Characteristics of Rhodonite chickens
If you decide to replenish your farm or, on the contrary, start a business, you need to choose the right breed of chickens so that it rushes under any conditions, because for any person the main thing is productivity and quality. For small farms or their own farms, Rhodonite chickens are perfect. It is this species that is considered the most borne among the different breeds of chickens.
Chickens Rhodonite
How did this species appear?
It is believed that the Rhodonite chickens went from the cross Lohman Brown, it was this variety that became the foundation of the genetics of Rhodonite chickens. The process of creation and selection took place in Germany, at that time 2 types of chickens of the Rhodonite breed were bred.
It was in 2002 that Rhodonite chickens entered the Russian Federation. Then experts from Sverdlovsk bred the third type of chickens of the described breed. The variety of Sverdlovsk origin has slightly different qualities, which only improved the appearance itself.
The Rhodonite breed of chickens is more productive than the other two stamps (species) of chickens. But there is one "but": after 18 months, the chicken stops laying many eggs and, as a result, the number decreases sharply. With what this is connected, no one can give an explanation.
General description of the species
The Rhodonite breed outwardly practically does not differ from its ancestors, the Loman breed. Interesting fact: several Rhodonite chicks from the brood will be very similar to the species Rhode Island... The characteristic of Rhodonite chickens has the following features:
- small head;
- the beak is yellow, and the peculiarity is that an orange stripe passes in the middle of the beak;
- large ridge leaf-shaped;
- perfectly structured and developed earrings, mostly red;
- feathers, usually brown or light brown, fit perfectly to the body and do not pout;
- tail and wings are gray.
Laying hens of the Rhodonite breed have a light and simple body structure. In general, hens of this species are small and can weigh a maximum of 2 kg, while males weigh about 3 kg.
Where is the girl, and where is the boy of the Rhodonite breed, you can understand already on the second day of the life of the pets. A photo and description can be easily found on the Internet, it will help to make sure that the representatives of the breed have distinctive features by which you can distinguish females from males... For example, circles in the area of the eyes: in girls they are light, and in boys they are darker, closer to a brown shade. Boys 'down is yellow, and a brown spot can be seen on the head, while girls' down is brown, and the head and back are light. The color resembles baked milk.
Layers of the Rhodonite breed are distinguished by high egg production. But besides this, they have other advantages.
- They very easily perceive changes in the environment, while this does not affect their productivity. It has been noticed that even at very low temperatures, they still carry a sufficient number of eggs.
- They have a good survival rate for small and adults.
- Pets are relatively unpretentious to food, the main thing is to remember that the guarantee of a quality product is 50% dependent on bird feeding.
- The winged rhodonite is well suited for breeding in the backyard.
Rhodonite chicken breed also has disadvantages. More precisely, it is only one. If you decide to start breeding chickens of this breed, then without incubator not to cope, because the hens themselves cannot hatch the eggs, and the incubation equipment is relatively inexpensive.
Evaluation of productivity
Chickens begin to lay 120 days after birth (at 4 months of age). For 12 months, one can lay somewhere around 300 eggs - this is a very high figure. The mass of one will be somewhere around 60-70 g. Eggs are usually white, but brown, however, are quite rare.
After 18 months, the egg production of Rhodonite hens sharply decreases. The chicken begins to lay a little. Usually in factories, this situation is solved with an injection, which contains a vaccine that prolongs and maintains laying hens.
Maintenance and care
Even despite the fact that chickens of this species are unpretentious, all the same, chickens, rooster and laying hens need their own conditions for living. Especially the laying hen, because it is she who needs a place in order to lay eggs. The rules are elementary, and it will not be difficult to adhere to them:
- there should be normal ventilation in the bird habitat, but there should be no drafts;
- the height of the building (barn) - not less than 1.8 m;
- the temperature regime is also important: values below -2 ° C and above 28 ° C are not allowed;
- room size: 21 chickens = 11 sq. m;
- the place for the roost must be located at a height of at least 1 m;
- certainly in barn there should be sand or ash;
- whitewashing perches, floor, etc. - the necessary prevention from diseases.
Feeding
The first week of a chick's life is very important. The main thing is that he gets enough vitamins and calcium. Birds should be fed with mixed and special feeds. For example, if a rooster has a comb of a bright saturated red color, it means that it has enough vitamins, if not, it may lack calcium.
Stir grated vegetables (zucchini, pumpkin, cabbage), fruits, herbs. If you cut the grass, weeds can also be added to the bird's diet. It's important not to forget about minerals. Also, for good egg production of birds, you can add broth from meat or fish. Wheat or cereals can be used as dry food. For laying hens, it is useful to give shells, chalk or egg shells.
Breeding
This species does not have such a maternal instinct at all. The female will not hatch eggs, so an incubator is needed for breeding. Veterinarians advise buying birds from the factory, as they give a quality guarantee and, upon request, can provide a certificate stating that the chickens are not sick with anything.
The presence of a rooster in the flock is not necessary, because the productivity of layers does not depend on this. According to many reviews of experienced farmers, they advise buying at least one so that he keeps the flock in order, the rooster can always protect the layers from danger. It will not be difficult to buy this type, the price will depend on who you want. If a chick is 14-35 rubles, an adult bird - 250-350 rubles.
Curious fact
Several years ago, farmers and veterinarians decided to conduct an experiment. The study consisted in the fact that several types of chickens were taken: Rhodonite, Brown and Wyatt... The main requirements for comparison were food intake, endurance, productivity and nutritional value of eggs.
In total, more than 1000 birds from these species participated in the experiment. According to the results, Rodovit lagged behind everyone by 0.3%. But after all, it is these birds that can fly at low temperatures, which becomes the main advantage. Everything points only to the positive aspects of this breed, in order to keep it at home. Although there are species in which the egg production is slightly higher, the described hens win with their simplicity in food, care and habitat.