Varieties of breeds of meat-eating chickens
If you plan to breed chickens, then the best solution would be to purchase a universal poultry, that is, representatives of the egg chicken meat breed. Thus, you can get fresh chicken eggs for a long time, and then let the poultry eat meat, using it for your own purposes or for resale. However, if you delve deeper into the study of this issue, you will come across the fact that there are many such breeds, how not to get confused in their diversity and choose the best of them? Today we will understand this issue, study videos and photos, descriptions of some of the most popular breeds.
Breeds of meat-eating chickens
What is the peculiarity of meat-and-meat chickens
As mentioned earlier, the first thing worth mentioning is the versatility of the breed. Subject to content only egg breed or, conversely, meat, it will be difficult to achieve success in 2 directions at once. It is worth saying that there really are some differences and features of the content of such breeds. For example, many farmers say that the appetite of meat-eating chickens is much higher compared to that inherent in other areas, although in the end all financial costs are justified, so you should not save on feed.
An interesting fact: all meat-bearing type birds are hybrids, that is, to obtain them, it was necessary to cross two or even more breeds to obtain the best meat egg breeds of chickens. As you know, when mixing breeds, stronger individuals are obtained that have excellent health and high resistance to disease and have a beautiful appearance. For this reason, such birds are equally in demand both in households and on industrial poultry farms.
In addition, these birds are more stress-resistant. This is extremely important, because nothing should have a negative impact on egg production rates. The only thing that can worsen it is poor nutrition and insufficient feeding, or rather, its inadequacy. However, when the error is corrected, the hen will produce the usual number of eggs.
It is worth saying that for the first time a laying hen brings eggs at the age of about 6 months, until that time it is necessary to nurture the crest. Based on average indicators, one chicken brings about 2-3 hundred eggs per year, and their taste characteristics are better than that of ordinary layers, while the meat yield from such birds is lower, on average - about 2-3 kg.
Pros and cons of rocks
Among the advantages are the following:
- Chickens of the meat-bearing direction are much less likely to get sick and grow better, respectively, the percentage of mortality is less.
- The bird does not require the creation of special conditions of detention, as it is unpretentious.
- Taste characteristics of poultry products have excellent taste and quality.
- The bird is adapted to self-feeding, that is, it can peck on food while on the street.
- These breeds have a high fertility rate.
Minuses:
- Chicks gain weight more slowly than other breeds.
- Quantitative egg production rate a relatively short bird will not be very egg-like.
- The bird requires more feed than other breeds.
- The stocking density should not be too high, as this affects the livelihoods of the layers negatively.
However, despite all of the above disadvantages, the popularity of the meat-and-meat breeds does not fall, but, on the contrary, only increases every year. We will learn about which meat-and-meat breeds of chickens are the most popular in the world and which one is the best in Russia, complementing the story with photo and video illustrations.
Redbro breed
Chicken Redbro look so unusual that because of their variegated colors, they are called colored. In addition, their distinctive feature is high egg production and survival rates. The breed takes its roots in England, it happened about a century ago, large, unpretentious birds. If you look at the Redbro representatives in the photo in Russia or in any similar photo, then you will see bright red feathers, at the base of which there is a brown color. The beak is small, the scallop is bright red.
Since one of the founders of Redbro is a fighting breed, such chickens are quite large and look impressive:
- the chest is wide, rounded;
- the limbs are powerful.
One of the distinguishing features of meat-bearing chickens is their high immunity, which is explained by the hybridity of the breed. Some farmers do not give them preventive vaccinations, as they believe that their immunity is already at its best. Also, due to their high immunity, they are able to survive in any climatic conditions. The chick drop rate is one of the lowest.
The first time a bird lays at the age of about six months, the “egg harvest” can bring about 200-300 eggs per year. The eggs are large, their shells are strong, colored beige. The mass of the bird is as follows:
- Chicken - about 3-5 kg.
- Rooster - at least 6 kg.
- The growth of chickens is rapid, in the first month it increases by at least 1 kg, gaining its maximum mass by 6 months.
The taste qualities of the Redbro breed meat product are distinguished by a delicate taste and juicy consistency.
Breed Master Gray
This name was given to meat-eating chickens due to the fact that their feathers are painted gray, knowing this feature, you will always distinguish the bird in photos or videos. Breeding work on growing a breed of meat-bearing chickens was carried out in Europe, namely, in France. It should be said right away that it is not easy to breed birds in home breeding conditions, so it is worth purchasing only purebred representatives, that is, grown in special incubators. Like the Redbro breed, chickens survive almost 100% of the time.
A distinctive feature of the bird is that Master Gray laying hens are good mothers, do not abandon their chickens under any circumstances, protecting them from dangers and enemies, this makes it easier to breed young.
Chicks gain weight quite quickly, although they are not able to compete with broilers, whose growth rate is simply staggering. Make egg clutches Master Gray begins at an early age, already at 4 months, the hen can hatch the first roost. For a year, one laying hen exaggerates the chicken farm by an average of 300-350 eggs, this can be called a record number. You can also note the excellent taste of the meat product, it has a delicate structure and a not too high percentage of fat.
