HOW TO CHOOSE A LAYING HEN, MEAT BREED, HOW TO CHOOSE A ROOSTER FOR CHICKENS

Chickens are the most popular birds in the household, so you need to be able to choose the right individuals for the purchase in order to get a healthy population. In order to buy a bird, it is important to pay attention not only to the breed, but also to the appearance of the individuals, so today we will consider the subtleties of the choice of egg and meat breeds of chickens.

Where to buy: market, poultry farm or private farm?

There are several places where chickens are often purchased - this is a market, a poultry farm and a private farm. Usually there is no big difference in price, so you need to focus exclusively on the quality of individuals. The market is the center for the sale of chickens from the poultry farmers' private yard. The advantage of buying such birds is their adaptability to feeding on natural food, so there will be no problems with them. The downside is the content in the spacious yards and poultry houses, so if you plan to put the birds in a cage, they can start to hurt, egg production will decrease. If after buying a bird to provide enough space, then adaptation to a new home will go well. Before buying chickens pay attention to their appearance, so that they look healthy, strong.

Important! When buying chickens on the market, you always run the risk, since not no guarantee that individuals have health problems.

If outwardly the bird looks good, without signs of any disease, no one can guarantee that it will not die in a month, since some diseases in birds develop very slowly, but often entail a lethal outcome. Some sellers do not care about vaccination when keeping poultry for sale; therefore, individuals are more susceptible to viruses and bacteria, often ill, which certainly affects the quality and safety of meat, as well as egg production rates.

In connection with the above factors, chickens on the market are best purchased from friends or already proven breeders. Buying chickens at the poultry farm, you will be insured against the possibility of acquiring sick individuals. Such birds are vaccinated and have high egg production rates. The downside is the feeding of chickens at poultry farms with special feeds, so after purchasing and transferring to natural food, chickens lose weight, their egg production is greatly reduced.

Also in poultry farms, chickens are kept in cages, so they have underdeveloped muscles, which does not allow them to adapt to life in a spacious poultry house. The best place to buy is a private farm.

Did you know? The chicken was tamed and domesticated more than 8 thousand years ago. Since then, the process of breeding new breeds has begun, of which there are currently about 700.

It is in such a place that chickens receive the necessary vaccinations, are grown under the supervision of veterinarians, have a balanced diet and enough space for walking. In addition, on the farm you can monitor the conditions of detention, the quality of food, the appearance of the rest of the bird.

People who have their own farms are aimed at selling high-quality individuals in order to get regular customers and good recommendations for increasing the number of buyers, so it’s not profitable for them to slip weak or sick chickens.

Choosing a laying hen

If you buy chickens of an egg breed, you need to pay attention not only to the main characteristics of the breed of the hens, but also to their appearance in order to make the right choice.

External signs of a good layer

If the purchase of a hen is necessary in order to get a bird that can immediately lay eggs, it is recommended to choose individuals that have reached the age of 20 weeks. To do this, it is necessary to select the best specimens, starting from their weight - at 5 months of age, chickens belonging to good egg breeds should weigh about 1.5 kg. If the weight exceeds 1.5 kg - this may indicate an impurity of meat breeds, which will affect the productivity of the acquired hens.

Learn how to breed laying hens, what vitamins are needed for laying hens and how to keep laying hens correctly.

If the mass is much lower - this indicates poor nutrition, poor development of individuals or the presence of any health problems. Particular attention should be paid to bird plumage: if the feathers are clean, soft and shiny, do not have bald spots, this means that the chicken was kept in good conditions, it is quite young and healthy. Be sure to inspect the feathers around the cloaca - this area should be clean, free from contamination. Young, healthy individuals have a bright red scallop, and the old and sick ones are faded. To the touch, the scallop should be warm, cold may indicate a violation of blood circulation in the body, which is typical for sick or old representatives. The color of the beak and paws of young, healthy chickens is yellow, and their eyes are dry, with no signs of mucous discharge.

The best breeds of laying hens

The main indicator of productivity is a properly selected breed with high egg production, so we consider the 3 best breeds, their main differences, advantages and disadvantages.

Check out such breeds of laying hens as: Leggorn, High-line, Russian White, Orlovskaya, Pavlovskaya, Pushkinskaya striped and motley.

