Pedigree chickens: photo, breeding

The first birds that a man could tame were chickens. It happened more than eight thousand years ago. The reason was the marriage fights of cocky cocks. The productivity of wild birds was very small, the main purpose of domestication was cockfighting. Pedigree chickens with good productivity appeared much later.

The notion of breed and cross

A distinctive feature of birds - high variability - gave impetus to the removal of chickens with a narrow direction of productivity. Currently, there are more than 700 varieties in the world. In addition to rocks, there is a huge number of crosses. These individuals do not fit this definition - thoroughbred. Breeds of chickens are numerous groups of birds that inherit economic and useful qualities. From the eggs of chicken leggings hatchlings of the Leygorn breed will hatch, and no other.

Crosses include hybrids obtained as a result of crossing birds of different breeds. Crosses can be complex, with the participation of 3-4 breeds. Individuals are derived for specific tasks. They are deprived of the instinct of incubation, they are not like their parents. Receiving from them offspring is unprofitable, because "children" will not have the qualities of their parents.

The hybrid bird outperforms the productivity and viability of purebred parents. Hybridization allows in a short time to significantly increase the volume of production. However, it must be taken into account that without the original thoroughbred chickens of high quality, it is impossible to achieve the effect of heterosis in the lines obtained.

Chickens of thoroughbred hens fully inherit the qualities inherent in the original breed. Appearance, level of productivity, color of plumage, character, adaptability to conditions of the maintenance are inherited. This purebred breeding.

Breeding

When choosing a breed, the target for which the bird is acquired is guided. To get a quick seasonal result (summer period), it's best to have cross chicks. For spring-summer-autumn they will grow, give eggs and "ripen" for slaughtering meat. With year-round maintenance of birds preference is given to breeding hens. High economic returns and the opportunity to update the parent herd will provide a small household with fresh dietary products on a regular basis.

Breeding thoroughbred chickens includes several important points:

• Formation of the parent herd. Having determined the breed with which you plan to work, you should think about purchasing a bird. It is better to take adult specimens from proven breeders, chickens will immediately be carried. Ten to twelve hens are enough for one cock.
• The organization of a forage reserve. Proper nutrition is one of the main factors in obtaining food. It is necessary to provide in the diet grain, food additives, green mass, if possible - grazing.
• Selection of eggs for incubation. To obtain a viable offspring, eggs with damaged, fragile or uneven shells are not suitable. Two yolks, the wrong shape of the egg is also the reason for the culling. Each layer is given at least once a year to sit the masonry. Eggs are selected from the most productive layers.
• Selection of repair young animals. The peak of egg production in chickens occurs in the second year of life. To maintain production at the proper level, periodic updating of the herd is required. Young animals are selected healthy, mobile, corresponding to pedigree signs.
• Creation of comfortable living conditions. Chickens need to fulfill their task of producing products, and not fight for survival. Providing the population with a warm hen house, clean nests, a spacious enclosure, balanced nutrition is the main task of the poultry farmer.

Content

Purebred laying hen hens do not require specific conditions for maintenance. All as for ordinary domestic birds:

• A chicken coop (if necessary - with heating), equipped with nests and clean nests;
• Fenced territory for walking, preferably with grassy cover;
• Permanent free access to clean water;
• Balanced two meals a day.

Decorative rocks also do not require special conditions for their content. Only some breeds (for example, phoenix - due to a very long tail) need more careful care.

Classification

The continued work of breeders and the ability of the bird to change led to amazing results. Today you can see an amazing variety of rocks from small, weighing only 300 grams (Malaysian Serama) to huge 7-kilogram individuals (Jersey giant). The color of feathers, their structure, length, shape and size of the crest, body structure, meat yield, egg production, length of legs, etc. - all these features distinguish rocks from each other.

Pedigree chickens (photos in the text) are classified by several indicators. The main direction is productivity:

• Egg;
• Meat meat;
• Meat;
• Fighting;
• Decorative;
• Voiced (relatively new category of rocks).

Eggs

This group appeared somewhat later than the others, since in the conditions of primitive farming the content of a highly specialized poultry was inexpedient. Characteristic features of egg breeds are:

• A small body weight - about 2.5 kg;
• The physique resembles wild chickens;
• Early maturity;
• A weak instinct of incubation;
• Plumage dense;
• The shell is white;
• The skeleton is light;
• Egg production - 200-300 eggs per year;
• The weight of chickens at birth is 30-35 grams;
• The crest is well developed, usually leaf-shaped, erect, has up to 7 teeth.

