Different breeds of chickens and their colors. Rare and elite breeds of chickens: distinctive features and productivity indicators. Elephant chickens

Domestic chickens are extremely diverse. Some of them are large, fleshy, inactive, others are so small that they are called dwarf. Chickens are diverse in appearance, character and economic qualities. Here is a fawn cochinchin - a large, lush golden ball. And next to it is a small bantam. Here is a white leghorn hen. It has dense plumage and a large leaf-shaped crest.

The man brought out the egg-laying breed, the leggorn are excellent laying hens, but bad hens. And this quality is good: let them lay eggs, but it is more profitable for us to breed chickens in an incubator. Chickens that lay a lot of eggs, but are poor hens, are of the egg-laying type, hens that give a lot of meat are meat-type hens. However, there are breeds that occupy, as it were, an intermediate position between egg and meat - this type is called general use, or meat and egg. Chickens of common breeds lay well and have good meat qualities.

Russian white chickens

One of the best egg laying breeds. The average egg production of this breed is 180 - 200 (and in some farms even more) eggs per year. The egg weight is on average 55-60 g, but sometimes there are larger eggs: up to 75 g. The live weight of a chicken of this breed is from 2.0 to 2.5 kg, and the weight of a rooster is from 2.8 to 3.0 - 3, 2 kg. This breed is well adapted to our climate.

leghorn

The most popular egg breed in personal farms. It was brought to Russia from England and the USA in the late 20s of the last century. Since then, leggorn acclimatization has been carried out at our poultry farms, and now they have already adapted well to our climate and have appeared in personal farms. Leghorn hens lay an average of 180 - 200 eggs per year; egg weight 55 - 58 g. The average weight of a chicken is 2.0 kg, and of roosters 2.5 - 2.8 kg. In addition to white leghorn hens, there are also black, yellow and groin leghorns. The latter breed is very highly productive and beautiful in color and shape.

Cornish or Cornish chickens

Meat breed exported from England. The average live weight of roosters is 3 - 5 kg, chickens 2.9 - 3.2 kg, the live weight of 75-day-old young animals reaches 1.7 - 1.8 kg. Egg production 100 - 160 eggs per year.

Roosters are used for crossing with chickens of other breeds in order to obtain fast-growing meat chickens (broilers). The color of plumage in chickens of this breed is white or red.

Plymouth Rock

Meat breed, but gives yellow meat. According to the color of the plumage, eight varieties of the breed are distinguished. In Russia, there are white and gray striped Plymouth Rocks. There are also Plymouth Rocks with light gray plumage with a bluish sheen or cuckoo plumage with dark transverse stripes on each feather. The average live weight of Plymouth Rocks is 2.8 - 3 kg, males 3.8 - 4 kg. Annual egg production is 160-180 eggs, the shell is light brown. In the production of broilers, predominantly white Plymouth Rocks are used as the mother form.

Hens Wyandotte

The breed was bred in the USA. These chickens in our conditions are quite hardy, fleshy and good laying hens. Their meat is white, the eggs are quite large. The plumage is dark spotted with a silver sheen, it is darker towards the tail, the spots are larger. The tail is dominated by completely black feathers with a greenish tint. The head is oblong, the crest is large, pinkish, pointed in the rooster, small in the hen. The rooster's earrings are long, hanging. The beak is yellow, turning black at the base. Legs of medium length are yellow.

In Russia, white wyandotte is more often bred. Its features are as follows: a small, wide and short head with a rose-shaped crest, small earlobes and wattles; a short neck with a lush mane, a short, wide and deep body with a full and rounded chest. Legs are strong, medium length; beak, metatarsus, fingers bright yellow. Chickens weigh 2.5 - 3 kg, roosters 3.5 kg. Egg production 140 eggs per year, egg weight 56 ​​g. Physiological maturity of chickens occurs at the age of 185-210 days.
From domestic breeds and breed groups, chickens of the general use type include Yurlov vociferous, May Day, Liven, Zagorsk salmon, Zagorsk white, Kuchinsky jubilee, Moscow black, etc.

Hens Bielefelder

Chickens of this breed have excellent productivity. This breed is bred to obtain a large egg, as well as high-quality meat. Each hen is capable of producing more than 200 eggs per year, with an egg weight of 60-70 grams.

For adult Bielefelder roosters, a weight of about 4.5 kg is typical. In chickens, this figure is at the level of 3.9 kg.

Considering that egg reproduction begins at the age of six months, representatives of the Bielefelder chicken breed reach their maximum productivity in the second year of their existence. After a year, their egg production rates increase, but not significantly. Only after three years, the productivity of Bielefelder chickens drops.

This breed of chickens is unpretentious in feeding.

Hens Hamburg, description

One of the most decorative breeds of poultry. Chickens begin to lay eggs at 5 months of age. Each individual can carry in the first year from 160 to 180 eggs, rarely up to 250 pieces. In the second year - no more than 140 pieces. The average weight of an egg is 45–55 g, the color of the shell is always white.

The meat has a pleasant taste, not hard. At the end of egg production, it is usable for human food.

Chickens of this breed do not incubate eggs, so they are bred in incubators or placed on a hen of another breed.

Yurlovsky vociferous chickens

An old Russian breed. They have long been bred in the Kursk and Oryol regions. The body of these chickens is deep, wide, elongated, the head is small with a wide frontal bone, the beak is yellow, short, the crest is leaf-shaped, the neck is long, with a developed scruff. The color of the plumage is different: silver, scarlet, white, black. The average weight of roosters is 3.5 kg, chickens 2.9 kg. Egg production 150-160 eggs, egg weight 65-67 grams, brown shell. Yurlovsky vociferous chickens were used to breed May Day, Moscow and Zagorsk chickens.

