Bantam Black Cochin Hatching Eggs

Known for their calm and gentle personalities, Black Bantam Cochins make excellent additions to backyard flocks, especially for families and small farms. They’re incredibly docile, easy to handle, and often become favorites of children and first-time chicken keepers.

Despite their petite size, these bantams are hardy and surprisingly cold-tolerant, thanks to their abundant feathering — right down to their feathered feet! While they’re not prolific egg layers, they produce small, light brown eggs and are known to go broody, making them great little mothers.

Whether you're looking for a show bird, a sweet companion, or a fluffy addition to your coop, the Black Bantam Cochin brings beauty, personality, and old-fashioned charm.

Provide a Clean, Dry Environment, Especially for Legs: Due to their extensive leg and foot feathering, it's crucial to maintain a consistently dry and clean coop and run. This prevents mud, ice, or manure from caking on their feathers, which can lead to frostbite, "mud balls," or parasite infestations.

Offer a Balanced Diet & Monitor Weight: Feed a high-quality complete chicken feed appropriate for their age. Cochins are less active foragers and can be prone to obesity due to their docile nature, so monitor their weight and avoid excessive treats.

Regularly Inspect Feathered Legs & Feet: Periodically check their leg and foot feathering for any signs of mites, lice, or physical injury. Gentle cleaning may be needed if debris accumulates, and in very cold weather, ensure their feathered feet are protected from frostbite.

Manage Broodiness: Partridge Cochin hens are well-known for their strong broody instinct. If you don't wish for chicks, be prepared to gently break a broody hen by moving her to a cooler, less comfortable space for a few days to discourage her from sitting.

Encourage Gentle Handling: Leverage their calm and friendly temperament by handling them regularly from a young age. This reinforces their docility, making them even more personable pets and easier to manage for health checks or coop maintenance.

1. Preparation and Setup

Before setting your eggs, proper preparation of your incubator is crucial for a successful hatch.

• Sanitize Your Equipment: Thoroughly clean and disinfect your incubator and any accessories at least 24 hours before use. Bacteria and germs can easily penetrate eggshells and harm the developing embryo.
• Location, Location, Location: Place the incubator in a room with a stable temperature, away from direct sunlight, drafts, and high-traffic areas. This helps the incubator maintain a consistent internal temperature.
• Calibrate and Test: Run the incubator for at least 24 hours before setting the eggs. This ensures it is functioning correctly and allows you to calibrate the temperature and humidity to the precise levels needed. Use a separate, reliable thermometer and hygrometer to verify the incubator's readings.

2. Temperature and Humidity Control

Maintaining the correct temperature and humidity is the most critical aspect of incubation.

• Days 1-18: Aim for a constant temperature of 99.5°F (37.5°C) in a forced-air incubator or around 100-101°F (37.8-38.3°C) in a still-air incubator (measured at the level of the top of the eggs). The humidity should be maintained between 50-55%.
• Days 18-21 (Lockdown): Increase the humidity to 65-70%. This is vital to keep the shell membrane from drying out while the chick is trying to hatch. Do not lower the temperature.

3. Egg Turning

Egg turning is essential to prevent the embryo from sticking to the shell membrane.

• Frequency: Eggs should be turned an odd number of times per day, at least 3 to 5 times. If your incubator has an automatic turner, it will handle this for you, often turning the eggs every hour.
• Manual Turning: If turning by hand, make a small, gentle pencil mark (e.g., an 'X' on one side and an 'O' on the other) on each egg to keep track.
• Stop Turning: Cease all turning on day 18. This allows the chick to position itself correctly for hatching.

4. Candling for Viability

Candling involves shining a bright light through the egg to monitor embryo development. This is best done in a dark room.

• First Candling (Day 7-10): You should see a web of blood vessels and a small, dark spot which is the developing embryo. A clear egg at this stage is likely infertile and can be removed.
• Second Candling (Day 18): Before lockdown, you can candle one last time. The egg should appear dark inside as the chick has filled most of the space. You should also see a large, distinct air cell at the wide end of the egg. Remove any eggs that show no signs of development.

5. The Lockdown Period (Days 18-21)

This is the final and most delicate phase of incubation.

• Stop Turning: As mentioned, stop turning the eggs on day 18. If you have an automatic turner, remove it from the incubator.
• Increase Humidity: Raise the humidity to 65-70% by adding more water to the incubator's channels.
• Do Not Open the Incubator: It is crucial to keep the incubator closed during lockdown. Opening it will cause a significant drop in humidity and temperature, which can "shrink-wrap" the chick in its membrane, making it difficult or impossible to hatch.

6. Hatching and Post-Hatch Care

The final stage is the hatch itself, which can take 24 hours or more from the first "pip" (the initial crack in the shell).

• Be Patient: Let the chicks hatch on their own. Do not be tempted to "help" a chick out of its shell, as this can cause injury and bleeding. The struggle of hatching is essential for the chick to absorb the remaining yolk sac.
• Allow Chicks to Dry: Leave newly hatched chicks in the incubator for at least 12 to 24 hours. This allows them to dry off, gain strength, and encourages other eggs to hatch. They do not need food or water during this time as they are sustained by the absorbed yolk.
• Move to a Brooder: Once the chicks are dry and fluffy, move them to a pre-warmed brooder. The brooder should be set to approximately 95°F (35°C) for the first week and have clean bedding, fresh water, and a quality chick starter feed available.