Poltava clay chickens
Poltava clay breed of chickens is hardy, disease-resistant and has good meat and egg productivity. To obtain it, breeders crossed Poltava chickens with Wyandot, Orpington and New Hampshire. How are these birds kept and bred?
Poltava clay chickens
Characteristics of the breed
Description of the appearance of Poltava chickens:
- the head is medium in size, rounded;
- the scallop is in the form of a rose, consists of numerous segments, in some birds it is leaf-shaped;
- earlobes and crest of scarlet color with white blotches;
- eyes yellow-red or fiery;
- beak is compact, pointed at the tip, yellow;
- neck, massive, strong;
- the frame is elongated, the chest is wide;
- wings of medium size, tight to the body;
- legs are not too long, yellow in color;
- the plumage is light or dark brown, the tips of the feathers are black.
Productivity indicators
Adult females reach a weight of 2.2-2.5 kg, males - from 3 to 3.5 kg;
Egg production ranges from 180-200 eggs, the average weight of a cream-colored egg is 55-56 g.
Chicks of this breed have a good survival rate - 97%, yearlings - 90%. Fertility rate is from 80 to 83%.
Character
Poltava clay breed of chickens has a friendly character. There are no conflicts and fights in the herd. Males treat young animals favorably, do not show aggression towards the owner and individuals with a different color. Therefore, joint content with representatives of other varieties is allowed.
It tolerates stress well and easily adapts to new conditions, therefore it is often transported to various regions of the country for further breeding.
The cost
The average price for one hatching egg is 55-60 rubles, grown young growth is from 300 to 350 rubles. You can buy purebred chicks in the Sergiev-Pasad Gene Pool.
Advantages and disadvantages
Chickens live quietly in a confined space
The characteristics of the breed include several important advantages:
- great taste of meat and eggs;
- fast weight gain and early egg production;
- peaceful character;
- good adaptive abilities - easily tolerate stressful situations while moving to another habitat or long-term transportation, while not reducing productivity indicators;
- the possibility of keeping without a walking area;
- high resistance to many diseases.
There is one drawback - a tendency to obesity, which leads to a decrease in egg production, a decrease in the number of hens. To avoid this, hens need to provide a balanced diet with added greens, calcium and a reduced amount of compound feed, especially if the birds are in captivity.
Breeding features
To breed chickens of this breed within the tribe, a strict selection of layers will be required:
- the first culling at an early age - 1-2 weeks, the most active females are selected, without defects and pathologies;
- the second selection is carried out at 5 months and is determined by productivity indicators;
- then observe the behavior of the bird and its desire to incubate eggs.
Two-year-old individuals are suitable for breeding new offspring. Eggs are laid under the hen in late April or early May. Chicks hatch after 20-21 days.
You can put 13-15 eggs under one individual. In the first week, it is important that the chicken does not leave eggs for a long time, otherwise they will cool down and chickens will not come out of them.
Many breeders believe that the natural way of breeding birds does not always give an effective result, so they resort to using an incubator.
Incubation
For setting in the incubator, medium-sized eggs with a flat and smooth surface, without cracks, are selected. They must not be washed before laying.
All specimens must be fresh - no older than 6 days. Choose ones that are not too pointed or blunt, because high probability of offspring with defects.
The laid material is tightly closed in the chamber, the temperature is set at 40 ° C. Every day, the testicles need to be turned over so that they warm up evenly. Every 7 days, it is lowered by 1 ° C.
In the incubator, chicks hatch after 3 weeks.
Care
Basic rules for caring for chickens:
- hatched individuals are placed in a small cardboard box covered with straw, sawdust or a rag so that they dry out faster;
- additionally, at a distance of 0.5 m from the box, an IR lamp is installed and kept on for at least 22 hours a day;
- the optimal temperature is 32 ° C, then every day it is gradually lowered and brought to the mark of 19 ° C;
- after 10 days, it is fashionable to release young animals into fresh air in the first half of the day, when the sun is shining - this will have a beneficial effect on their growth and health;
- at the age of one and a half months, the grown chickens are transferred to the content in a common herd.
Feeding
The diet depends on the age of the young:
- on the first day they offer a boiled and finely chopped chicken egg;
- from the third day chopped onion feathers;
- at the age of seven days, chicks can be given low-fat cottage cheese, small cereals, boiled grated carrots;
- after three weeks, dandelion, nettle, plantain and clover slices are added to the food - these components normalize the work of the digestive system;
- powdered eggshells, meat and bone meal, fish oil, sour milk, as well as grated fruits and vegetables are used as vitamins and minerals;
- the glucose solution gives strength, energy, increases immunity, therefore it is recommended for them to solder the chicks in the first days of life - 50 g is dissolved in a liter of water.
Young animals quickly gain weight, easily get used to any conditions of detention, if they are fed regularly and often - at least 6 times a day. At the age of 1.5 months, adults are completely transferred to feeding.
Content rules
It is necessary to constantly monitor the order in the chicken coop.
