Common and rare chicken breeds
Poultry farming is an industry that is developing in the modern world. Thanks to the tireless work of poultry farmers, today there are about 700 different breeds of chickens. An interesting fact is that all of these breeds had the same wild ancestor - the bank rooster, which was domesticated many years ago. Different breeds of chickens differ, first of all, in productivity. They also have a different appearance and plumage color. Consider which groups all breeds of chickens are divided into. We will also talk about what breeds of chickens are considered the best.
Common and rare chicken breeds
Classification of breeds
The classification is based on the orientation of certain breeds. Today there are 5 groups of birds. It:
- meat;
- egg;
- meat and egg;
- fighting;
- decorative.
Despite the fact that analyzing the names of the groups, you can guess the characteristics of each of them, consider a short description.
Meat chickens
Those breeds of chickens that are gaining a lot of weight fall into this category. Such birds are kept exclusively for meat production. Scientists are still working on the development of new meat breeds. At the same time, they are working not only to improve quantitative indicators, but also to improve the taste of chicken. Also, experts are working on the breeding of early maturing breeds of meat orientation.
If we talk about the appearance of representatives of meat breeds, then they are quite large in size. They, as a rule, have somewhat loose plumage. The massive body is supported by short and rather thick legs. Almost all breeds of meat-oriented chickens have a calm disposition.
The most common beef breeds are: cucu de raspberries, arbor aikres, jersey giant (jersey), Crimean giant, arbor aykres.
Egg chickens
Egg breeds have high egg productivity. They have average indicators of meat productivity. In addition, breeders do not work to improve the taste of meat of egg feathered birds. The only goal is to get an egg-laying hen. It cannot be said that some representatives of this category are gaining quite a lot of weight. But their fattening takes longer than representatives of the meat category.
If we talk about the description of the appearance of egg birds, then they have a light skeleton, thick plumage, and earrings are present. The head is decorated with a crest, the legs are of medium length and set close enough to each other. For a household, egg-type birds are considered the most suitable. It is worth noting that egg-type birds have a restless disposition. When arranging an open-air cage, you need to take care of the presence of a high fence.
The most popular egg breeds are: radonite, megrula, super nick, heinz, aurora, heinline, armor white, high line, greenleg, shaver, Italian partridge.
Meat and egg chickens
This group includes birds, which are called universal. These are profitable breeds for home keeping, as they have high rates of meat and egg production. But, these figures will never be as high as those of dairy and meat varieties. Their advantage is ease of care and maintenance. Meat and egg birds are more whimsical.
As for the appearance, it is worth noting that when these breeds are introduced, representatives of the meat and egg orientation are crossed. Accordingly, they have an average build, short legs, rather thick plumage. Comb and earrings included. The character of meat and egg chickens is calm.
The following breeds are most widespread today: grizzly bar, redpack, naked neck, ameraucans (Easter chickens living near the Shandalar River), Niederheiner, Harco, Belfelder, Sundheimer, Gray Berry, Ukrainian Ushanka (common in Russia), Hubbard f 15. Also noteworthy is the Dresden breed.
Fighting chickens
There are also fighting breeds of chickens. They are brought up to participate in sports. But, only roosters take part in fights, which are better suited for these purposes. You can watch videos of cockfighting on the Internet.
As for the appearance of fighting breeds of chickens, it can be noted that they have well-developed muscles, especially in the chest area. It is also worth noting that fighting bird breeds have high legs and a small head. When selecting birds for fights, the thickness of the bones is taken into account, especially in the head area, since most of the blows fall on the head. The strength of the frontal bones can be judged by the well-defined superciliary arches. The fighting roosters also have a powerful beak. They have practically no earrings. The body is dense, the legs are set wide apart.
The most common fighting breeds are: Sumatra, Belgian Fighting, Ha Dong Tao (Vietnamese Fighting), Kulangi, Azil. The Belgian fighting game is very popular all over the world.