All the breeds of chickens described above are large in size. For summer residents, dwarf breeds are better suited, for example, bantams, which after the summer season can be kept in an apartment without much deterioration in living conditions.

bantams

Bred in ancient times in Southeast Asia. The description of their breeds is first found in the work of Aldrovandi, published in 1645.

In Russia, in the first essay about chickens (1774), it was said about kings - little chickens that adorned the parks of rich people. It can be assumed that bantams were one of the first breeds bred by amateurs in Russia.

Opinions of poultry farmers differ about the origin of benthams. Some argue that these chickens are created by systematic selection: constantly selecting small producers, you can, in the end, get small individuals in any breed. Thus, many dwarf breeds were obtained, which in their external features are similar to large breeds, for example, large chickens of the Wyandot breed and dwarf chickens of the Wyandotte breed, which are similar in plumage color, but differ sharply in weight. Some poultry farmers believe that the constantly decreasing growth of a bird in practice leads to its degeneration - weakness of addition and ugliness of forms. However, the example of benthams shows that they do not represent a product of the degeneration of large breeds, as they are beautifully built, graceful, vigorous and breed well.

Other experts are of the opinion that bantams (meaning purebred varieties) are an independent group of chickens, originating from wild ancestors, but by no means from the large domestic chickens they look like. Apparently, the latter are also right, at least with regard to the older dwarf breeds. Through targeted breeding and increased feeding, it is possible to increase the size of any animal, including birds, without risking weakening their constitution.

But no matter how confusing the origin of benthams, one thing is clear: many of their varieties belong to very ancient breeds of domestic chickens.

Domestication of chickens began, apparently, in India, then they began to breed in other countries. An ancient Chinese encyclopedia says that chickens were brought to China from the west about 5,000 years ago. The Chinese god Fu Shi, who lived 3 thousand years before our era, issued a decree on breeding chickens. Scientists during excavations of ancient settlements in Greece (7th-5th centuries BC) find vases with images of roosters.

At first, chickens were bred exclusively for sporting purposes and to decorate courtyards. Cockfighting was a favorite pastime of the Indian rajas. Later, rich and noble people began to select for breeding the most interesting birds in shape or plumage. This is how decorative breeds of chickens appeared: phoenixes, bantams, etc. Later, a person highly appreciated the taste of chicken eggs and meat and began to gradually achieve ever higher productivity of chickens.

In recent decades, dwarf chickens have also been bred for industrial purposes. An uninitiated person may immediately have a question: why, in fact, do we need dwarf chickens in poultry farms? The need for them is enormous. Calculated: each laying hen consumes 36 kg of feed per year. Of these, less than half goes to the production of eggs, the rest is spent on maintaining the weight of the bird itself. Dwarf chickens, on the other hand, require only two-thirds of what their more respectable relatives eat. After all, these laying hens are very small, weighing just over a kilogram.

Breeders understand that the main thing is to save feed, since they take about 70% of the total cost of growing and keeping poultry. Economical chickens must also be productive. The weight of a dwarf laying hen, for example, bred at the All-Union Research and Technological Institute of Poultry Farming (Zagorsk - Sergiev Posad), is almost half that of ordinary chickens. And they carry quite normal eggs - weighing 59 grams or more. Experts have calculated: for every kilogram of live weight there are up to 45 grams of egg mass. This figure is one and a half times higher than that of their tall relatives. Also noteworthy is the low consumption and good digestibility of feed. Dwarf breeds of chickens consume only about 60 g of feed per day, and about 2.3 kg of feed is spent on the production of a kilogram of egg mass.

The meat of dwarf chickens is tastier than the meat breeds of chickens bred in poultry farms and partly resembles the meat of partridges. The eggs are also excellent in taste. The chemical composition of eggs (Table 1) practically does not differ from the chemical composition of eggs of other breeds, they weigh 30 - 37 grams and are quite large compared to the live weight of dwarf chickens. The benefit of breeding these chickens is obvious, since the bantam chicken gives as many eggs as a large meat breed chicken, but eats much less feed.

Under the name bantams, many different breeds of dwarf chickens are combined. They are divided into two main groups: the first is the bantams themselves and the second is miniature copies of currently known large breeds, such as, for example, cochinchins, langshans, hamburg, orlov, fighting, etc. bantams of each of these groups can be divided into subgroups : bare-footed and with feathered legs. Each of the subgroups has its own breeds and varieties.

Bentham is an unpretentious, sociable bird, with a cheerful and cocky character, vociferous. It starts laying early, and carries up to 100 or more eggs per year. They have an increased resistance to various diseases compared to other breeds of chickens. Bantams are heat-loving birds, they do not tolerate low temperatures (the comb, earrings, legs freeze over) and in cold weather they do not eat food well, lose weight and die. Therefore, in winter they need to be kept in insulated poultry houses.

As hens, bantams are indispensable and are often used as “nannies” for incubating and raising chickens of valuable breeds of chickens, ducklings, goslings and chicks of other birds that do not incubate eggs themselves. They can incubate eggs continuously for two, and some for three months in a row, it is only necessary to provide the birds with complete food and water.

