A fluffy Cochin rooster with a red comb and feathered feet standing on grass. — Photo: sammydavisdog, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cochin Chicken

Gallus gallus domesticus

A big, fluffy, calm chicken breed with feathers all the way down its feet.

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About the Cochin Chicken

Cochin chickens are known for heavy feathering, even on their legs and feet. They usually weigh 7 to 9 pounds, and roosters can reach 12. Their short wings can't carry them far, but they can flutter up to low branches. Cochins come in white, black, blue, buff and other colors. Like other chickens, they eat seeds, insects, worms, greens and even mice.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Gallus gallus domesticus^[1]
Weight: 7 to 9 pounds. Roosters up to 12 pounds.^[1]
Lifespan: 8 to 10 years.^[1]
Diet: Omnivore. Seeds, insects, worms, grubs, greens and sometimes mice.^[1]
Habitat: Farms.^[1]
Group life: Groups of one rooster and several hens.^[1]
Babies: About a dozen brown eggs, incubated about three weeks.^[1]
Conservation status: Domestic breed. Not assessed by the IUCN.^[1]

Fun facts

Cochins have feathers on their legs and feet.^[1]
Hens eat eggshells or oyster shells to replace calcium used to make eggs.^[1]
Roosters crow all day long, not just at sunrise.^[1]
There are about 500 breeds of chickens.^[1]

Vocabulary

breed: A group of domestic animals with a certain look, developed by people.
gizzard: A muscular part of a bird's stomach that grinds food, often with small stones.
comb: The red, fleshy crest on top of a chicken's head.
incubate: To keep eggs warm until they hatch.
omnivore: An animal that eats both plants and other animals.

See it in person

San Francisco Zoo & GardensSan Francisco, California · BirdsSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Cochin Chicken.” https://www.sfzoo.org/cochin-chicken/ (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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