Decorative chickens
Chickens are distinguished by unusual plumage
Ornamental chickens are beautiful, but not the most productive birds. They are turned on in order to obtain aesthetic pleasure from contemplation of the birds. The first to start raising ornamental chickens in Asia. Later, these trends came to European countries, Russia and Ukraine.
As a rule, unusual plumage attracts the eye. This applies to both the structure and length, and the color of the feather. Beautiful birds usually do not differ in large body sizes. But there are exceptions to this rule. The legs can be of different lengths, the muscles are poorly developed. The head of decorative chickens is decorated with a wide comb, of different widths, or a crest. There are even rocks with a black crest (ayam cemani, for example). There are also beautiful chickens with a double comb. They usually have a calm disposition. Chickens of decorative breeds, especially rare ones, are expensive. And keeping them at home is troublesome.
The fact that the breeds belong to the decorative group does not mean that they do not lay eggs or that their meat cannot be used for cooking. But, as a rule, the indicators of meat and egg productivity are low.
Most often today you can find representatives of the following decorative chicken breeds: bentham (kinglet) or Japanese bantam, sultanka, horned hens (curly chickens), Malaysian serama, paduan, sibrayt, gudan. Noteworthy is the Chinese downy (five-fingered chicken) and the royal chicken. Noteworthy are Russian black beards. This group also includes Polish chickens, whose head is decorated with a tuft of impressive size.Otherwise, they do not differ from the birds, which do not belong to the decorative group. Wild chickens are also decorative. But it is difficult to breed them at home and it makes no sense.
Rare breeds
The grizzly breed is rare and elite. The feathers of these birds are used to make various crafts, including brooches and hair ornaments. Also rare are American, Langshan, Galan breeds. The elite breed is the krevker breed. This is a meat and egg breed characterized by early maturity. Also rare is the Langshan breed. She is very whimsical to care for and does not tolerate cold winters. Therefore, Russian poultry farmers do not recommend starting this breed.
Unusual chicken breeds include heyiluy... These birds lay eggs with green shells. Their productivity figures are not impressive. The weight of an adult is, on average, 1 kg, egg production is 170 eggs per year. But attention is drawn to the black color with a golden tint. The color of the ridge and earlobe does not differ from the color of the plumage. The price of Wuheyilu chickens is high.
It will take a very long time to consider all breeds of chickens. We will consider only those that are most popular today for one reason or another.
Common breeds
In the villages, you can most often see white, black, red and orange chickens. But the poultry industry is developing rapidly. And some breeders may show birds of an unusual salmon or purple color, obtained by crossing different breeds. Let's figure out which breed is suitable for the household, and which birds should be introduced to the poultry farm.
Yerevan chickens
The Yerevan breed of chickens belongs to the meat and egg group. The motherland of birds is Armenia. When breeding, in addition to local birds, Rhode Islands, Australorpes and New Hampshire... The plumage of the hybrid is red-fawn. But the tips of the flight feathers are colored black. Therefore, they are sometimes also called the Yerevan red breed of chickens. Newborn chickens are covered with light brown down.
Yerevan red chickens have a strong constitution. Their head is of medium size and is decorated with an impressive crest, and there are small earlobes. The color of the comb and lobes is pink. The small beak is in the shape of an arc. But it is curved slightly. A distinctive feature of the exterior is a deep and wide chest, which is quite well developed. The back is broad and short, the tail is of medium size. Small wings are pressed to the body, legs of medium length, located close to each other, are colored yellow.
Productivity indicators
The meat production of birds is 2 kg for chickens, and 3 kg for roosters. With regard to egg production, one hen per year brings at least 160 eggs weighing 55-60 g. Young growth begins to rush at 5.5 months.
Yerevan chickens can boast of good health. The safety of young animals is about 90%. In adult chickens, this figure is 4% lower.
Shabo
Chickens of the Shabo breed are beautiful dwarf birds. They were bred in Asia. A feature of the representatives of this breed is that the birds sit in place almost all the time. Accordingly, they can be kept in a small room.
As for the exterior, first of all it is worth noting that birds have very short legs with an average body length. When walking, the body practically touches the ground. A very short back is another feature of the shabo chickens. The head is decorated with a large red ridge; there are earlobes. The long tail is another decoration for shabo chickens.