Bantams are unpretentious to feed, their diet should contain the same components as for large breeds of chickens. From the foregoing, it can be seen that bantams well pay off the costs of their feeding and maintenance. But the main thing that poultry farmers love these chickens for is their original small stature and small mass, cheerful, mobile character, warlike disposition and extraordinary beauty. Bantam cockerels, having a warlike character, in any case come into a fight with large roosters and often come out victorious.

Bantam chickens are born a day earlier than chickens of large breeds of chickens, and are surprisingly viable: they are quickly taken for food, very mobile, grow well and gain weight, fledge early and start laying eggs from 7-8 months of age. Our lovers sometimes call bantams kinglets or paradise chickens. The size and color of the plumage of bantams justify these names - among flowering grasses, they themselves look like an elegant bouquet. The garden without these miniature chickens does not look as bright as with them.

Chemical composition of poultry eggs, %
bird species	Water	Dry matter	Organic matter*,%				inorganic substances
			Total	proteins	Fats	carbohydrates
bantams	73,4	26,5	25,6	13,4	11,9	0,9	0,6
leggorny	73,6	26,4	25,5	12,9	11,8	1,0	0,8
Turkeys	73,7	26,3	25,4	13,2	11,7	0,7	0,8
Quail	74,6	25,4	24,3	13,1	11,2	1,1
* The yolk is the richest in organic substances, about 69%, in their protein 28%

Bantam breeds

Nanjing bantams

This is the oldest breed of ornamental chickens. Their plumage has many different shades. The most common are orange-yellow birds. The chest of the rooster is black, the feathers on the neck are speckled with dark specks. The tail is large, black, with well-developed braids in the rooster. Legs unfeathered lead color. The crest is pinkish, in some individuals it is solitary.

Feather-footed bantams

Dwarf chickens with heavily feathered legs. The crest is leaf-shaped, solitary. The plumage is most often pure white.

Beijing or Cochin Chinese bantams

Chickens in appearance resemble the meat breed Cochin. They are especially popular with poultry farmers for their beauty and diminutiveness.

Dutch white crested bantams

Dwarf chickens with black plumage and a metallic tint, on their heads have a large white thick and sprawling crest, consisting of the same feathers as on the rooster's mane. The head is large, the bulge at the top of the skull is covered with a crest. The beak is black or dark horn. The eyes are large and shiny. The comb is bright red, two-horned - in front it resembles the letter U, it is located in front of the crest; the smaller it is, the better. The earlobes are white, the earrings are bright red. The neck is of medium length, gracefully curved. The mane is large, black, with a glossy sheen. The back is straight, tapering towards the tail, broad at the shoulders. The chest is wide and rounded. The tail is large, flowing, braids and covering feathers are well developed. Legs of medium length, black or dark slate, almost black. In shape and plumage, the Dutch bantam is more reminiscent of some kind of fabulous bird than a domestic chicken, but there are a number of difficulties when keeping them: crested feathers quickly become dirty, because when feeding they touch the ground and, getting into the eyes of a bird, often cause inflammation of the eyelids. In frost, the crest turns into a large icicle and it is difficult for the bird to keep its head in a normal position. Among the hens of this breed, there is a very common tendency to pluck each other's feathers to such an extent that they do not remain on the head of the roosters at all.

Padua bantams

In appearance, they are very similar to large chickens that have the same name, but, unlike them, they have a crest and a “beard”. The color of their plumage is quite diverse, but the most valuable and beautiful is silver on a white background, on which dark white spots are scattered, mainly semi-moon shaped, as well as a golden yellow background with semi-moon shaped spots, with shades from dark to black inclusive. . These bantams are slightly larger than the Dutch bantams, their crest is slightly larger, the crest is barely noticeable, otherwise they are similar to the Dutch bantams. Of the varieties of Padua bantams, the most beautiful is chamoa, or victoria, in which light spots are scattered over a golden-yellow background. The crest of a rooster consists of long pointed lanceolate feathers, while those of a chicken are shorter and rounded.

Seabright bantams

The plumage is golden or silver, each feather has a narrow black border around the edges. The background of the feather in the first variety is golden-bay, in silver ones it is silver-white. The crest is pink-shaped, like a Hamburg chicken. The earlobes are white, the earrings are small. The rooster's mane and tail are underdeveloped, almost the same as those of chickens. The chest protrudes forward, the back is short, the wings are large, with low ends. The legs are blue with a non-feathered metatarsus. The roosters of this breed are pugnacious, the hens are infertile, the young have low viability. In general, Seabright bantams are prone to degeneration, and amateurs have considerable difficulties in breeding them.

Black Hamburg bantams

In appearance, they are a miniature copy of the Hamburg black chickens. The plumage is shiny, black. The rooster has a thick mane and a well-developed tail with long sickle-shaped feathers bent down. The crest is pinkish, red, the beak is dark horn, well-developed red earrings, the earlobes are small, white. The legs are short, unfeathered, lead or black. Chickens lay well, the fertility of eggs is significant, good hens.

In addition, there is also a white variety of the Hamburg bantam with immaculate plumage and a white beak. Metatarsus and toes are pinkish-white.

Japanese bantams, or shabo

Miniature chickens with different plumage colors. The crest is leaf-shaped, solitary. Wide and long wings touch the ground, and the legs are featherless and short. Shabo is perhaps the tiniest of all bantam chickens.

Chickens in the economy of modern residents of villages and summer cottages are the most popular type of poultry. At the same time, laying hens predominate in poultry houses and on free grazing, breeds of egg orientation willingly supply the family with fresh eggs, and young animals can be fattened for meat.

