Dutch breed of chickens Balnevelder
The Barnevelder chicken breed was bred in Holland at the beginning of the 20th century. The original goal of breeding was to obtain chocolate-shelled eggs, which were more expensive at the time and were very popular. The goal was never achieved: some of the hens produced terracotta eggs. But the chickens received a unique plumage with a double edging. The breed belongs to the meat-and-meat direction, well suited for breeding in small private farms.
Chickens Barnevelder
Description of the breed
Representatives of the breed were obtained by crossing several other varieties. The selection was attended by:
- Light brahma;
- Longshire;
- red Rhode Island chickens;
- meat Cochinquin;
- Indian fighting chickens of a pheasant brown shade.
As a result, it was possible to get strong, relatively large chickens with a compact and sturdy build. Here is how the Barnevelder chicken breed has a description:
- the head is wide, of medium height;
- face, scallop and earrings are red;
- the size of the comb is small, 4-6 teeth are clearly distinguished on it;
- the earlobes are elongated, red;
- beak is dark yellow, plump and shortened;
- the eyes are orange-red;
- the neck is mediocre, with lush plumage;
- massive body;
- broadened breast;
- in females the back is raised, in cockerels it is straight;
- the wings are set high, tightly pressed to the sides, not very long;
- the thighs are muscular, the legs are of medium height, yellow or yellow-gray in color.
The disadvantages of the breed are considered to be a narrowed back and breast, a poorly developed tummy in chickens, too low or too high body stance. Liquid plumage on the tail, feathers on the legs, enamel on the earlobes are also unacceptable. The character of these birds is very calm. They quickly begin to recognize the owner, fearless. The rooster will never attack a person.
You can see how barnevelder chickens should look like in the photo.
Plumage color
Particular attention should be paid to the plumage of the Barnevelder breed. Its main color is red-brown; sometimes a golden hue appears in the sun. A thin black stripe runs along the edge of each feather. The second rounded strip is located in the central part of the feather. This pattern is called "double edging". The tail of the roosters is black, of the hens - with a lace pattern and black tips.
Now the Dutch birds have very different colors. There is a solid white and black plumage. White color includes feathers of snowy, creamy and even silver shades. Recently in England, the Barnevelder silver color with black edging was bred. Silver Barnevelder is still a rarity, in terms of prevalence it is inferior to other colors. Also known for blue and blue colors. With all the variety, the traditional, red-brown color takes the first place in popularity.
Breed productivity
The Barnevelder breed of domestic chickens is a typical versatile variety intended for breeding in private farmsteads. She can give both eggs and meat.Egg production does not fall even in winter, but productivity indicators in both directions remain average:
- weight of males - 3-3.5 kg, females - 2.4-2.8 kg;
- number of eggs - 180 pcs. per year;
- one egg weighs 60-80 g;
- shell color - from brown-chocolate to terracotta;
- hen begins to lay eggs at the age of 6-7 months.
In addition to the standard breed of Barnevelder chickens, there is also a dwarf variety. Such a rooster weighs 1-1.2 kg, a chicken - 0.8-, 0.9 kg. Layers can lay 110-130 eggs per year. One egg weighs about 35 g. The rest of the chickens are no different from their larger counterparts. They are often bred in backyards for beauty. Dwarf Barnevelders take up less space and require little food. At the same time, they can carry a fairly large number of eggs.
Advantages and disadvantages of the breed
This breed is not very popular in Russia, but in other countries it is actively bred. Layers are valued for their beautiful plumage and good food quality. They get good reviews from farmers. The advantages of the breed include:
- unpretentious content;
- rather high indicators of productivity in the meat and egg direction;
- beautiful dark color of eggshell;
- beautiful appearance;
- versatility (the breed is egg, meat and decorative at the same time);
- calm and friendly character.
The breed also has its disadvantages. There are not so many of them that they outweigh the advantages of the Barnevelder chickens. The disadvantages include:
- tendency to joint diseases when the birds are not provided with adequate mobility (cage or too heaped content);
- the need for a large walking area.
Chickens of the Barnevelder breed constantly participate in agricultural exhibitions. The selection is still being carried out, they are trying to improve the food quality of birds and develop new colors.
Features of maintenance and feeding
The Barnevelder breed of chickens may only be kept free-range. With a cage or a long stay in a cramped poultry house, the joints of chickens and males suffer. chicken coop make it standard, it is not necessary to equip heating in it. For 1 sq. m indoors you can settle 2-3 birds. The walking area should be 3-4 times larger than the house.
The chicken room should be well ventilated, the humidity in it is maintained at 60-70%. The litter is made from straw, peat, shavings or sawdust mixed with slaked lime or wood ash. A container of wood flour can be placed in the yard or in the chicken coop so that the birds can take dry baths. In order for chickens to rush in winter, you need to maintain artificial lighting for 14-16 hours a day.
Feeding Barnevelder chickens is no problem either. The bird's diet includes grains (wheat, corn, oats, barley), moist vegetable mash (potatoes, beets, zucchini, etc.), greens. Be sure to give chickens mineral supplements (chalk, salt, shells, meat and bone meal), vitamins. In winter, chickens can be fed with skim milk, cake, brewer's yeast, fish oil, meat broth. In summer, many vitamins and nutrients enter the body of birds along with the food they get themselves in the yard.
Breeding chickens
Barnevelder chickens are very good hens and mothers. They can raise their brood on their own with minimal human intervention. Among the livestock, about 90% of females have a developed maternal instinct, which is considered a very high indicator. Almost every hatching egg is fertilized, this also contributes to the successful breeding of chicks. If you wish, you can bring out the chicks in incubator... This does not require any special conditions. The survival rate of chickens is high, reaching 95%, hatchability is kept at approximately the same level.
The eggs are incubated for 3 weeks, after which the chicks are placed in a brooder or heated box. In the first week, it is desirable to maintain the temperature at 33-35 ° C, then gradually lower it by 1-2 ° C.It is imperative to provide good ventilation and normal humidity in the room. The box should be cleaned daily, and potassium permanganate or an antibiotic for chickens should be added to the water.
Chickens are fed on the first day with a boiled egg, rolled in semolina. On the second day, steamed corn grits are given, then barley, oat and wheat grits, as well as finely chopped nettles, quinoa and other greens are added to the menu. Vegetables are given from the age of 4 days, as well as mineral supplements. Chickens are fed in the first week every 2 hours, then they are transferred to 4-5 meals a day. From a month, they can eat almost the same food as adults, 3 times a day.
Buying chickens
How much do pedigree Barnevelder chickens cost? They are rare in our country, and therefore the price for them is high. A hatching egg costs 100-15 rubles, day-old chicks - 500-600 rubles, and adult chickens and roosters - 1000-1200 rubles. When buying, you need to carefully consider the Barnevelder breed of chickens in the photo, read the description. The eggs should be as dark as possible. Chickens already have gray-brown fluff at the age of a day, and a pattern begins to appear at 3-4 weeks. It is best to buy young stock from proven farms that have received good reviews.