Description of the Kotlyarevskaya breed of chickens
With good vitality, egg production and meat performance, the Kotlyarevskaya breed of chickens became popular among breeders and was bred in Kabardino-Balkaria. Several breeds were involved in the selection process - Golosheinaya, Striped Plymouthrock, Zagorskaya Salmon, New Hampshire and Russian White.
Description of the Kotlyarevskaya breed of chickens
Features of the breed
The description of chickens of the Kotlyarevskaya breed includes several features:
- medium-sized body, proportional;
- scallop of scarlet shade, erect, leaf-shaped;
- wide chest, pronounced;
- earlobes are reddish with elements of white;
- legs are strong, stocky, yellow;
- the eyes are orange-red;
- the head is small, rounded.
The plumage is varied and contains elements of the color of all original breeds taken for breeding - silver, salmon, light brown.
The cost
This breed is considered one of the rarest - the price of one hatching egg varies from 25 to 40 rubles. depending on the season (in winter it is cheaper than in spring or summer).
A daily chicken costs 50 rubles.
Character
Chickens have a calm and peaceful character, rarely leave the walking yard, and tolerate stress well during relocation to a new habitat.
Roosters are supportive of young animals, they are not aggressive towards the owner, but they can show impulsiveness towards other birds.
Productivity
Regardless of the weather conditions, chickens lay every day. For a year, one laying hen can produce from 180 to 240 eggs weighing about 60-63 g.
With a good and balanced diet, the weight is 70 g.
The shell is pink-beige. Egg productivity is increasing every year. The first clutch can be expected 6 months after the chicks are born.
Good performance indicators are noted for 5 years of keeping layers, after which they are replaced with young ones.
Kotlyarevsky chickens belong to the group of early maturing breeds - by the age of six months, the roosters reach 3 kg of weight, adults 3.8-4 kg. The mass of chickens is 2.5-3 kg.
Advantages and disadvantages
Based on the description, several advantages of the breed can be distinguished.
- High immunity against diseases and excellent survival rate of chicks - from 95 to 98%. In adult birds, about 85%.
- Almost 100% of fertilized eggs are laid.
- Variety of coloring pages.
- The opportunity to save money on feed, since these birds are not whimsical in their diet, they forage well.
- Stable productivity.
- Great taste and attractive appearance of the eggs.
- Relatively low cost.
Of the shortcomings, a low prevalence is distinguished - young animals can be purchased only in one place - the Sergiev-Pasad Gene Pool.The second disadvantage is a weak incubation instinct: there is a frequent interruption of laying by hens to breed new offspring, so breeders have to use an incubator to breed the breed.
Breeding features
Two-week-old chicks can be taken out for a walk
For successful hatching of chicks in an incubator, some rules must be followed.
- Collect eggs during the daytime. They must not be washed before laying.
- Choose fresh, medium-sized, without cracks, with a flat and smooth surface. The optimum egg age is 5 days.
- Do not lay too large specimens, because chicks with various defects and pathologies usually appear from them. Embryos from small eggs are often not viable.
- After laying the material in the incubator, set the temperature to 40 ° C, every week it is lowered by 1 ° C. During incubation, the eggs should warm up evenly, so they are turned over 3-4 times a day.
Care
The hatched chicks are placed in a small box made of wood and cardboard. The bottom is covered with a rag or straw. For quick drying of the gun and high-quality heating, a lamp is installed on top of the box at a height of 50 cm.
The optimum temperature for brood is -23-25 ° С.
After two weeks, the chicks can be taken for a walk in the fresh air. Walking in the sun has a beneficial effect on the further growth and development of chickens.
After three months of keeping, the grown young animals are transferred to a common herd, and fed to adult birds.
Feeding
When the chicks dry out and begin to move actively, they are served boiled finely chopped chicken eggs 5-6 times a day.
On the third day, they additionally offer finely chopped green onions, which are rich in vitamins and minerals. After 5-6 days, fat-free cottage cheese and cereals are introduced into the diet.
As a drink, a weakly concentrated glucose solution is given in the first three days - 50 g is dissolved in a liter of water. This gives strength and increases the immunity of the chicks. From the 4th day of maintenance, they give ordinary water.