Novice poultry farmers always face a choice of which chickens to start on the farm. According to statistics, most often preference is on the side of egg and meat-egg breeds. These birds are:

• unpretentiousness;
• greater resistance to infections than broilers;
• adaptability to free range;
• independence in obtaining food on the site;
• high and stable egg production.

Although the meat productivity of these chickens cannot be called outstanding, a bird with a live weight of 2.5–3 kg is quite suitable for home consumption. In addition, birds with light or medium bones are already ready to lay at the age of 126-130 days, and after some time they can bring fertilized eggs and sit on the nest. Whatever the breed, at least 250 eggs are obtained from a laying hen for an egg direction per year. Such performance can never be achieved by larger, growing up to 5 kg of live weight, but giving half as many eggs as meat chickens.

How to find the best breeds of laying hens for home? It is not surprising that the owners of chicken coops in their backyards want to see the results of their work as early as possible, and not wait for autumn.

To achieve a compromise, breeders bred meat-and-egg breeds of chickens, which are only slightly inferior in egg production to egg ones. But at the same time, they can weigh one and a half times light "professional" laying hens. Meat-egg chickens are calm, hardy, they are good mother hens and are raised in chicken coops and pastures without any hassle. However, only a poultry farmer can choose which laying hens are better, and which breed of young to acquire. To do this, it is useful to study the characteristics of various breeds of laying hens and compare them with each other.

Among the breeds of laying hens of an exclusively egg direction, the most famous and common is the White Leghorn. Mobile, actively feeding and early maturing chickens have been familiar to poultry farmers all over the world for many decades as champions in early egg production. The first white eggs weighing up to 62 grams of a bird are brought in 4-5 months. At the same time, the number of eggs in the best representatives of the breed reaches 250 pieces. The weight of an adult bird, when compared with meat varieties, is quite small - only 1.5–2.5 kg. But with due care, you can get excellent quality meat.

For small farms, dwarf Leggorns are ideal, also having an egg specialization. The weight of these chickens does not exceed 1.7 kg, with the same egg production as a large bird.

Dutch laying hens Hisex Brown and Hisex White

Today, this breed of chickens has become the starting point for obtaining many highly productive varieties of egg and meat-and-egg directions. An example is the Hisex cross in brown and white. Highly productive Dutch laying hens cannot compete with meat poultry in body weight, but from the age of four months they are actively rushing, bringing large 65-gram eggs. For a year, chickens provide a record volume of production - 300 eggs. Productivity does not fall for 2-3 years.

Received by German breeders on the basis of representatives of the Plymouthrock and Rhode Island breeds, the Loman Brown cross belongs to the egg variety. Laying hens Loman Brown, according to the name, are brown in color and have a calm, comfortable disposition for keeping in a private courtyard. These birds are not shy, hardy and highly productive.

In addition to these advantages, it is impossible not to mention the cost-effectiveness of keeping chickens of this breed. They consume feed quite little, but already from 5.5 months they are ready to rush. On average, an egg weighs 62-64 grams, has a strong light brown shell, characteristic of these red laying hens. Up to 320 eggs can be obtained from a female per year, which also has a positive effect on the choice of breed of laying hens.

The ancestors of the Lohman Brown laying hens, Rhode Island hens, were bred in the United States by merging several successful breed lines to produce a strong meat-and-egg bird. These red laying hens and roosters with beautiful black-and-green tails, powerful legs, small wings and yellow beaks attract the attention of household owners not only with a beautiful egg, but also with the weight of meat carcasses.

The body weight of an adult rooster reaches 3.8 kg, and chickens are lighter per kilogram. The bird begins to rush at seven months, and in a year it can bring up to two hundred eggs.

For many poultry farmers, the decisive factor influencing the choice of breed of layers is the origin of the bird. This approach makes sense, since local breeds are always better adapted to living conditions, accustomed to the feed used and the climate. Bred in the middle of the last century, the Russian White egg breed is the descendants of the White Leghorns and local birds, which have become larger and more productive during the selection process.

At five months, laying hens of this breed of chickens give the first white eggs weighing up to 58 grams. More than 200 eggs can be obtained from one individual annually.

Moreover, the rate of egg production does not fall even in adverse conditions, for example, during long periods of heat or with a lack of nutrition.

Adler silver laying hens are beautiful strong birds of domestic selection, obtained in the Krasnodar Territory. Meat-and-egg chickens combine the features of many famous breeds chosen by breeders as the ancestors of a bird of unusual color.

The birds of this breed are characterized by a strong skeleton, which speaks of a good weight gain, an accommodating character and enviable endurance. Silvery laying hens will not leave their owners without eggs, and the young stock put on fattening will provide excellent dietary meat.

Another hardy breed of Caucasian origin intended for obtaining eggs and meat is the laying hens of the Kotlyarevskaya breed. For a year, chickens are able to produce up to 240 eggs, and with good care and feeding, egg production does not fall for several years. The shell of eggs weighing up to 63 grams has an attractive creamy brown hue. Chickens are early maturing, quite large. They are not only diligent laying hens, but also good laying hens, which also influences the choice of the best breed of laying hens for the house.

The masters of selection near Moscow received a breed of laying hens that is interesting for the owners of backyard farmsteads. These are Zagorsk salmon chickens, so named due to the light, beautiful shade of meat of good taste. The weight of a rooster of this species reaches 3.6 kg, and hens can weigh up to 2.7 kg.

