Blue Hour Blog

The Buff Cochin: A Journey of Preservation and Revival The Buff Cochin is a bird with a rich history and a unique charm. Made famous by Queen Victoria in the late 1800s, this breed sparked the "Cochin Craze" and helped launch the world of poultry shows. In the United States, Buff Cochins were among the first large fowl varieties admitted to the official breed standards in 1874. For over a century, they were a top contender in exhibitions, admired for their massive frame, heav

The world of poultry breeding is full of fascinating stories and unique breeds, but few have the rich history and exhibition value of the true heritage Dark Cornish Bantam. This breed stands apart from the more common Cornish Cross market fowl, offering qualities that appeal to breeders and exhibitors who value longevity, natural breeding, and striking appearance. I want to share the story of this remarkable bird, especially the line bred by Don Bischof at Bischof Farms in Or

The Small and Stylish Brahma Bantam The argument against a weight increase By Bob Anderson, Blue Hour Poultry January 26, 2023 On...

By Bob Anderson, Blue Hour Poultry March 9, 2022 Not many years ago from a small flock of exhibition Black Red Cochin Bantams in Germany...

When the Shanghai fowl first arrived in the UK and US in the 1840s they arrived in a virtual mélange of colors and color genetics. As...

As a long-time breeder of large Cochins, when I was asked to write an article for The Exhibitor I decided to write about a current trend...

Today’s discussion topic is the importance of combs. I focus here on large Cochins as that is my primary breed, however many of the...

The original four Cochin color varieties recognized in the first book of standards in the United States in 1874 are Buff, Black, White...