of a Cochin Bantam is that of a ‘feathery ball with legs.’”
Cochin Bantam feather colors and patterns
Cochin Bantams come in several different feather colors and patterns. Some of these feather varieties are “official” (i.e., recognized by the American Poultry Association and/or the American Bantam Association). Others are “unofficial” (i.e., developed by devoted breeders).
The official varieties are:
Barred
Birchen
Black
Black-tailed Red
Blue
Brown
Brown Red
Buff
Buff Columbian
Columbian
Golden Laced
Lemon Blue
Mottled
Partridge
Red
Silver Laced
Silver Penciled
White
Unofficial varieties include:
Blue Laced
Blue Mottled
Calico
Golden Birchen
Lavender
Mille Fleur
Porcelain
Salmon
Yellow Cuckoo
Mille Fleur, Black, and Lavender Frizzle Cochin Bantams
You know Cochin Bantams are popular birds when they come in this many different varieties. Below you can see an example of a few different varieties of Cochin Bantams.
Columbian Cochin Bantams
Black and Blue Mottled Cochin Bantams
Another popular type of Cochin Bantam is Cochins with frizzled feathers. These feathers are a different texture than regular feathers and they curl forward (or at least they do ideally).
Below is a video of a Black Bantam Cochin Frizzle chicken.
What else is notable about the Cochin Bantam chicken’s appearance?
The Cochin Bantam chicken’s appearance is perhaps best described in the book, The Complete Encyclopedia of Chickens. The authors say:
“The birds are short, broad and of very low stand. Their plumage is abundant, soft, and richly fluffy… [They] have full-feathered feet so that a Cochin Bantam’s legs are hardly visible. The tail is a downy rotund mass of feathers...”
These chickens have small- to medium-sized combs and wattles, red earlobes, and reddish bay eyes.
How big do Cochin Bantam chickens get?
Hens: 28 oz
Roosters: 32 oz
These little chickens actually look bigger than they are because their feathers are so thick and puffy.
What do Cochin Bantam chicks look like?
Unlike most breeds, Cochin Bantam chicks have feathers on their legs and feet. Their patterns and colors will vary depending on their variety.
Below, you can see a video of Blue Cochin Bantam chicks.
And below, you can see a video of Mottled Cochin Bantam chicks.
Are you getting Cochin Bantam chicks?
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Cochin Bantam chickens and egg laying
Egg color: Light brown
Egg size: Small
Age of lay: 6+ months
Eggs/week: 2-4
Eggs/year: 150-200
Bantam cochins may lay as early as 5-6 months or as late as 10-12 months. They lay well unless they’re broody (more on this below), and some will lay into the winter.
Broodiness: Do Cochin Bantam hens want to hatch their eggs?
Cochin Bantams love to sit on eggs. They go broody often and, if you don’t intervene, they will stay broody for a long time. Even if you remove the eggs from the nest, they will likely stay broody.
If you don’t want them to hatch eggs, you must intervene and break their broodiness in order to keep them in good health.
Cochin Bantams are also happy to hatch chicks of other poultry species, including ducks and pheasants. They make excellent mothers, no matter what kind of babies hatch from the eggs.
Below is a video of an adorable Lavender Cochin Bantam family, complete with a hen, a rooster, and several chicks. The video description says the Cochin hen hatched these chicks when she was only 10 months old. If you want to see the rooster tidbitting like crazy for his chicks, fast forward to about 1 minute in.
Cochin Bantam chickens: Not the hardiest birds
Can they handle the heat and the cold?
Cochin bantam chickens are mediocre when it comes to hardiness. Their heavy feathering does help them to insulate well in the cold, but it’s prone to getting wet. A wet Cochin bantam is at best a miserable Cochin Bantam and at worst a dead Cochin Bantam.
If the heavy feathering on your Cochin Bantams’ feet or legs gets wet, they are highly susceptible to frostbite. If the frostbite is severe enough, they can lose their legs or die from infection. It is critical that you keep these birds dry.
This also means that you will need to make sure your Cochins stay out of the mud at all times. Even if the temperatures aren’t low enough for your Cochins to freeze, muddy legs and bodies can lead to miserable and even sick chickens.
Cochin Bantams also don’t do as well in heat as most other breeds. Their dense feathering makes it harder for them to keep their body temperatures down.
If you live in an area that regularly has hot days, you’ll need to take extra measures to make sure your Cochins are cool enough (or consider other breeds).
The frizzled varieties of Cochin Bantams are less hardy than the regular-feathered varieties. The frizzle feathers don’t insulate as well, so frizzle chickens (of all breeds) do worse in hot, cold, windy, and wet conditions than their regular-feathered counterparts.
Cochin Bantam chickens vs. predators
Cochin Bantams are fairly helpless against predators. Their dense feathering, short legs, and stocky forms prevent these chickens from being able to escape well. Some Cochin Bantams may be able to fly, which does help, but compared to most other breeds, these chickens fare very poorly.
Below is a video of chickens running to their owner for treats. You can see various breeds running at decent speeds, and then you see the Cochin Bantam rooster, Jules, dawdling far behind. This is not a fast or agile chicken.
Cochin chickens: Do you have to confine them?
Most chicken keepers keep their Cochin Bantam chickens confined to a run or small yard. But Cochin Bantams can do well free ranging as long as the weather is dry and not too hot, and as long as they are protected from predators.