Novice poultry farmers may be attracted by the fact that males and females here already differ from each other from a daily age. And by the time of growing up, when the color is completely formed, you certainly cannot confuse roosters and chickens.

Quite large laying hens give the owner up to 260 eggs weighing about 60 grams per year.

The Pushkin striped-motley laying hen is capable of producing up to 270 eggs per calendar year, while the female weighs about 2 kg, and the roosters grow up to 2.5 kg. With such interesting production characteristics, it is impossible not to note the external data of the bird. Roosters and hens are very attractive. On a white background of plumage, black and brown spots of varying intensity are clearly visible. The legs are light, the beak is strongly bent, the combs and beards are bright red.

For a farmstead, this breed of laying hens is good because it cannot fly and does not require the erection of serious fences.

From an early age, they are distinguished by endurance, they easily get used to walking content, they themselves willingly and successfully look for food. In addition, poultry meat has a great look and taste.

The best qualities of egg and meat breeds in one are chickens of the Kuchinsky Jubilee breed. Unpretentious to the conditions of detention, rather precocious and very beautiful birds are ready to give the owner up to 180 eggs per year. At the same time, one should not forget about meat productivity. The mass of a rooster reaches 3.7 kg, chickens are lighter than males per kilogram.

Old, well-established breeds are not decreasing in popularity both in large farms and in private farmsteads where only a few birds are kept. And yet life goes on, so breeders tirelessly offer more and more new crosses and breeds.

One of such novelties is Dominant laying hens. They are highly productive egg and meat-and-egg crosses obtained from the best representatives of the chicken world.

Thanks to the skillful combination of bloodlines, breeders manage to get a healthy, strong livestock with the traits that dominate their ancestors, that is, with high egg production and excellent meat productivity. At the same time, laying hens are not capricious, flexible and easily adapt to different conditions of detention.

Laying hens Hisex and Loman Brown - video

Today, domestic laying hens are not inferior in popularity to other types of animals. Like many centuries ago, people buy them, breed them and keep them for eggs or meat. The reason for their demand is that they do not require special care, are picky in nutrition and allow you to get a good income.

Overview of laying hen breeds - bird names

Laying hens today are in great variety. Each breed has its own characteristics of breeding and keeping. The choice of a suitable option is influenced by criteria such as the farmer's experience, housing conditions and climatic factors.

Pedigree white chickens that carry large eggs

This breed is characterized by small size, light bones. In appearance, they are very similar to. A characteristic feature of these birds is the presence of a beautiful crest. Its size does not allow it to stand straight, so it hangs slightly on its side.

You can familiarize yourself with the description of the rhodonite breed.

In addition, white chickens have a very silky and pleasant to the touch plumage. Although animals lead an active lifestyle, their character is very balanced and calm. The number of eggs per year is 280 pieces. The mass of one product can reach 65g. The viability of chickens reaches 95%. These chickens are not afraid of infectious, helminthic and fungal diseases. Females weigh 1.8 g, and males 2.2 kg.

These animals do not need to create special living conditions. Mineral supplements must predominate in the diet. In case of any violation of the rules for the necessary maintenance, the productivity of birds decreases. They react very badly to low-quality food.

Loman Brown

When the laying period ends, the hens give eggs in small quantities, so they are sent to the slaughter. The characteristic advantages of this breed is the high viability of chicks. It reaches 97-98%.

You will find a photo of the Adler silver.

leghorn

These layers boast high performance. Sexual maturity in birds is already 17-18 years old. Intensive egg laying leads to the fact that hens produce 220-300 eggs per year.

The shells of the resulting products are white, and they are all 55-58 g. The maximum number of eggs produced comes in the first year of the breed's life. After that, these figures decrease markedly.

The description of the Moscow black breed can be found.

Kuchinsky anniversary

This breed of laying hens is characterized by quick and easy adaptation to various climate conditions. Kuchinskaya chicks can give eggs already upon reaching 5-6 months. They lay 180 eggs a year. With the creation of favorable conditions of detention, these indicators can increase to 250 pieces. The resulting product has a light brown color, and the weight of one is 58-61 g.

Adler silver

These chickens were obtained in the last century in the city of Adler. These chickens also boast of their rapid adaptation to living conditions. In order for the animals to give as many eggs as possible, it is necessary to create favorable conditions for this.

It is obligatory to walk the birds outside. There they can find the necessary protein of animal origin. The number of eggs per year will be 260-280 pieces. The weight of one product is 61 g.

How many eggs does a chicken lay a day will help you understand.

New breeds of chickens

Today, in the period of innovative technologies, not one agricultural sector does not stand still. These changes also affected the carrying breeds of birds. Thanks to this, it was possible to introduce new, more “improved” species. In the course of breeding new breeds, it was possible to increase such parameters of chickens as egg production, quick adaptation to living conditions, unpretentiousness in food. Consider breeds with photos and names (bred both in Russia and in Ukraine and other former socialist republics).

The list of breeds of black chickens is presented.

Hisex Brown

Loman-Brown (brown)

Puberty of chickens of this breed occurs at 135 days of life. During this period, they have their first egg. Already on day 150, egg production reaches 50%. And intensive production of eggs was noted on the 180th day of life. These chickens produce approximately 300-310 eggs per year, just like.

The viability level reaches 98%. This new breed is characterized by large eggs of large weight, one product can weigh 62-64 g. If you use the cellular type of content, then 112-114 g of feed are consumed per day. Can be built. Produced hybrid chickens differ by gender already after a day from the moment of their birth.

