Chicken mini-meat: description of the breed, breeding and content

To date, virtually every rural resident contains not only farm animals, but also poultry. To create a small farm, mini-meat chickens are the best suited, the content and breeding of which is associated with minimal costs. After reading this article, you will learn about the main features of this bird.

A Brief History of Origin

Mini-meat breed of chickens was bred in the territory of Russia. Employees of the Zagorsk Poultry Institute were engaged in selection works. For those who do not know, we will clarify that he is in the Moscow region. The new breed quickly gained popularity among domestic farmers, and today it is cultivated in many European countries. On the territory of countries such as England and France, mini-meat chickens, whose breeding has taken on an industrial scale, almost completely replaced the number of ordinary breeds. Such popularity is explained not only by good fleshiness, but also by excellent egg production.

Main features of the breed

Most modern farmers have already seen that the mini-meat chicken is economically profitable. It is unpretentious to the conditions of detention and does not require a large number of feeds. On average, about 130 grams of fodder a day leave for one individual.

In appearance these chickens resemble ordinary, but with shorter legs. These birds are characterized by a fine egg-laying, they have tasty meat. By analogy with other rocks, they have a small leaf-like crest. Mini-meat breed of chickens has a well developed body, covered with dense feathers.

Advantages and disadvantages

These unpretentious birds grow fast enough. They are indiscriminate in food, and they can be kept in cages and enclosures. The mini-meat chicken carries relatively large eggs. This quiet bird does not have the habit of digging in the ground, which is very important for farmers practicing the livestock population. Therefore, such chickens are reasonably considered to be universal.

Despite all the above advantages, these birds also have several significant drawbacks. So, a short-cut mini-meat chicken in rainy weather clings belly to the damp ground. Therefore, in order to avoid the development of various diseases in such weather, it is better not to let the bird go for a walk. In addition, the lack of properly balanced feed can cause problems with paws. This is especially true for chickens. When planning a henhouse, it is necessary to separate the hens of different colors. They can not be crossed among themselves.

What to look for when buying a hatching egg of mini-meat chicken?

It is advisable to acquire an egg from a mature, well-developed laying hen, who has not reached the age of three. Roosters and chickens should treat the same breed, but not be related to blood. Of great importance is the appearance of the egg itself. It should have a smooth shell, on which there are no rough spots, bluish points, cracks and faults.

When choosing a farm specializing in the implementation of hatching eggs, it is recommended that you carefully read the reviews of other buyers. It is advisable to deal with those farms that are located near your farm. Vibration and temperature fluctuations arising during the transportation of eggs significantly reduce the chances of obtaining chicks.

Features of breeding

It should be understood that in the presence of appropriate conditions, the survival rate of mini-meat chicks will be quite high. After the appearance of the chicks in the room in which they are kept, it is necessary to maintain a certain temperature. The thermometer should not fall below 35 degrees. In each subsequent week of life of chickens, the temperature in the poultry house should be reduced by a couple of degrees. With proper maintenance and care, the survival rate of the young is 100%.

Subtlety of content

Those who have firmly decided that the content of mini-meat chickens should become a matter of their entire life should be carefully prepared. Before buying birds you need to equip a warm coop. If necessary, its walls can be sewed with a special insulation. In the poultry house there should be no hints of drafts.

Inside the chicken coop there must be cleanliness. It is the guarantee of good health of the bird stock. Regular cleaning will be the best prevention of various parasitic and infectious diseases. Every six months, it is necessary to carry out a complete cleaning of the room, during which the cells containing the bird are recommended to be boiled and rubbed with soap. In addition, disinfection with a solution of lysol will not interfere.

The floor of the room, in which the chicken is mini-meat, should be covered with a litter that absorbs excess moisture. As a similar litter, you can recommend sawdust or straw.

How to feed such chickens?

The diet of these birds is not much different from the menu of ordinary village layers. Ideally, mini-meat chickens need to be fed with special mixed fodders, developed taking into account the characteristics of this breed. In the diet of a four-week-old young, you can enter a grain mixture with the addition of meat- and -bone meal and a crushed egg shell. Nestlings can be fed with cottage cheese, yogurt, dandelions and chopped greens.

Chickens, which are released for a walk, are independently found in the land of larvae. Periodically, the diet of birds can be supplemented with fish meal or chalk. In the warm season, the one-night feeding, consisting of a mixture of cereals and food waste, is enough for the birds that are on the vagina. Do not forget about drinking water. They should always have clean drinking water.

What is the productivity of mini-meat chicken?

Despite the miniature size, these birds are quite weighty. So, the average weight of one such chicken is about 2.7 kg, the cock - about 3 kg. The excellent taste of meat is due to the presence of a uniformly distributed fat layer between the muscles. This is what makes mini-chicken meat particularly delicate and unusually tasty. Regardless of the type of cooking, it will still be juicy.

The egg variety of such chickens reaches 170 pieces per year. The average weight of one egg covered with a strong brown shell is about 60 grams.

Popular varieties

One of the most common species of the breed is the bird P11. These miniature, but quite active and economically profitable chickens with red feathers are distinguished by strong health and high egg-laying. They are calm, noiseless and perfectly get along with each other, so they can be safely kept in cages. One hen consumes about 120 grams of food per day. Sexual maturity of these individuals reach to 24-week-old age. The egg-laying lasts up to 64 weeks. On average, one hen can remove about 170 eggs a year. This breed does not have a developed instinct of incubation, so an incubator will have to be used to replenish the livestock.

The next popular species is a reduced copy of the white Leggorna, known as B33. These birds have a powerful yellow beak and a small rounded head decorated with a leaf-shaped crest. They are ideal for farmers who plan to receive a basic income from the sale of eggs. These white, fast-growing chickens perfectly assimilate useful substances from feeds. They can be equally well maintained in cages, and in a traditional hen house. They have such a calm character that several cocks get along well in one room.

Those who plan to receive tender bird meat and eggs with minimal financial investments, we can recommend paying special attention to such a variety as white mini-meat chickens. These birds perfectly adapt to virtually all conditions of detention and do not require much space for walking. In laying hens the instinct of incubation is practically not developed, therefore it is necessary to deduce chickens in an incubator. Particular attention should be given to the feeding of these hens, because they have a so-called dwarfism gene, which affects the metabolic processes. Their diet should be well balanced. Absence or excess of one of the necessary components often cause the disease of chickens. In addition, improper feeding contributes to a decrease in the laying of laying hens. On average, for a year, this chicken gives about 250 eggs. In the first months they may be somewhat shallow, but eventually everything stabilizes.