Australorp black and motley

The black-pinnate variety of Australorp was bred at the Leningrad Poultry Institute by crossing white Plymouth and black Australorp. In weight adult chicken reaches 2 kg, rooster - 2.5 kg. The breed has a high egg production rate of 190 units per year, medium-sized eggs, about 55 grams in weight.
The appearance of chickens is characterized by a small head and a dark beak of small size, a pink-colored comb in red. The chicken has an elegant body located at a 45-degree angle. Individuals with long legs, bright spotted color, their legs are not feathered. Feather color marble gray-white, sometimes with admixtures of beige.
The advantages of the breed are quick adaptation to bad weather conditions with cold frosty winters and hot summers. Birds can be kept in spacious chicken coops or small cages, have a calm character, not aggressive. The main advantage is resistance to pullorosis. Although the breed is egg, chicken meat is very tasty.
The minus of Australorp black and motley is the demands for feed. Industrial feeds are not always suitable for the hens in question, so almost everyone who feeds them faces a nutritional problem, and with poorly formulated diets in chickens, egg production is greatly reduced.

Adler silver

The breed was bred a long time ago, in the middle of the XX century. To obtain the Adler silver was a lot of effort from the breeders. Representatives of the breed that are found at present belong to the gene carriers of 5 breeds of chickens — the White Plymouthrock, New Hampshire, Pervomaisk, Russian White and Yurlovka. To achieve the perfect result, selection was carried out in several difficult stages.
Adults weigh about 2.5 kg (layers) and 3.5 kg (roosters). The productivity index is at least 190 eggs per year. Adler silver chickens have a round head of small size. Chickens have smooth ear lobes of red color, curved form of yellow beak. The small size comb has a leaf-shaped form with 5 identical teeth. The legs are muscular, of medium length, the tail is small and rounded. The color of the plumage of Adler silvers is white, with dark gray-black stripes on the neck and tail.
The advantage of this breed of chickens is the rapid puberty of individuals, so the chicken begins to nest at the age of 6 months. Chickens are fairly easy to care for, undemanding to feed, quickly gaining weight and have a high egg production rate both on purchased and on natural feed. They can be kept in spacious hen houses and in small cages, they are not demanding to conditions of detention, they easily adapt to adverse weather conditions. Individuals of Adler silvery live quietly with other breeds of chickens, have strong immunity and resistance to common diseases.
The main disadvantage of this breed is the lost instinct to incubate eggs, so if you plan to breed these birds, the problem can be solved with the help of an incubator.

California Gray Chickens

California Gray was bred in California by the breeder and poultry breeder James Dryden. As a result of several years of work, after the difficult stages of the selection of Plymouthrock, Leggorn and local village chickens, in 1930 it was possible to achieve a final good result.
Cross is characterized by high performance - in a year 1 laying hen is able to produce more than 220 eggs weighing 60 g. The hen can reach 2.5 kg in weight, and roosters - 3 kg.
Chickens are characterized by a powerful, stocky physique, rounded back. Cross differs in pomp and thickness of plumage, gray color with black stripes on feathers. The head is oval, has a red-colored leaf-shaped scallop, small rounded earrings and small earlobes. A small beak is bent down, has a yellow color. There are no plumage on the paws, the paws themselves are yellow or grayish. Chickens are characterized by endurance, calm, friendly character. They are absolutely not aggressive, can easily get along with other birds.
The main advantage of this breed is high productivity and unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention. Chickens can consume the most common commercial feed or natural food. Thanks to fluffy tail, they easily adapt to low temperatures and withstand weather changes.
Negative qualities include the blunt instinct of brooding, which makes it impossible to get the chickens through natural incubation. The main disadvantage is that the California gray is referred to as crosses, so the second generation of individuals is no longer capable of the same high productivity as the first generation acquired.

Did you know? In Europe, California Gray appeared in the 1970s, but today it has not become popular, since it is not recognized as a breed, but is a cross (hybrid).

Thus, having considered three egg breeds, we can conclude that it is easiest at home to get high egg production with minimal effort as a result of the Adler silver chickens.

Choosing a meat chicken

To choose a good meat chicken, you need to pay attention to the main characteristics of the breed, which will contribute to the rapid weight gain in a short time.