There are 3 types of shabo chickens: regular, curly and silk (fluffy). This is not to say that a particular type of plumage looks better than all others. Each bird is good in its own way. As for the color, it can be very diverse. There are birds with porcelain and striped feathers.Black and silver and black and white colors look interesting. With a black and white color, the feathers on the tail, chest and belly are painted black, the back is white. The bright red comb and earlobes blend harmoniously into this color scheme.
Productivity indicators
Meat productivity rarely exceeds 500 g. As for egg production, it rarely exceeds 70 eggs per year. At the same time, the weight of an egg is only 28 g. This indicator differs from the average weight of a chicken egg by almost 2 times.
It is worth noting that shabo chickens have a well-developed maternal instinct.
Kyrgyz gray chickens
The Kyrgyz gray breed of chickens is versatile. It was received by zootechnicians by crossing eggs and meat birds. A feature of the exterior is the conical shape of the body. The chickens of the Kyrgyz gray breed have a large physique. Small wings are tightly pressed to the body, the back is long, the belly is rounded, and the head is small with a red leaf-shaped crest.
Due to the colorful plumage of the Kyrgyz gray chickens, it is difficult to confuse with any other breed. The plumage contains white and brown. As a result, a "pockmarked" outfit is obtained, which makes the gray hen look like the heroine of the "pockmarked hen" fairy tale. In the plumage of roosters, brown may also be present.
Chickens of the Kyrgyz gray breed are easy to care for and maintain. Birds adapt to almost any climatic conditions. They have a calm disposition, which simplifies the content.
Productivity indicators
Indicators of meat productivity of chickens and roosters differ significantly. With proper care, males gain up to 3.5 kg. The weight of chickens is 1 kg less. Chickens begin to rush at the age of six months. Egg production is 170 eggs, the weight of which is 60 g. The eggshell is light brown.
Roosters gain weight better
It is worth noting that almost all eggs produce viable chickens, and chickens are good hens. At the age of 2 months, a chicken can weigh on the order of a kilogram. But such results can only be achieved with good nutrition.
Orpington
The homeland of these birds is England. This English breed belongs to the versatile group. But when breeding the breed, zootechnicians sought not only to obtain poultry with high productivity rates, but also to improve the quality of meat and the presentation of the carcass. During the selection, experts tried to ensure that the representatives of the breed had a white skin color. White carcasses on the shelves, in their opinion, look much more attractive. The task was partially completed.
The English Orpington breed does not belong to giant breeds, but it is striking in its size. The body is shaped like a cube. Roosters have a small head decorated with a medium-sized comb. The neck has a graceful curve and smoothly merges into a powerful chest. The muscles are well developed on the broad and long back. Chickens look like a rooster. The only difference is the size. Layers are more graceful.
The Orpington breed attracts with a variety of colors. There are classic black and white chickens. You can also find golden, fawn, red, marble, partridge, chintz and blue birds. The last 4 colors are especially attractive.
Productivity indicators
The average weight of an adult rooster is 4.5 kg. Often, males gain up to 5 kg of live weight. Laying hens, which lay up to 180 eggs per year, weigh 3.5-4 kg. The weight of each laid egg varies between 58-62 g. The eggs have a strong, brown-yellow colored shell.
Orpingtons have several disadvantages. They gain weight very slowly and have a good appetite. Therefore, it will take a lot of time and money to grow chickens of the English breed.
Adler silver
Chickens of the Adler silver breed are very popular in Russia. Such a chicken is also popularly called a silverfish.This is due to the fact that they adapt well to cold climates. It is also worth noting that birds quickly adapt to any climatic conditions. Feathered are of the combined type.
As for the exterior, the Adler chickens are proportionally folded. They have an average build, a small tail and the same wings, a straight neck. Legs of medium length are located close to each other. On a small head there are copper-colored eyes. The plumage is short and dense. Almost all bird feathers are white. And only at the end of the tail and neck is black plumage present. This color is called Colombian by zootechnicians.