If you managed to acquire purebred representatives, then raising poultry will not be difficult, since Master Gray has excellent immunity. Moreover, they survive equally well both in cage conditions and if you decide to equip them with a dwelling on the floor. Although, according to the reviews of poultry farmers, the first method turns out to be more convenient and profitable. This is due to the fact that 1 sq.m can live several heads at once.
Birds of the Master Gray breed get along well with people, as they have a friendly character, do not show aggression. In order for the hen to feel good and produce the required number of eggs, all that needs to be done is to provide the winged with adequate and balanced nutrition and feeding.
Chicken of the Hungarian breed
The Hungarian breed is the name that was given to the bird after selection, another name has taken root among the people - Hungarian giant... This is said for a reason, because the dimensions of the chickens are striking, this applies to both the body and the paws. This was one of the requirements for this breed, the best representatives of chickens were selected, which gave rise to the Hungarian giant breed.
It is easy to guess that the most valuable is chicken meat: a female can give about 4 kg, a rooster - up to 6 kg. As for the eggs, the annual yield is not as large as that of the other breeds described. The color of the plumage is bright red or brownish. Although a variable color is allowed, depending on what kind of plumage the ancestors had.
There is a variety of Hungarian giants - Hungarian broilers, based on the name it becomes obvious that their dimensions are larger, they gain weight faster, but it is not so easy to keep them. If the bird senses temperature changes, a draft or insufficient nutrition, weight gain may stop, as well as provoke the development of many diseases, while their non-broiler counterparts do not grow so much, but at the same time they get less sick. In addition, it should be said that the meat of ordinary Hungarian poultry is more tasty and juicy compared to broiler meat. As for nutrition, ordinary grain will be enough for them, compound feed is not required.
Avicolor breed
The next breed, which will be discussed, is Avicolor, its homeland is Ukraine. Due to the fact that the best representatives of Ukrainian layers were selected for production, whose egg production rates were among the best. The result was a meat-and-meat Ukrainian cross breed. It is thanks to this that their meat is tasty and juicy, and the eggs are large with a bright large yolk.
The breed is attractive to poultry farmers, as it combines the most important characteristics:
- simplicity of content;
- high rates of egg production;
- delicious meat.
It is noteworthy that, despite such attractive characteristics, the breed did not gain worldwide distribution, and remained a local Ukrainian variety.
Features of the Avicolor breed
- The sex of a day-old chick is determined already on the second day after birth. The differences are manifested in the difference in feather color, since the female has brown feathers, and the male has white.
- The character of Ukrainian birds is calm and pliable, unpretentious hens quite simply adapt to changes in conditions of detention, for this reason they can be kept both in cages and in aviaries, living conditions will not affect the indicators of vital activity.
- Avicolor chickens get along well with pets, so they can be placed in various combinations with other pets and birds.
- Layers are excellent mothers, hatch chicks as long as needed, feed day old chicks in infancy until they can get their own food.
- Chicks grow quickly, gain weight, changing the down for feathers, which can subsequently protect them from the cold.
The hens are fed grain by mixing the grains with boiled chicken eggs. They are needed in order for the hen to produce more eggs, and such a diet has a positive effect on the quality of eggs. In addition, the quality of the shell is also influenced by the presence of light in the chicken coop: It is imperative to ensure sufficient outdoor exercise, especially during sunny times and during daylight hours.If the climate does not allow providing the hen with enough light and sun, it is advisable to build ultraviolet lamps in the hen house. If the conditions of detention are appropriate, the regime is observed, then about 300 eggs of the highest quality can be obtained per year, and the first clutch can be obtained already at the age of 4 months.
Island breed
This breed is the final one in our ranking of meat-and-meat chickens. These birds got their name in honor of the state in the United States in which breeding work was carried out. Unlike Avicolor, the Island breed has a worldwide distribution. There are many external characteristics that set these birds apart from all other domestic birds. The first thing that catches your eye is the plumage, it is distinguished by an extraordinary density and unusual colors; bright red, green, blue tail while very lush. The older the bird becomes, the dimmer its feather becomes.
Females begin to lay eggs much later than their relatives, the first clutch may appear at 6-7 months. Despite the fact that Island chicken eggs are large, their number is not large: only more than 2 hundred a year. The live weight of representatives does not exceed 3 kg in females and 4 in males.
As for the conditions of detention, the Island chickens do not require the creation of special conditions. They feel equally well both in winter and in summer, while they also lay eggs at any time of the year. It is advisable to give them the opportunity to graze in the fresh air in the summer as much as possible so that they can absorb a lot of vitamin D. If the summer was productive, then in the winter the bird will not get sick and only artificial lighting in the chicken coop will be enough for it.
As you may have already noticed, the Island type does not differ in outstanding egg production and meat yield after slaughter. However, this did not stop him from giving him a start to other breeds, for example, New Hampshire, which was bred in England.
Of course, these are not all universal cross breeds, at present there are many varieties of meat-eating individuals. But if you generalize their characteristics, then they are in many ways inferior to competitors, so we can say with confidence that this article has combined a description of the leaders, that is, the five leading breeds of mixed orientation, which is the best for the farmer to decide. We hope that the above information will help you determine which breed is right for you for keeping in certain conditions.