The health, productivity and growth of the entire livestock depends on the correct equipped habitat of the bird, its feeding and further care.
Poultry house
This breed is large in size, therefore it requires a lot of space - about 50 m³ per individual.
The chicken coop must be clean - it is cleaned of debris, all surfaces are disinfected with lime or a solution of colloidal sulfur (2%).
To create a good microclimate, you need to insulate the floor - it is covered with tin or boards, closing all the cracks. Then a thick layer of bedding made of hay, straw or sawdust is laid on top. The bookmark is carried out on a dry and sunny day, otherwise the flooring will saturate moisture and quickly become moldy.
Low perches for chickens are installed near the walls - 0.5 m. They also put nests - for 4 layers of 1 box. They choose a place that is quiet, with dim lights so that the bird can safely lay eggs.
Feeders and drinkers are placed on the floor at the rate of 4 and 3.5 cm per individual, respectively. Establish a wide basin filled with dry clay, ash or sand for taking dry baths. Regular treatments will help protect against the appearance of various parasites.
The optimal humidity indicator is not higher than 60%, therefore the room must be well ventilated - through windows or doors. Temperature in winter - 17-20 ° С, in summer - 12 ° С.
Diet
It is necessary to feed poultry with compound feed - purchased or of our own production. To obtain a good composition, you need to mix several ingredients: minerals, sunflower meal, crushed wheat or oats, meat and bone or fish meal in a ratio of 1: 3: 4: 1. Consumption per individual - 130 g.
They give different food depending on the season.
- In winter, when there is a deficiency of vitamins and minerals, they are fed with grass flour, small pieces of cabbage, beets. They give boiled, grated potatoes, carrots, but in limited quantities, because this bird is prone to obesity. Chopped corn, wheat, oats, barley are offered from dry mixes. Laying hens are given separate feeders with meat and bone or fish meal, fish oil, powdered egg shells, chalk, sprouted wheat, rye or barley are added to the food. All of these ingredients enhance immunity and promote good performance. Birds are also mixed with vitamins and minerals in the off-season to prevent the appearance of various infections.
- In the summer, they willingly eat shells, insects that they find in the courtyard. Additionally, they are offered fresh grass - dandelion, nettle, clover. Grated vegetables, fruits and roots.
You need to feed the herd twice a day - in the morning and in the evening.
The drink must always be clean and fresh, so it is changed every day. Warm water at room temperature is served in winter, cold water in summer.
Walking yard
For this breed, you need to try to equip a place for walking, because due to lack of mobility, chickens quickly gain weight. One individual is isolated - 2-3 m³.
In early spring, the yard is sown with herbs so that the chickens have fresh greens all summer. The surface is sprinkled with gravel, small pieces of chalk, shell rock.
To prevent the birds from leaving the courtyard, it is necessary to make a fence with a height of about 1.5 m. Cover it with a net on top, and cover it with slate in winter. Under such a cover, chickens will be able to walk not only in the warm, but also in the cold season, pecking at the snow and looking for the remains of food in it.
Molt and break of egg production
Usually this process occurs in the spring and is accompanied by the cessation of egg production. The duration of the molt is from 2.5 to 3.5 months, after which the bird completely changes its plumage and restores its clutch.
For a quick recovery, the breeder should increase the nutrition - increase the protein content in the food and reduce the amount of calcium.
It is better to keep molting chickens separately, because exposed coats can be injured during mating with males.
Possible diseases
These chickens have good resistance to many sores, but in conditions of dampness, cold, disturbed microclimate and poor nutrition, their immunity decreases and the body is exposed to various diseases.
Often sick with a cold from hypothermia, coccidiosis when kept in a dirty room. To avoid this, you should optimize care and comply with all sanitary and hygienic standards.
With crowding, a violation of the microclimate in a musty chicken coop, birds may appear - worms, ticks, chewing lice and lice. Their appearance can be prevented by giving only clean and fresh food, excluding contact with wild or neighboring birds, which are carriers of parasites and diseases.
Also for prevention it is necessary:
- change the litter once a year, disinfect the floor and walls;
- vaccinate early in life;
- inspect birds for the presence of infections and parasites, as well as move individuals to quarantine in time;
- provide clean drinking, balanced nutrition in accordance with age.
In day-old chicks, breeders note the development of various pathologies, defects, some are born stunted and die. The whole reason is in the use of old, disease-infected and low-quality material. Therefore, when laying in an incubator, it is necessary to follow the rules for selecting eggs described above.
Breeder reviews
Many owners give a positive characteristic to this breed:
- Poltava chickens quickly begin to rush, gain weight well and are not demanding in feed, which makes it possible to significantly save on their maintenance;
- some choose this breed because of the tasty and juicy meat, which, with a balanced diet, practically does not contain fat;
- many are attracted by the calm and peaceful nature of birds, which allows them to be kept together with others;
- many farmers are engaged in natural breeding of livestock, and the result is quite successful - a hen can breed 2-3 offspring per season.