Tetra S L

This breed of birds is characterized by such an advantage as high productivity. Already at 17-19 weeks, chickens are able to produce 90% of eggs. One chicken requires 6.8 kg of compound feed per day. The daily requirement reaches 125 g.

It is already possible to distinguish chickens by gender after a day has passed from the moment of birth. Females and males have different plumage colors. In addition, the new breed of chickens is characterized by eggs with a dark brown shell.

What breed is the most productive

When a person decides to start breeding chickens, then involuntarily he has a logical question as to which breed is the most productive. Everyone wants to start a breed that, with proper care, would be able to produce the maximum number of eggs. According to the level of egg production, leghorns are considered the most productive. If your choice fell on these birds, then in a year you will be able to get 300 eggs from one individual. Sometimes specimens can be found that can produce 365 eggs per year.

The breed was bred in Italy. The world saw it already in the 19th century, and its name is due to the English port. The breed of birds was brought to Russia in the 20th century. Leghorns were used in various sectional work on breeding new Russian breeds of chickens. But, despite the fact that modern breeding methods were used, it was not possible to obtain a breed with greater productivity.

At present, these works have not been stopped, but are continuing. Due to the large number of advantages, Leghorn chickens are in such wide demand not only in Russia, but also abroad.

As for external characteristics, this domestic layer breed is characterized by a leaf-shaped comb. The head of the birds is small, narrow. Feathers are presented in snow-white color. The structure of the body is light, slender. The sternum is strongly convex forward. Their legs are high, but not low. The neck is very large in height, but narrow in width.

The plumage is dense, thanks to which the chickens feel great in harsh climatic zones. The tail feathers are long and voluminous. The weight of these productive chickens is small. For females, it is 1.5-2 kg.

What breeds are best not to breed

If we talk about those breeds that are undesirable for breeding, then you should pay attention to minocorks. These animals are characterized by high egg production. They were obtained by selective breeding. Exited in Spain. According to the color of the feathers of chickens, there are black, yellow and white. Their crest is rose-shaped or leaf-shaped.

They have a very slender, slightly elongated body. The head is small, with an upright crest. The earrings are white and the neck is straight and long. The sternum is deep set and the back is long. The eggs produced have a white shell.

These are all only the external characteristics of the bird, and now it is necessary to dwell on why it is so undesirable to breed this bird. The reason is that they are not adapted to harsh climate conditions. If the weather on the street worsens, frosts come, then the egg production rates of chickens fall sharply. In addition, this breed is very demanding on the walking area. You need a lot of space in order for the animals to feel comfortable. In frosts, ridges can freeze in chickens.

In addition, birds obtained by breeding are very poorly resistant to various diseases for the reason that they have weak immunity.

What is the Pavlovian breed, will tell.

Video

This video will tell you about the best breeds of laying hens.

The breeds of laying hens presented are far from all types of chickens that today can be bred and kept at home. When choosing these animals, their origin, egg production, nutritional characteristics, and the degree of egg production play an important role. It is necessary to choose chickens that will suit you according to all your keeping criteria. You will find information about how long a laying hen lives.

Hello dear beauty lovers. Yes Yes exactly! Under this motto, we offer you today's communication. Unusual breeds of chickens in our material. The relevance of the theme of beauty and the aesthetic component of the bird care hobby cannot be exhausted, since they are a gift from Nature and a real decoration of Her Majesty!

So, few people will deny that chicken is far from always banal: “egg or meat”, although in the sense of gastronomic perception it is more familiar. And if you try to change the viewing angle and look at the heroine of our review differently?

Agree, its undeniable advantages become obvious, it suddenly opens up to the eye that this creature is very, very good-looking. An elegant arsenal: an amazing fluffy tail, a magnificent comb, “downy boots” - why not decorate any backyard courtyard, front garden and aviary?

Let's take a closer look at decorative beauties who have confidently established themselves as an original segment of the poultry industry. We watch the most unusual breeds of chickens video.

A bit of history

Chickens are birds from a number of galliformes, the pheasant family. The familiar modern one, all currently known selections and crosses taken together are the distant descendants of the “banking rooster”.

Experts point to several different periods that date the domestication of these feathered inhabitants of the Earth: the amplitude of research data gives a wide range: from 2000 to 6000 (according to a number of sources - 8000) years BC. That is, intermediate data indicate the number 3200.

Agree, any information of this kind is impressive in itself. Also, the initial territory is also a matter of disputes and scientific horizons, where the states of Southeast Asia, India and China appear. There is information saying that the line of distribution of this beauty leads to Ancient Egypt and the Middle East.

The beginning of antiquity in Greece was also marked by the breeding of this species, and from the shores of Attica, the path of bird migration ran throughout the European territory of the mainland.

What can the most common feathered inhabitants of the modern household yard do and what benefits do they bring to mankind from unusual breeds of chickens today?

Here is the most typical list of everything that the Ryaba Chicken gave us:

• Protein products: meat and eggs;
• Household direction: feathers and down;
• Sports and aesthetic value: decorative and fighting birds.

Unfortunately, for such a long history of existence, some types have not survived to this day, and even now some species are on the verge of extinction.

Unusual breeds of chickens - TOP 10

Unusual breeds of Silky chickens

“Silkie” (from the English “Silkie”) pets became famous for their unique obedience, everyone was subdued by their delicate and soft, like silk, temperament. The uniqueness of the breed lies in the tactile sensation of touching their silky plumage, which gives the name to the family. In addition to this effect, the bird boasts several other attractive features.