Also check out such meaty chickens as Brahma, Jersey giant, Dorking, Cochinchyn, Corniche, Plymouthrock and Orpington.

The best breeds of meat chickens

If you plan to buy chickens of meat breed, you need to consider the best representatives of this category, their features, advantages and disadvantages.

Kyrgyz gray

Soviet scientists in Kirghizia were engaged in breeding the Kyrgyz gray hens. Chickens of the required breed were obtained by crossing the New Hampshire, Leggorn and Plymouthrock breeds. Chickens are universal and belong to meat and egg breeds, but still contain them mainly for slaughtering in order to get tasty and nutritious meat. The chicken reaches 2.7 kg in weight, and the rooster - more than 3.5 kg. The performance indicator is about 170 eggs per year. Chickens are characterized by a cone-shaped body with a well-developed, prominent musculature. They have medium-sized legs, paws of a wheat-yellow color. The head of a bird is of medium size, round shape. Earrings, scallops and earlobes are red.
The main distinguishing feature of the breed is an unusual plumage. On each feather there is a distinct pattern in the form of black-and-white stripes, which, gathering together, form a speckled coat. Roosters may have reddish blotches on the mane. Individuals of this breed are rather calm and balanced, but at the same time they are curious and active. Very careful with other birds, but quickly get used to their new neighbors.
The advantages of Kyrgyz sulfur is the ability to endure sudden temperature changes, unpretentious care, docile nature, no problems with the selection of food.
Among the shortcomings can be distinguished very low egg incubation instinct and average productivity.

Australorp black

The breed was bred in Australia by William Cook in 1890 by crossing the English Orpington, Langshan and White Leghorn. Chickens are characterized by a fairly quick weight gain - at 10 months old chickens weigh at least 3 kg, roosters at least 4 kg. In the year of laying, about 180 eggs can be produced.
Birds are characterized by black plumage with emerald sheen. The plumage is quite loose, but fluffy. Chickens have a head of medium size, leaf-shaped erect scallop, serrated, scarlet. The beak is rather short, well developed, black, bent downwards. Chickens are characterized by a docile, balanced character, which makes possible the content with other breeds in one hen house.
The main advantage of black Australorp is a good instinct for incubation of eggs, it is well gaining weight, has a high performance, which makes the breed as attractive as possible for home maintenance.
The disadvantages include the disadvantage of using in obtaining hybrid species, but this applies only to professional breeders, since at home it does not make sense to practice obtaining new species.

Maran

This breed was bred by French breeders in 1885 and was named after the city of Maran, where breeding took place. At the moment, the breed is quite popular in European countries, is universal and is used to produce eggs and meat. In weight, roosters reach 4 kg, hens - 3 kg, egg production indicators - 150 pieces per year.
The main feature of the appearance is the diversity of bird feathering colors. The color of feathers is from black-copper to white, which is due to the large number of varieties of the Maran breed.
Chickens are characterized by a large, muscular physique, feathers fit snugly to the body, individuals have a small tail, it also does not have a special length for roosters. Chickens have a scallop with six teeth, which hangs to the side. The paws of brown or gray color have no plumage, however the big fingers are characterized by the presence of a small amount of fluff.
A special feature of the breed is a small down collar that adorns the neck of males. The character of Maranov is calm and docile; they easily get along with other birds.
Their main advantage is the ability to endure adverse weather conditions. Individuals are characterized by good immunity and high resistance to diseases. The main disadvantage of the breed is the difficulty of breeding chickens due to thick shells.

Did you know? Maran - breed of chickens that is capable of producing eggs of an unusual chocolate color. The special density of the eggshell allows you to protect the contents from the penetration of any bacteria and even salmonellosis.