Maintenance of adults
Successful breeding of the Kotlyarevskaya breed depends on a properly equipped chicken coop, a place for walking and feeding.
Chicken coop
Keep birds clean, dry and warm.
- First of all, the chicken coop is cleaned of all debris. The bottom is sewn up with any durable material to close all the cracks and avoid rodents. The surface of the walls and floor is whitewashed with a slaked lime solution, which will destroy pathogenic bacteria and microbes, and in the future will serve as protection against the appearance of fungus and mold.
- The floor is covered with a thick layer of straw, sawdust or peat. The flooring must be dry, therefore it is installed in sunny and dry weather.
- For laying hens, nests are arranged, the rest of the birds are perched at a height of 40-50 cm.
- Feeders and drinkers are installed in the room, easy to clean and with good access for chickens.
- The hen house should have good ventilation, which is provided by ventilation through the door and windows. At the same time, it is important that there are no drafts, since birds develop colds from hypothermia. The optimal temperature regime in winter is 20-23 ° С, in summer - 12-13 ° С.
- The chicken coop should be spacious - 50 m³ is calculated for one individual. With a more crowded content, there is a high risk of developing infections. If the room is too large, the chickens will freeze.
- The lighting is suitable for diffused, dimmed lighting. Many breeders use blue and red lights to keep the birds calm and running well. The optimal long daylight hours are 12-14 hours a day.
- Additionally, basins or other not too deep, but wide bathing tanks are installed. Sand, ash or dried clay are poured into them.
Feeding
Birds need clean water
Kotlyarev chickens are not demanding in feeding and are not prone to obesity, but to maintain productivity and good health, they need to provide a balanced diet at different times of the year.
- The basis of feeding is compound feed at the rate of 120 g per one individual. In addition, in summer, the bird feeds on greens, insects, gravel. She is also given a mash of grated vegetables, fruits, root vegetables.
- In the winter season, grass flour is added to the feed. To replenish the lack of calcium, hens need shellfish, pieces of chalk, meat and bone and fish meal, which are placed in separate feeders.
- To maintain immunity and saturate the body with minerals and vitamins, sprouted cereals are given.
- Leftover feed is removed every morning to eliminate the risk of fungus, mold and infection of birds with various types of infections.
The water must always be clean and fresh, so it is changed daily. In winter, liquid is poured at room temperature to prevent the development of colds.
Place for walking
The description of this breed includes good flying abilities, so open-air cage keeping is suitable for chickens. First, the walking area is fenced off with a fence at least 1.5 m high, then covered with a net.
In the spring, grass is planted in the yard - wheat, oats, barley, or other grasses - to provide the birds with fresh greens. Additionally, feeders with crushed chalk and shells are installed on the site.
If desired, the walking area can be covered with slate or tin so that the chickens can go out into the fresh air in autumn and winter. They peck at the snow with great pleasure and seek out the remnants of food under its cover.
Molt and break of egg production
During the spring molt, the productivity of layers decreases, but does not stop - this is one of the main advantages of the breed.
This process is lengthy and can take 3-4 months. The breeder must provide proper nutrition to help the bird bounce back and recover faster.
The plumage recovers well when the protein content is high and the amount of calcium in the feed is low.
It is better to keep molting chickens separately - this will reduce the risk of injury to bare skin.
Diseases
In conditions of sudden temperature changes and when kept in a cold and damp room, chickens begin to get sick with colds. It is important to optimize care to avoid this problem.
After hatching, the chicks have various defects - curvature of the neck, crest, limbs. The reason is the use of low-quality material for incubation.
To avoid infection, poultry farmers carry out preventive vaccination of chickens at an early age.
Also, to prevent the appearance of diseases when keeping young and adults, it is recommended to keep the chicken coop clean, regularly change the water, remove the remains of feed, replace the litter once a year and discard sick and old birds in time.
Breeder reviews
Engaged in breeding Kotlyarevsky chickens, experienced breeders have left a positive assessment for several years:
- the breed combines all the necessary qualities - good egg production, excellent taste of meat, practically does not get sick and is not demanding in feeding;
- others appreciate laying hens for continuous productivity, even during the molting period they do not cease to delight with tasty and high-quality products;
- for many it is a profitable option that allows you to save on feed and easy maintenance.