What Color Eggs Do Cochins Lay? (Answered)

Wondering what color eggs do Cochins lay? Cochins lay brown eggs, often having a tinted appearance. Some varieties, and this applies to bantams, in particular, lay more of a pale, light brown colored egg.

Cochins are an interesting breed. They’re another of the ‘gentle giants’, and are a lot of fun to raise. Here is a closer look at what they’re like as pets, along with more about the color and size of eggs they lay:

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What Are Cochins Like?

Cochins are large, friendly, docile chickens. They're perfect for farms, homesteads, and settings where they can have plenty of space to roam free-range.

They're one of the more winter-hardy breeds, so it doesn't really matter what the climate is where you live.

The one small caveat to this is that they have feathered legs and feet. Which means they are slightly more prone to frostbite if they often have damp feet and it's bitterly cold.

One of the best things about Cochins is that they’re great with kids, other pets, and deal well with busy environments.

They’re not great layers though. This is why they’re often kept more as pets than they are strictly for egg production.

There is also a pretty big community behind showing Cochins, which can be a lot of fun. If you find yourself becoming an enthusiast, you’re not alone. There are plenty of forums and places online where you can talk with other Cochin addicts!

If you're familiar with Brahmas, you'll notice there are a lot of similarities between them and Cochins.

The main difference is that Cochins are available in a lot more varieties (I cover this in more detail below), giving you more options in terms of colors.

Brahmas also have small pea combs which are less susceptible to frostbite, and are generally said to be even more ideal for colder climates.

Either way, if you want a large breed of chicken both Cochins and Brahmas are two of the best choices.

Related - Learn more about Brahma chickens here.

At What Age Do Cochins Start Laying Eggs?

Cochins are one of the slower breeds to mature and start laying eggs.

Speaking with a few owners, it’s not uncommon to find the first egg being laid when they're 7 to 8 months old (that’s 28-32 weeks).

With most chicken breeds starting to lay eggs around just 4-5 months (18 weeks of age) that’s quite a difference!

I’ve seen numerous forum posts over the years from panicked owners asking what’s happening to their eggs or if something is wrong with their hens.

You just have to wait a few weeks longer than expected. This comes as a surprise to people who are not familiar with Cochins, but it’s worth the wait.

Are Cochins Good Egg Layers?

Cochins are what I would call ‘OK’ layers. They are certainly not one of the more prolific egg-laying breeds, but they do have some advantages.

If we’re talking numbers, Cochins typically lay around 160-180 eggs per year. The interesting thing is that much like Brahmas, they don't halt production in the winter months.

This means you'll get a pretty reliable 2-3 eggs per week year round.

Related - If you want a commercial prolific egg layer check out ISA Browns, or Rhode Island Reds for backyard settings.

What Size Eggs Do Cochins Lay?

Cochins lay medium-sized eggs. This means, according to the United States Department of Agriculture their eggs weigh between 49.6-56.7 grams.

The size of eggs does vary depending on the individual chicken and some of their environmental factors, so don't be too surprised if you get slightly smaller or larger eggs.

How Many Eggs per Year Do Blue Cochins Lay?

Recognized varieties of Cochins include:

Buff
Partridge
White
Black
Silver Laced
Golden Laced
Blue
Brown
Barred

In my experience, the Blue, and possibly the Partridge are two of the most popular. Whatever the variety, they all lay the same number of eggs though.

So, blue Cochins are expected to lay 160-180 eggs per year.

Where to Buy Cochin Chicks and Hatching Eggs

If you’re looking for hatcheries and places where you can buy Cochins, I recommend checking out Cackle Hatchery.

Cackle Hatchery is one of the largest online hatcheries, they stock an incredible number of different types of poultry and at the time of writing this they had Cochins starting from just $3.70/ea.

Obviously, availability is always changing, so you’d have to take a look for yourself now. But when I wrote this Cackle Hatchery had Barred, Partridge, and Splash varieties available. As well as a wide range of bantams.

Check the latest availability of Cochin chicks and hatching eggs at Cackle Hatchery here.

In Summary

Cochins are awesome chickens. It's hard to fault them as they have friendly personalities, are good in most climates, and are a lot of fun to raise.

They’re not one of the more popular breeds of backyard chicken, primarily due to their large size and the fact that they do need some space to roam.

If you have your heart set on a Cochin, I recommend considering getting a bantam. Bantams are essentially just miniature versions of chickens.

They generally retain all the characteristics of their larger counterparts but are much better for urban settings. Their eggs a lot smaller, but they’re just as tasty.