Interesting about the Mechelen cuckoo
The Mechelen cuckoo is known to poultry farmers by several similar names: it is called Meklin, Mechelen and Mecheln. Malin is also a common name. Mechelen meat chicken was bred in the 19th century, and in 1979 a club of fans of the breed was created. To create the chicken, they crossed the Shanghai breed and the Brahma, adding a share of the genetic material of the Flanders and Mechel cuckoo breeds.
Mechelen cuckoo
The bird is of Belgian origin, it was named after the city of Mechelen. Several variations of the name of the cuckoo breed can be attributed to the constant and repeated changes in the name of the city.
Features of the appearance of Mechelen chickens
The Mechelen cuckoo, as already noted, belongs to meat direction, therefore it differs in stockiness and size, which can be seen from any photo of the representatives of the breed. The Mechelnian female can weigh about 4 kg, while the male reaches over 5 kg.
Its external description is very special, because the main color of birds is black and white striped color, and sometimes there are pure black, white and blue individuals as in the photo. The limbs of chickens are strong enough, decorated with "feather panties". The Mechelen cuckoo is distinguished by its bright red crest and earrings, which seem to be created to decorate the breed. The ridge has a leaf-like shape, but chickens with a pod-shaped ridge are also found. The beak is colored in a light, beige shade and is also quite strong.
As for the males, the breed awarded them with a wide, rounded chest with a body protruding forward. Both females and males have short wings that are tightly pressed to the body, so there is no need to clip wings if you do not want the neighbors to laugh. The Mechelen cuckoo is distinguished by bright red or orange eyes, and the nature of the birds is calm and unusually balanced. Despite the meat direction, chickens can also be used as decorative breed because of their attractive and unusual appearance.
Despite the fact that it may seem that using the name "Cuckoo" is ridiculous, in fact it is quite justified. Raspberry has a speckled color and undeveloped maternal instinct, which brings it closer to a cuckoo, at the same time being a negative trait of a laying hen, reluctantly hatching its eggs. Therefore, to save the population, they use incubation equipment or a foster mother who can take care of the chicks.
About the productivity of cuckoos
It is important to note that in addition to performing exclusively meat functions, the breed can also please with good egg production. The Malin cuckoo is capable of giving in one year up to 150 eggs of a rather large size and weight, which reaches 70 g. The average weight of males rarely exceeds 4 kg, and females - 3 kg.
In addition, the taste of the products is delicate and, according to reviews, have fine fibers.Mechelen chicken is used in a variety of Belgian dishes, and one of the most famous recipes is brewing belly breasts using Belgian beer.
How to properly keep chickens
The quality and size of the room is primarily influenced by the size and characteristics of the breed. In order for Malin chickens to feel comfortable, it is necessary to provide them with the necessary conditions, including:
- Spacious, classic floor space with a low hedge (about a meter). Due to its large size, the Mechelen raspberry cuckoo cannot fly, therefore, the main funds must be allocated for a wide area of the poultry house;
- Low temperature content (about 15 ° C).
- Dry and clean area, free from drafts and winds.
- Lighting not exceeding 10-12 hours.
As for chickens, the placement of chicken eggs in the incubator takes place for a month, and before nibbling, each egg is shone through in order to reveal dead embryos or unfertilized biomaterials. After birth, chicks are placed in wooden boxes or cardboard boxes with a paper-lined bottom. The floor is covered with straw, sawdust and peat.
When hatching eggs from a Mechelen chicken, there are no difficulties. But do not forget that incubating cuckoos can only cause disappointment, because the breed's maternal instinct is completely absent, therefore hatching with the help of an incubator or other laying hen is considered the most acceptable option.
The Mechelen breed “betrays itself” from infancy: chickens survive in any conditions and have a special sex characteristic. Chickens are distinguished by a light speck on the head and a black back, while males are distinguished by a spot on the back. In the chicken coop, all individuals behave extremely calmly, therefore they never cause problems when kept with other breeds. However, one rooster considers himself to be the guardian of the entire herd, therefore it is better to keep him away from other males. You can preview what the behavior and appearance of chickens are in the video.
How to feed cuckoos
Not only the appearance and lack of maintenance requirements can please the poultry breeder who has chosen the Malin breed. There is one more feature of cuckoo cultivation - unpretentiousness in nutrition. In order to feed the birds, it is enough:
- factory feed for meat production or ordinary "home" food;
- herbs, grains, mash, greens, cereals;
- a certain amount of vitamin supplements, minerals, fish oil.
A proper diet and a balanced diet promotes rapid weight gain. If we take into account ordinary birds, speaking of slaughtering at 4-5 months, then this can only make fun, but as for Mechelen individuals, at this age their meat already reaches the required weight, and the carcass is suitable for driving.
About keeping young cuckoos
In order to maintain the vital functions of the chicks, super-complicated efforts are also not required. Feeding should be repeated every couple of hours, and the diet should include protein feed for development. As they grow older, the chicken is transferred to four meals a day. Chicks do not need a long day of light, so 10 hours of light will be enough for them. In general, one young chick per day requires only 100 g of feed. According to professional poultry farmers, sometimes the cuckoo can show its selectivity in food, which, although it happens quite rarely, is not explained by any theoretical evidence.
Carcass meat is ideal for mechanical deboning with a separator. The procedure allows you to grind bones with meat, dividing them into several components. With this procedure, a semi-dry bone mass and soft compounds in the form of minced meat are obtained, which can be used for meat production immediately after processing.
Thus, Mechelen chickens are a fairly profitable investment.In addition to the fact that the birds are balanced and calm, they are able to survive even in very difficult conditions, thanks to their resistance and good immunity. In addition, poultry meat is in demand due to its high taste. And even if this breed cannot answer the question about the longevity with the help of a typical "kuku", its advantages are admirable so that the choice of the Mechelen chicken breed will be justified.