Unlike the vast majority of "pale-faced" relatives, it has an amazing dark blue skin and bones, in addition, it has five-fingered legs, while ordinary relatives have only four fingers. The history of the origin of these amazing birds is shrouded in mystery, and Ancient China is considered to be the likely point of their appearance to the world.

A hen with a solid history is also attractive due to a number of peculiar qualities that belong exclusively to it: the feathers of the “silk Chinese woman” do not have adhesion to each other and are more reminiscent of fur or wool, in addition, they are not subject to juvenile molting.

Fur hats flaunt on the heads of unusual fluffy woolen klushas, ​​covering the entire surface, and individual strands delicately fall over the eyes.

Unusual breeds of chickens Ga Dong Tao

A rare family, one of the rarest in the world - originally from Vietnam, lives exclusively in the homeland. Livestock is limited to just a few hundred. With its average size (the male weighs 3-4 kg, and the female weighs 2.5-3 kg), the breed was initially positioned as a fighting one.

Far from the prettiest, but the hallmark of these piquant creatures are thick, somewhat ugly legs.

Unusual breeds of chickens Ayam Tsemani

The translation of the name of this lovely creature sounds like: “black rooster”, which is fully confirmed by the appearance, because these chickens are actually completely black!

Completion

So our "TOP-10" unusual breeds of chickens came to the finish line, where we tried to present information about the brightest cases of modern poultry farming.

Of course, there are many amazing birds in the world, descended from the progenitor - the wild Asian "bank cock", which could compete in all sorts of ratings, but we limited ourselves to describing the "team of the most incredible" of them.

Personally, I like tailless ones. The taste and color, as they say!

Best wishes to you!

In the comments you can add your photos of laying hens, rooster and chickens! Or other poultry. We are wondering what kind of chicken coop you have?
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Breeding chickens is one of the most popular varieties of livestock. Among the many breeds, preference is mainly given to egg-oriented chickens. They provide the family with fresh eggs. There is also an opportunity to feed the young for meat. The article shows the best breeds of laying hens.

Breeding chickens of egg-laying breeds is beneficial for the owner of the site or cottage.

Egg and meat-egg birds have a number of advantages over meat chickens, including broilers:

• unpretentiousness in care;
• stronger immunity than broilers;
• the possibility of free-range (and, therefore, independent foraging);
• high and stable egg production rates.

As for the possibility of using "egg" chickens for meat, then of course, they are far from 6-kilogram broilers, but a chicken weighing 2.5-3.0 kg is quite suitable for meat. A great advantage of egg-oriented hens is their "early maturity". Birds aged 125-130 days can lay eggs. After a short time, they can already carry fertilized eggs and become hens. A good laying hen produces about 250 eggs per year. In this regard, heavy meat chickens are significantly inferior to light-boned egg chickens.

Laying hens of many breeds serve as decoration of the site.

How to choose a good breed of chickens? Breeders, working in this direction, brought out several universal, meat-and-egg breeds. Such birds are calm, unpretentious, 1.5 times heavier than classic egg laying hens. However, the final choice is up to the poultry farmer. Having carefully studied the breeds of birds, you can choose the best option for yourself.

The best bird species for the Moscow region

The review presents birds bred specifically in the Moscow region, and therefore adapted to this area. The exception is the leghorn, but these chickens are popular everywhere.

white leghorn

White leghorn chickens.

If we are talking about "professional" light-boned laying hens, then. Chickens are mobile, mature quickly and are a kind of egg-laying champions. The hen starts laying at 4-5 months. The mass of one egg is about 60 g. The annual productivity of the leghorn layer is 250 pieces. Meat quality can not be called outstanding. The mass of an adult bird is from 1.5 to 2.5 kg. However, with increased fattening of young animals, the use of these snow-white beauties for meat is quite possible.

Important! The dwarf leghorn is ideal for country breeding and small farmsteads. The mass of an adult chicken is not more than 1.7 kg. At the same time, egg production indicators are the same as for ordinary chickens of this breed.

Zagorskaya salmon

The meat of Zagorskaya salmon chickens is distinguished by a delicate shade of reddish color.

This variety was bred by breeders near Moscow. The unusual name of the bird was due to the very beautiful salmon shade of meat. The meat has excellent taste and dietary qualities. The rooster weighs about 3.5 kg, and the chicken - 2.5-2.7. An interesting feature of the breed is that daily males and hens differ from each other. And as they grow older, the final color is formed. Roosters are black and white, and hens are all shades of beige and brown.

Pushkin striped motley

Chickens and roosters of the Pushkin striped-motley breed are distinguished by a special comb shape.

The breed has a good performance. The egg production of one laying hen is 270 pieces. The meat characteristics are also quite decent. The weight of the female is about 2.0 kg, the male - 2.5 kg. Externally, the birds are very attractive. Spots of black and brown shades on white plumage make the birds look like charming slugs. These birds cannot fly, so their owners do not need to think about building a high fence, it's worth knowing more . The breed is hardy, perfectly adapted to walking content, the birds do an excellent job with an independent search for food. In addition, the meat has wonderful taste.

Kuchinsky anniversary

The Kuchinsky breed of chickens is one of the most popular.

These chickens are distinguished by their unpretentiousness, rapid maturation and attractive appearance. The breed is universal. The average egg production of one chicken is 180 eggs / year. The bird is quite suitable for fattening for meat. Roosters weigh 3.7 kg, females are lighter per kilogram. Birds are picky about their diet and tolerate low temperatures well. fits perfectly.