Fireball

The breed was obtained as a result of crossing Gan chickens and chickens. Selection involved French farmers in the city of Fireollez. Later in Germany, the breeders did the work, as a result of which they received the breed Firewall salmon: it began to breed it on an industrial scale.
The breed is characterized by the presence of individuals of sufficiently large sizes: hens reach 3.5 kg, and roosters, 5 kg. In the year of laying, they can produce up to 180 eggs. Birds have a slightly elongated, large body, feathers are tight to the body. Individuals have a short, raised tail, a neck of medium length. Birds have a strong, short beak, leaf-like red comb.
Representatives have a small flat head, the sides of which are covered with sideburn plumage. Chickens have very lush plumage of the body, feathers cover the neck abundantly, so it seems very wide and powerful, and the down is located on the paws, forming lush skirts to the bottom. Common color Fireer is considered salmon. The chickens have a light plumage on the belly and chest, and on the neck and wings are reddish feathers. The roosters on the tail, chest and abdomen have black feathers, and the back is covered with white terry feathers. Firewall can also be blue, white and black color. The representatives are fairly calm, docile in nature, they normally tolerate proximity to other birds.
Главными достоинствами породы является лёгкая и быстрая адаптация к изменениям погодных условий, куры имеют крепкий иммунитет, поэтому редко болеют.
К недостаткам относят слабовыраженный материнский инстинкт, склонность к ожирению, поэтому могут возникать трудности при выборе кормов.

Having considered the main meat breeds, it is rather difficult to single out one, since each has both advantages and disadvantages. In order to make the right choice, it is necessary to base on personal preferences and take into account the peculiarities of the content of each breed.

Choosing a good rooster for chickens

To ensure good performance of laying hens, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to the choice of roosters, therefore, we will consider the main features of good males.

Read also about whether a laying hen needs a rooster and how many chickens per hen is needed.

External qualities of a good cock

First of all, when choosing a young rooster, pay attention to the state of health and compliance with natural features, if you buy a pedigree bird:

It is better to choose a rooster with distinct signs of sexual dimorphism; the crest should be well developed and bright red; a good male has even paws with regular toes.
A young rooster, instead of spurs, has only tubercles, the first thickenings can be revealed in the fifth month of life. Still, it is recommended to pick up a rooster at the age of puberty, which accounts for 5-6 months of life, so that not only the main features of the appearance, but also the temperament already formed can be traced.
A quality bird must be active, show superior qualities, not be afraid to engage in a fight with other males in the yard.

But despite the need to acquire an active and strong rooster, you should not give preference to overly aggressive individuals who attack people at the slightest opportunity.

How not to lose a cock

Roosters have a positive attitude to fighting, and the strongest of them conquers the dominant place in the herd. The beginning of the “showdown” comes at 9 weeks of age: it is at this time that the hierarchy is being built in the hen house. Much less often fights take place between individuals of the same age, if they were constantly growing in one herd, but even in this case, the “main” cock will be chosen - the most fearless, strong and lively who can protect chickens, chase a foreign bird out of the yard.

Find out how many years the chicken and rooster live at home.

If the roosters grew up together, then when choosing the main male in the herd, the other, weaker ones, try to avoid conflicts and minimize the number of fights. So that young roosters do not organize mass slaughter in the yard, do not purchase or leave no more than 2 roosters on a flock of 20 layers. Over time, roosters and chickens are able to divide into small groups that recommend providing personal feed and water to minimize the possible risk of another fight. If it turned out that there are more roosters in the herd than necessary, then set the staircase in the center of the house at an angle so that weak roosters can avoid the fight by jumping to its top in time. Drac cannot be avoided if one rooster constantly resides and grows with the herd, and the second is hooked to him as an adult - this can cause a weak rooster to leave the yard, or one will score the other to death. It is impossible to reconcile them, no matter how hard you try, therefore, when choosing a dominant rooster from the herd, it is impossible to share a new neighbor with it.

Good rooster performance

Good, healthy cocks of light breeds mate from 30 to 50 times a day, cocks related to heavy breeds, the maximum can mate up to 15 times a day. In order to ensure good fertilization of eggs, it is recommended to buy one rooster per 10 females.

Important! It is worth remembering that by the age of 5-6, sexual activity of roosters is significantly reduced, which affects the quality of egg fertilization. It is necessary to take into account and not keep cocks for more than 3 years, regularly replacing them with young individuals.

Before you start chickens, you need to decide on the breed and see if you can provide them with the necessary conditions. Before buying, pay attention not only to the characteristics of the breed, but also the appearance of each individual, in order to reject specimens that do not meet the basic requirements. Only as a result of compliance with all the recommendations, it is possible to acquire healthy individuals that will grow in the future in the desired size and will have good egg production.