Characteristics of the Zagorsk Salmon breed of chickens
Today there are many breeds of chickens with different characteristics. Each species is different. Some of the individuals were bred on the territory of the Russian Federation, but still the majority in other countries. There are 700 chicken breeds in total. Not all species can live on the territory of our country, but the Zagorsk Salmon breed of chickens is able to perfectly cope with even the most severe frost. Both the hen and the rooster have only positive reviews from farmers.
Zagorsk Salmon breed of chickens
History of appearance
The Zagorsk Salmon breed of chickens first appeared in VNITIP Sergiev Posad, then it was also called Zagorsk, and it is because of this that the first part of the breed's name appeared. It happened in 1950. Zagorsk Salmon have genes of many species. From their great-grandfathers, the Zagorsk Salmon Chickens received such positive traits as egg production, excellent endurance at any temperature, they are also absolutely unpretentious in food, and it is this characteristic that is sometimes decisive when choosing birds. It is these qualities that the Zagorsk Salmon breed is famous for, as it is very unpretentious in almost all conditions.
Zagorskaya Salmon is popular in our country, but in fact it is not as common among farmers as we would like. Despite the fact that the breed is unpretentious, it has its own characteristics.
Description of appearance
Birds of the Zagorsk Salmon breed have a semicircular chest, and their back is always straight and rather wide, even in females. The wings are strong and powerful, fit well and tightly to the body. The legs are high and strong, have absolutely no plumage, mostly yellow. Sometimes it happens that if a bird does not have enough vitamins or calcium, the legs may “shed” a little, change color to pale yellow.
The Zagorskaya Salmon breed has a roundish shape with a small head. The beak, like the legs, is bright yellow, slightly curved. Just like the legs, you can tell by the beak that the hen or chickens lack vitamins or calcium. The crest of an individual has a leaf-like shape, it is bright red, medium-sized, the chicken's earrings are reddish. You can see it in the photo on the Internet.
The Zagorsk beef broiler starts laying eggs very early, and, accordingly, the time of puberty comes early. For example, chickens of this species, already a couple of days after birth, can be distinguished by sex: girls have a pink speck or several stripes on their backs, and boys, in turn, are completely the same color (yellow), but a handsome Zagorsk rooster grows out of them.
Every day it becomes more and more clear who is male and who is female. In the chicken, the flight feathers become creamy-pinkish in color, and then darken to brown, in the male, the feathers are first light gray with spots of black, and then completely black. In addition, you can still distinguish them by the color of the chest and mane. So the cock of the Zagorsk salmon breed has a black back, in the chicken it is pink (salmon, from which the second name of the breed comes).The male's mane becomes silvery, while that of the females is brown. There is also one more difference - roosters have red plumage on their backs.
If you notice that strange spots begin to appear on the chicks on the chest, especially if they are light gray or brown, this is the first sign that indicates that this is not a pure breed. The fact is the same when the rooster's plumage begins to acquire a chintz color. It is better to see Zagorsk salmon chickens in the photo in order to know how to distinguish their young from other birds.
Overall productivity
The main purpose of this breed is meat and egg. On average, a female of this species weighs 2.1-2.9 kg, and a male over 3 kg. 1 chicken per year can lay from 190 to 235 eggs, and some farmers say that sometimes the number of eggs per year can exceed 265. The eggs are rather big, the weight of one is about 59-66 g (such indicators appear over time, the chicken needs get used to, adapt), at first the egg mass is no more than 43 g.
The shell is usually delicate cream in color or brown. The first time hens begin to lay at the age of 5 months. Especially many eggs can be obtained at the age of 7-8 months. Chicks, on the other hand, gain weight very quickly after hatching. Already at the age of three months, they can reach 2 kg, but their nutrition and weight must be strictly controlled, because birds of this breed are very prone to obesity. On the video on the Internet, you can find how you can do incubator do it yourself and how to lay an egg.
Positive and negative sides
Among the positive characteristics are the following:
- birds of this breed were specially created for the harsh weather conditions of our homeland, which is why the birds are very calm about any environment and food, but at the same time they are hardy, they have well-developed immunity from childhood;
- birds are not at all picky about food, but they should still receive calcium and vitamins regularly and in the right dosage;
- winged ones have very good and strong health, practically do not get sick, due to their strong immunity;
- chickens have a calm and very docile character, get along well with other types of chickens, but if aggressive actions are taken in their direction, they will always be able to stand up for themselves;
- In the described individuals, two instincts are unusually strong: maternal and helping to see.
It is also clear from the reviews that the broiler behaves very well if the living conditions are drastically changed. The negative sides are not so critical. Many people note the fact that birds can fly very high, above 2 m, because of this they need to be kept high aviary or build such that something will be closed from above (grid, etc.). Such a security measure is needed rather not because the chickens can escape and never return, but because they are very fond of "digging" the ground with their noses, and therefore are able to ruin the whole vegetable garden.
Chicken content
The Zagorsk meat broiler is a very unpretentious bird in keeping and eats almost everything you give it. But this does not mean at all that birds can be kept anyhow and fed with waste. If the goal is to have healthy chickens, and in the future chickens, then feeding and caring standards must be adhered to. The quality of the diet and the conditions of keeping individuals will determine how many eggs they will lay and what kind of meat they will taste.
Firstly, chickens need to be fed with fresh vegetables, apples can also be given, they contain the necessary vitamins for birds. They can also be given grains and cereals. If you give potatoes, then they should be peeled before that. On average, 5 potatoes are enough for 3 birds. Of course, we must not forget about vitamins, calcium and compound feed.
Chicken roosts it is optimal to do it at a height of no more than a meter, or rather 80 cm from the floor. The house should always have a drinker and a feeder so that they always have access to water and food.It is not necessary to maintain a high temperature in the chicken coop, but the temperature should not drop below 0 ° C. And we must not forget about the bedding of hay and sawdust. This type of chickens cannot be kept in a cage, the Zagorsk breed of chickens prefers space.
Breeding
If there is a great need, then the chicks can be multiplied using an incubator. It is best to always wait and lay all the eggs at once. In the first days in the incubator, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of 37.6 ° C, and in the next seven days - 37.0 ° C, after which another 3 days - 36.8 ° C. The temperature should not drop sharply, it should be lowered slowly.
If, on the contrary, the temperature is not lowered, there is a high probability that the chickens will be born dead or weak, and then they will die anyway. Chicks are born quite large and active. They have only one food: hard-boiled eggs, which are then crumbled.
As a result, it becomes clear that the Zagorskaya Salmon is a very good breed of unpretentious chickens that can withstand even the most severe frosts of our mother nature. They are also able to delight with fresh eggs all year round, so there is simply nowhere to put them. Description of Zagorskaya Lososeva is a great reason to get a couple of such handsome men.