Breeds of laying hens for backyard
Chickens are the most popular type of poultry on the farm of modern inhabitants of villages and summer cottages. At the same time, laying hens prevail in poultry houses and on free grazing, egg-oriented breeds willingly supply seven fresh eggs, and young animals can be fattened for meat.
Novice poultry farmers always face a choice of which chickens to start on the farm. According to statistics, most often the preference is on the side of egg and meat breeds. Such birds are different:
- unpretentiousness;
- more resistant to infections than broilers;
- adaptability to free range;
- independence in obtaining food on the site;
- high and stable egg production.
Although the meat productivity of these chickens cannot be called outstanding, poultry with a live weight of 2.5–3 kg is quite suitable for home consumption. In addition, birds with light or medium bones are ready to lay at the age of 126–130 days, and after a while they can bring fertilized eggs and sit on the nest. Whatever the breed, from a laying hen of the egg direction, at least 250 eggs are obtained per year. Such performance can never be achieved with larger ones, growing up to 5 kg of live weight, but giving half the eggs to meat chickens.
To achieve a compromise option, breeders have bred meat breeds of chickens, which are only slightly inferior in egg production. But at the same time they can weigh one and a half times of light "professional" layers. Meat chickens are calm, hardy, they are good hens and are grown without hassle in chicken coops and pastures. However, only a poultry breeder can choose which laying hens are better, and which breed of young animals to acquire. For this, it is useful to study the characteristics of different breeds of laying hens and compare them with each other.
Chickens Leghorn white
Among the breeds of laying hens exclusively of the egg direction, the most famous and widespread is White Leghorn. Movable, actively feeding and early maturing chickens have been familiar to poultry breeders all over the world for many decades, as record holders for early egg production. The first white eggs weighing up to 62 grams are produced by birds at 4–5 months. At the same time, the number of eggs in the best representatives of the breed reaches 250 pieces. The weight of an adult bird, when compared with meat varieties, is quite small - only 1.5–2.5 kg. But with due feeding the young you can get excellent quality meat.
For small farms, dwarf Leghorns are ideal, also with an egg specialization. The weight of these chickens does not exceed 1.7 kg, with the same egg production as that of a large bird.
Dutch laying hens Hisex Brown and Hisex White
Today, this breed of chickens has become the starting point for obtaining many highly productive varieties of egg and meat production. An example is the cross Hisex brown and white. Highly productive Dutch laying hens cannot compete with meat poultry in body weight, but from four months they actively lay, bringing large 65-gram eggs. Chickens provide a record production volume of 300 eggs per year.Productivity does not drop for 2-3 years.
Layers of breed Loman Brown
The Lohman Brown cross, obtained by German breeders on the basis of representatives of the Plymouthrock and Rhode Island breed, belongs to the egg variety. Layers Loman Brown, according to the name, are brown in color and calm, convenient for keeping in a private courtyard. These birds are not shy, hardy and highly productive.
In addition to these advantages, one cannot but mention the economy of keeping chickens of this breed. They consume enough feed, but from 5.5 months they are ready to rush. On average, the egg weighs 62–64 grams and has a strong light brown shell typical of these red laying hens. Up to 320 eggs can be obtained from a female per year, which also has a positive effect on the choice of the breed of layers.
Rhode Island Chickens
The ancestors of Loman Brown laying hens - Rhode Island chickens were bred in the United States by merging several successful breed lines to produce a strong meaty bird. These red laying hens and roosters with beautiful black and green tails, powerful legs, small wings and yellow beaks attract the attention of homeowners not only with an excellent egg, but also with the weight of meat carcasses.
The body weight of an adult rooster reaches 3.8 kg, and chickens are lighter per kilogram. The bird begins to fly at seven months, and in a year it can bring up to two hundred eggs.
Chickens breed Russian White
For many poultry farmers, the origin of the bird is the decisive factor in the choice of breed of layers. This approach makes sense, since local breeds are always better adapted to living conditions, accustomed to the feed used and the climate. Bred in the middle of the last century, the breed of the egg direction Russian White is the descendants of White Leghorns and local birds, which became larger and more productive in the process of selection.
At five months, the laying hens of this breed of hens give the first white eggs weighing up to 58 grams. More than 200 eggs can be obtained from one individual annually.
Moreover, the rate of egg production does not drop even in unfavorable conditions, for example, during long periods of heat or with a lack of nutrition.
Breed of chickens Adler silver
Adler silver laying hens are beautiful strong domestic breeding birds, obtained in the Krasnodar Territory. Meat-and-meat chickens combine the features of many famous breeds, chosen by breeders as the ancestors of birds of unusual color.
The birds of this breed are characterized by a strong skeleton, which speaks of good weight gain, an agreeable character and enviable endurance. Silver laying hens will not leave the owners without eggs, and the young stock fed for fattening will provide excellent dietary meat.
Breed of chickens Kotlyarevskaya
Another hardy breed of Caucasian origin intended for obtaining eggs and meat is the Kotlyarevskaya laying hens. Chickens are capable of producing up to 240 eggs per year, and with good care and feeding, egg production does not drop for several years. The shells of eggs weighing up to 63 grams have an attractive creamy brown color. Chickens are early maturing, rather large. They are not only diligent layers, but also good hens, which also influences the choice of the best breed of laying hens for the house.
Breed of chickens Zagorsk salmon
The masters of breeding near Moscow got an interesting breed of laying hens for owners of backyards. These are Zagorsk salmon chickens, so named due to the light, beautiful shade of meat of good taste. The weight of a rooster of this variety reaches 3.6 kg, and chickens can weigh up to 2.7 kg.
Novice poultry farmers may be attracted by the fact that males and females here already differ from each other from day old. And by the time of growing up, when the color is completely formed, you certainly cannot confuse roosters and chickens.
Quite large layers give the owner up to 260 eggs weighing about 60 grams per year.
Breed of chickens Pushkin striped-motley
The Pushkin striped-motley hen can produce up to 270 eggs in a calendar year, while the female weighs about 2 kg, and the roosters grow up to 2.5 kg. With such interesting production characteristics, one cannot fail to note the external data of the bird. Roosters and chickens are very attractive. On a white background of plumage, black and brown spots of varying intensity are clearly visible. The legs are light, the beak is strongly bent, the combs and barbs are bright red.
For the farmstead, this breed of laying hens is good because it cannot fly and does not require the erection of serious fences.
From an early age chickens They are distinguished by their endurance, they easily get used to walking content, they themselves willingly and successfully look for food. In addition, poultry meat has a great look and taste.
Chickens breed Kuchinskaya jubilee
The best qualities of egg and meat breeds in one are the chickens of the Kuchinsky Jubilee breed. Unpretentious in terms of keeping conditions, rather early maturing and very beautiful birds are ready to give the owner up to 180 eggs per year. At the same time, one should not forget about meat productivity. The weight of a rooster reaches 3.7 kg, chickens are lighter per kilogram than males.
Dominant chickens
Old, well-established breeds are not diminishing in popularity both on large farms and in private farmsteads where only a few birds are kept. And yet life goes on, so breeders tirelessly offer all new crosses and breeds.
One of these new products is Dominant laying hens. They are highly productive crosses of egg and meat-and-meat orientation, obtained from the best representatives of the chicken world.
Thanks to the skillful combination of blood, breeders manage to obtain healthy strong livestock with the dominant traits of their ancestors, that is, with high egg production and excellent meat productivity. At the same time, laying hens are not capricious, flexible and easily adapt to different conditions of detention.