The main advantage of the breed, in addition to high productivity, is early maturity.
Productivity indicators
The weight of an adult rooster is 4 kg. Females weigh 1.5 kg less. Egg production is 180 eggs per year. The weight of each egg is 60-65 g. When breeding the breed, zootechnicians have achieved an increase in the period of egg production. Adler birds, with proper care, lay eggs for 4 years.
Representatives of the Adler Silver breed can be mated with other breeds. This usually gives good results. Zootechnicians also say that with a certain diet, the breed can be considered as a meat breed.
Milfler
Milfler is a popular decorative breed. Beautiful birds of miniature size, on the legs of which there is plumage, have a bright color. It is also worth noting that the representatives of the breed are unpretentious in care and hardy.
The small body is covered with a dense and dense feather. The short and wide neck is beautifully arched, the short back ends with a long tail. The medium-sized ridge blends harmoniously with the overall exterior. The color can be very diverse. The most common millefleurs are porcelain, tricolor, white and black and white. Particularly noteworthy is the blue speckled color. It looks impressive and unusual. The legs are decorated with long feathers.
Not only females but also roosters take care of the offspring. This is not the case for most breeds. Milfleur chickens are excellent brooders. They sit not only on chicken, but also on quail eggs. It is also interesting to observe the relationship between hens and roosters. The male will not allow himself to peck the food first. He will definitely give way to the lady. You can keep milfleurs in a small poultry house. The dwarf breed is ideal for breeding and keeping in your own home, especially if it is not possible to equip a spacious poultry house.
Productivity indicators
Meat productivity is, on average, 0.7 kg. Egg productivity is 110 eggs, the weight of which does not exceed 0.3 kg. These characteristics are low. Accordingly, Milfleurs should be considered exclusively as an ornamental breed.
In Russia, only private farmers are engaged in breeding this breed. Therefore, it is difficult to acquire hatching eggs or chickens.
Kulangi
Kulangi is a fighting breed of chickens, originally from Central Asia. It cannot be said that it is the best, but it definitely belongs to the most popular in the modern world. The birds are unpretentious in terms of keeping conditions and food, they have endurance and a bad character. But for fighting chickens, bad temper is a virtue, not a disadvantage.
The main exterior characteristic of the fighting breed of chickens is the unusual rise of the body. The kulanga has a well-developed skeleton, the long back ends with a small tail. This is a tall rooster. It is also worth noting that the representatives of the breed have massive hips. The kulanga feather can be painted salmon or black. Salmon birds are especially good. This variety has a delicate color, which gives the bird nobility.
In general, these birds are unpretentious. But they must be constantly in motion.Therefore, the poultry farmer must make sure that the kulanga has an open-air cage of the appropriate size. The bird is very cocky. It is advisable to keep fighting cocks separately. If they are kept together, then fights in the poultry yard will occur constantly.
Productivity indicators
Meat productivity largely depends on nutrition and conditions of detention. The average weight of an adult rooster is 5.5 kg. With good nutrition and an appropriate gene pool, the rooster gains up to 7 kg. The maximum chicken weight is 4kg. For a year, the laying hen produces about 110 eggs weighing 60 g.
Eggs can be used for incubation. Viable chicks are obtained from 70% of the eggs. The hatchability reaches 85%.
White leghorn
These white birds are native to the United States. It is widespread both abroad and in Russia. Today, poultry farmers in many countries (Japan, Germany, USA) are engaged in improving the breed. The birds have a triangular body format. The orientation of the breed is egg.
These white chickens look compact on the outside. The rounded chest protrudes slightly forward, the back line is straight, the wings are pressed to the body. White plumage is dense, roosters have a mane. The feet are colored yellow. Chickens and roosters boast a fairly large scallop. But in chickens, it hangs on its side.
Despite the name of the breed, not only white birds are found. There are partridge, black and white, striped, red and white, silver and blue birds. But white is the most common color.