Moscow black

The Moscow black breed was bred immediately after the war, in 1946.

Breed meat and egg direction with excellent performance. The mass of the hen and rooster is 2.5 and 3.5 kg, respectively. The laying capacity per year is 250 eggs. The shell is colored cream or brownish. They are great in winter as well.

Overview of popular breeds for Russia, Ukraine and Belarus

Each of the breeds of chickens listed in the review has truly unique qualities.

Orlovskaya

The Oryol breed of chickens is famous for its unusually beautiful plumage color.

The name here does not come from the locality, but in honor of Count Orlov, who did a lot to breed this unusually beautiful variety of chickens. The breed has a wide variety of colors. Characteristic of the "Orlovtsy" is a predatory curved beak, a low knobby crest and a special stature. Not to be confused with any other birds. . In the first year, the hen brings 160 eggs, then the productivity decreases slightly. The taste and dietary qualities of meat are excellent.

Hisex White, Hisex Brown

Chickens breeds Hisex White and Hisex Brown have plumage of different colors.

The birthplace of these highly productive birds is Holland. The practical Dutch brought out a universal variety of poultry, with quite decent indicators of egg and meat productivity. Of course, Hisexams are far from the “classic” meat breeds, but on the other hand, they begin to rush from 4 months. The weight of one egg is 65 g, the volume of production from one chicken is about 300 eggs. The breed is distinguished not only by high, but also by stable productivity. Egg production rates persist for 2-3 years, then decrease. You can learn more interesting things about the characteristics of the Highsex breed in this article:

Loman Brown

Broken brown chickens have a calm disposition.

Laying hens of this German breed are distinguished by a calm disposition, unpretentiousness and endurance. For a farmstead with many different pets, this is almost an ideal option. hardy, unpretentious, and you can’t call them shy. The eggs of these chickens are large (62-64 g), painted in a brownish tint. The female rushes at 5.5 months. The annual productivity of 1 hen is 320 eggs.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island chickens lay large eggs.

American general breed. She is not only productive, but also unusually beautiful. The plumage of the birds is red, the tails are black-green. delight the owners with an unusual appearance, stable egg production and fairly meaty carcasses. The mass of hens is about 2.8 kg, males are 1 kg heavier. The annual productivity of a chicken is about 200 eggs. Rhode Islands start laying at 7 months.

Russian White

Chickens of the Russian White breed are unpretentious and productive.

Outwardly, these beauties resemble leggorns. In fact, they also have Leghorn genes. However, Russian White chickens are more unpretentious and better tolerate poor quality feed and insufficiently mild climate. Chickens become laying hens from 5 months. The weight of 1 egg is 58 g. The annual production of 1 bird is 200 eggs. Egg production rates remain consistently high even with insufficient nutrition or under not very favorable conditions.

Adler silver

The Adler silver breed is common in southern Russia.

Meat-eating breed, bred in the Krasnodar Territory. The birds are fleshy, strong, with unusually beautiful plumage. They are distinguished by endurance and calm disposition. Unlike ordinary laying hens, the skeleton is quite strong. If you opt for this breed, then there will be eggs and dietary meat of excellent taste on the table.

Kotlyarevskaya

Chickens of the Kotlyarevskaya breed regularly incubate eggs.

Another South Russian variety with a very interesting “cozy” color is the real Hen Ryaba from a fairy tale. The average annual egg production is 240 eggs. They are quite large (up to 63 g in weight). With good care, performance remains high for several years. Chickens of this breed are caring hens, which is important for the economy..

Dominant

Dominant chickens have a calm, friendly character.

Faverolles

Chickens of the fireball breed are unpretentious and get along with other inhabitants of the poultry yard.

The birthplace of these beauties and beauties with an aristocratic appearance is France. Birds are popular due to the unusual golden color of the plumage and the excellent quality of the meat. The live weight of hens and roosters is 3 and 4 kg, respectively. The hen brings about 180 eggs weighing 60 g per year. The shell is colored brownish. With good meat productivity, the skeleton of chickens is thin. indicated that chickens can gain excess fat.

Maran

Chickens of the maran breed are demanding on the conditions of detention.

Chickens are distinguished by beautiful colorful plumage and fast maturation. The breed is meat-and-egg. The egg shell is a beautiful chocolate shade. !

Hollow-necked Transylvanian

A feature of the breed is the absence of feathers on the neck of birds.

This chicken is so named because of the absence of any hint of plumage in the neck area. On other parts of the body with plumage is also not dense, part of the body of the bird is naked. At the same time, the weight of the birds is 3.5 kg, which makes them suitable for meat fattening. And hens bring from 150 to 180 eggs a year. So this variety, although not the most attractive in appearance, deserves attention, especially since.

Minorca

Minorki is a very heat-loving breed of chickens.

The name of these chickens comes from the Spanish island of Minorca. To learn more about Minorca chickens,. The beginning of the breed was laid by the Spaniards, then the British improved its qualities. The hen has been laying since 5 months. Eggs of medium size, white shell. The mass of 1 piece is 55 g. The laying hen brings 160 eggs per year.

Isa Brown

Isa Brown are hardy, strong laying hens.

Typical laying hens. The skeleton is light, the dimensions are miniature. The color is brown (this can be guessed from the name). There is a variety of chickens with white plumage (Isa White). One laying hen brings more than 300 eggs a year. The weight of 1 piece is 63 g. Chickens are hardy, have good immunity. The safety of chickens is about 94%.