These birds, like all chickens, like to explore and the more space you can give them, the happier they’ll be.
Cochins must have both a dry, insulated coop and a dry covered run. Some strains of Cochin Bantams can’t fly. For these birds, you’ll only need a 2-foot fence to contain them. However, some strains do fly and may need a fully enclosed run.
Cochins that are unable to fly will need lower roosting bars than your average bantam. And if your pop door is very high off the ground, you’ll need to make sure you install a ramp, ladder, or steps so your Cochins can access the coop and jump out without injury.
Cochin Bantam chicken temperament: Just what kind of birds are they?
The best word to describe the temperament of Cochin Bantam chickens is delightful. These chickens are calm, friendly, docile, and sweet. They adore attention and can be easily handled and tamed. Some will like to perch on your shoulder or even your head, and many will follow you around the yard.
One Cochin Bantam keeper said, “I have 3 Cochin Bantam hens that I absolutely adore! They’re like little dogs.” She continues that whenever she goes out to the coop, one of her hens, Coco, “literally flies up and perches on my shoulder and we will walk around the farm together.”
Because Cochins are so tiny, round, and densely feathered, they can appear comical. They look as though they waddle around. One chicken keeper said of hers, “They are a hoot, and it’s so funny to see them run away as they more so hop from side to side when they run.”
You can see the waddle-type walk in the video below of a little Cochin Bantam rooster. He even does a little stumble on the porch, and then crows and pecks around.
How are Cochin Bantam chickens around children?
Cochin Bantam hens (and some roosters) are exceptionally gentle with children.
One Cochin chicken keeper said, “I just recently rescued a gorgeous little red Cochin Bantam rooster and he has been more than a darling!... ‘Red’ is also such a friendly dude and doesn’t mind being held, and loves coming up to the house and meeting everybody, including screaming babies which he sits very patiently for.”
How well do Cochin Bantam chickens get along with other chickens?
Cochin Bantam chickens generally get along with other chickens very well if they are properly introduced. They can be very protective of their flock and home, and so if you introduce new birds, you will really need to take the time to do it slowly. Closely supervise all introductions.
Cochin roosters can also be very aggressive to each other, although that’s not necessarily uncommon with roosters anyway.
Are Cochin Bantam roosters aggressive to people?
Unlike regular-sized Cochin roosters (who are typically exceptionally gentle to people), Cochin Bantam roosters are known to be feisty. And that’s the word that everybody uses: feisty.
One chicken keeper said of her Partridge Cochin Bantam, “When he was young, he would fly up just to nip at us. It never hurt and it became an ongoing family joke. He just loved us so much he wanted to get a bite of us.”
Another said, “Yes, the roos can be bossy, but I think they’re funny!”
And, of course, not all Cochin Bantam roosters are feisty. Some are sweet and loving. But aggression is not unusual.
Cochin Bantam chickens: Are they noisy?
Cochin Bantams tend to be very talkative chickens. One chicken keeper said of her flock, “…my Bantam Cochin roos are pretty noisy and pretty much all day! Often it’s a chorus.”
Another said, “My Bantam Frizzle Cochins are very vocal, particularly when they have just laid an egg.”
And another said, “Our two Cochins are loud, chatty hens. They fuss, and carry on, and it doesn’t seem to matter when.”
And yet another, “We have a tiny Cochin hen that sounds like a goose or seagull. She loves to be loud, especially in the morning!
However, even though Cochins tend to be talkative, as small chickens, many have small voices. One keeper said, “The roosters have the most pathetic crows.”
Below you can see a video of Cochin Bantam rooster, Charles, crowing:
Below is a video that shows Cochin Bantam hens chattering to their chicken keeper. You can see that even though they are chatty, these girls aren’t particularly loud.
And lastly, below is a video of a Cochin Bantam flock that’s super excited about getting live mealworms. These are pretty noisy chickens, particularly the rooster who is tidbitting loudly and nonstop. You can get a good look at the rooster if you fast forward to 24 seconds into the video.
Cochin Bantam chicken health problems and life expectancy
Cochin Bantam chickens tend to be pretty healthy birds if they’re kept in conditions that are dry and not too hot. You can expect your Cochins to live the average chicken lifespan of 5-8 years.
Breeds you may want instead of Cochin Bantams
If you like the feathered-foot look, you may also be interested Brahma Bantams, Sultans, Silkies, or Belgian d’Uccles. All of these breeds have very sweet dispositions. To learn more, check out these articles:
If you want a more cold-hardy bantam, consider Wyandotte Bantams.
And of course, Cochins Bantams do come in a large size (an incredibly large size), and you can read more about those chickens in my article, Cochin chickens: The gentle and gregarious backyard giants.
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Cochin Bantam sources
Bassom, Frances. Mini Encyclopedia: Chicken Breeds and Care. Dorking: Interpet Publishing, 2011.
Damerow, Gail. Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens. North Adams: Storey Publishing, 2017.
Damerow, Gail. The Chicken Health Handbook. North Adams: Storey Publishing, 2015.
Ekarius, Carol. Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds. North Adams: Storey Publishing, 2007.
Verhoef, Esther and Rijs, Aad. The Complete Encyclopedia of Chickens. Lisse: Rebo Publishers, 2005.