Productivity indicators
Birds need good nutrition
The weight of an adult rooster varies between 2-2.5 kg, chicken - 1.3-1.8 kg. For a year, one laying hen gives about 250 eggs weighing 58-62 g. To achieve such egg production, you need to provide the birds with good nutrition.
Also noteworthy are chickens of the Kakhetian breed, golden belvedere, azil, silk lavender (among poultry farmers it is considered the standard of beauty), Gergebil, repak, oravka (mountain hen from Slovakia), five-fingered chickens with a faverol beard, Kuchino jubilee, smoky legbar chickens, birds of the French Bress Gallic breed, Russian crested chickens, highsex white, redbro (popularly called retro). But it will take a very long time to consider all breeds.
Bird selection
First of all, you need to choose a breed. For a small personal subsidiary farm, any birds are suitable. If the purpose of breeding is to obtain meat and eggs for home use, then it makes sense to give preference to universal breeds. Some semi-broilers have high levels of both beef and egg production. Broiler (broiler) breeds are also very popular. It is worth paying attention to fast-growing chickens, which are profitable to keep in households, since it takes less time and less feed to feed.
If you want to decorate the farm, then it makes sense to consider a catalog of chicken breeds with a photo. It is difficult to acquire decorative chicks in our country. Only a few domestic breeders are engaged in breeding dwarf varieties. Ornamental chickens with average productivity are more popular among breeders. These are various tailless and forelocked breeds, bearded chickens and birds with a bare neck or sideburns. You should also pay attention to the shaggy birds. But remember that rare breed chicks are expensive.
When buying online, ask the breeder to send a video of the selected chicken breed. By the behavior of the chicks, one can partially judge the state of their health. There are many companies offering hatching eggs and chicks in the online directory. Read the reviews of each company, watch the video showing poultry houses and aviaries. Give preference to proven online stores (hills, for example). Don't be guided by a metric like the best price. They will ask for chicks with a good gene pool exactly as much as it costs.And the best price is given for weak offspring. There are exceptions, though.
Important points
Give preference to birds adapted to Russian climatic conditions (Ukrainian ushanka, Italian partridge, Kuchin jubilee, English Orpington breed). American and German poultry farmers have achieved good results. If we talk about domestic breeds, then Vladimir poultry farmers have achieved good results. Russian crested chickens are resistant to cold climates. They can be bred even in Siberia. It also makes sense to pay attention to the breeds that are cultivated in Belarus. The climate there is similar to that of Russia.
When breeding at home, choose birds that are unpretentious in care and food. It is easier and cheaper to breed them. They also need to be productive. An excellent option for home breeding is Master Gray (some people mistakenly attribute the name Mr. Gray to them).
Before starting to breed birds, we equip the poultry house and aviary. If there is not enough free space, small birds should be bred. Feathered need not only to have, but also to provide them with proper care. Small chickens are kept separately from adults. They need to be constantly watched. At the slightest discomfort, you should show the little birds to the veterinarian.
Any village outbred birds can be improved. To do this, when crossing, you need to use purebred birds with a good gene pool and without defects.
Conclusion
We reviewed the best chicken breeds that are popular with both farmers and amateur poultry breeders. But when choosing birds for breeding, do not forget that zootechnicians are constantly working on breeding new breeds of chickens. Therefore, one should not ignore the breeds of chickens that have appeared on the market recently and have not yet gained popularity.
There is no answer to the question of which breeds of chickens it is better to start breeding. It all depends on what purpose you are pursuing. Experts recommend that beginner poultry farmers pay attention to domestic breeds that are adapted to the climatic conditions of Russia. If you need only layers or only roosters, then you should pay attention to autosex breeds. Their feature is that already at the age of one month, the sex of the chicks can be determined.
The purchase should be made on a public or private farm. When buying on the Internet, you will have the opportunity to get acquainted only with the photo and text description, view the Internet catalog. In addition, there is no guarantee that you are being offered thoroughbred chickens.
And finally, I would like to say that in the legends you can find a description of birds that have some similarities with chickens (rukh, alkonost, sirin). After reviewing the photographs of these mythical breeds, you can see the similarities with the decorative species of birds.