It is difficult to fatten, they do not gain weight, are very mobile, the yield of muscle mass at the face is small. The young chickens begin to swing at the age of 125 days. The first demolished eggs of thoroughbred hens weigh in the range of 50 g, to the age of 12 months already up to 65 grams. Yaytsenoskoost ranges from 200-250 pieces, the best breeding farms achieve indicators of 220-250 eggs, and a record - 365 pieces per year. Industrial egg production involves the maintenance of the bird for 17-18 months. Especially valuable thoroughbred chickens, roosters are kept for up to 3 years.

Yaytsenoskost - the main indicator of the productivity of egg breeds. It depends on a number of factors: the environment, feeding, living conditions, hereditary qualities. The coefficient of heritability is 20-25%.

The most famous breeds are Leygorne, Andalusian blue, Loman Brown, Haysek White, Haysek Brown, Minorca, Italian Kurortapataya, Hamburg, Russian white.

Meat

Meat thoroughbred chickens are characterized by low mobility, large body weight, phlegmatic behavior. Characteristic features:

• Body weight up to 7 kg;
• Body structure is disproportionate with a broad chest, compact, set horizontally;
• Plumage loose;
• To sweep begin in 180-210 days;
• Egg production up to 150 pieces;
• Egg weight - up to 70 g;
• The instinct of incubation is well developed.

Young animals are perfectly fattened, feed costs per 1 kg of growth are on average 1.59-1.75 kg. Crosses based on meat parent breeds are able to gain weight up to 2.5 kg by 1.5 months. Most industrial poultry farms specializing in meat production grow a hybrid bird. The content of poultry in conditions close to natural improves the taste of meat.

Common meat breeds: white cornish, brahma, sussek, favelol, white plymutrok, cochinhin, langash.

Meat

This group of rocks is most widespread because of its universality - a good egg-laying is combined with a decent body weight. Obtained by crossing egg and meat breeds, with further breeding "in itself." Signs of the breed:

• Body weight up to 4 kg;
• Egg production up to 200 pieces;
• Weight of eggs - 55-70 grams;
• The color of the shell from pale to brown;
• The instinct of incubation is expressed;
• They are born in winter and better tolerate colds than eggs;
• The first laying in 150-180 days;
• High taste of meat.

Popular breeds include: Australopa, Moscow white, Orpington, New Hampshire, Kuchin jubilee, Rod-Ayland.

Decorative

Decorative birds are a real ornament of the farmstead. A small size, unique coloring features or quality of plumage - all this is the tendency of chickens to mutations. She led to a separate direction of breeding birds. Decorative rocks have their "ancestors" among ordinary economic breeds, often being their reduced copies (cochinchin dwarfish).

Decorative individuals do not bring much eggs and meat. Their main purpose is to please the owner with appearance. In many countries such chickens are kept as pets. Between them, exhibitions and fairs are held and the most beautiful representatives of the breeds are determined. However, in addition to beauty, you can get eggs from them, and a carcass weighing up to 2 kg is quite suitable for a home table.

The most famous: the dandy dwarf, curly, silk, Paduan, Dutch black white-fleecy, bentamka, sibright.

Fighting

Fighting thoroughbred chickens represent the oldest group. "Professional" features of the use of roosters (in battles involved only males) reflected on their appearance:

• Legs strong, long;
• Almost vertical high body position (individual individuals reach 90 cm);
• Wide set of legs;
• Light bones;
• Temper living, snooty;
• The beak is strong;
• Developed musculature;
• Exceptional endurance;
• Powerful spurs.

It is useless to fatten the representatives of fighters' breeds for meat, too lively and mobile character will not allow us to "work up" meat. Eggplant is low - usually one egg per week. In addition to direct destination - fighting (this is more the case in Asian countries) - they are grown as decorative birds.

Popular fighting breeds: Kulangi, Malay, Indian Blue and Black, Fighting English, Azil, Moscow Fighting.

Golosistye

Golosistye isolated in a separate group most recently. So far, it is represented by one breed - the Yurlov voters. These thoroughbred chickens have a beautiful egg lay, up to 160 eggs, weighing 90 g, the shell is strong, brown. Petushki reach 4.5 kg, chicken - 4 kg, excellent taste of meat. The universal breed (previously it was referred to the meat group) is popular with poultry lovers. They are valued not only for economic and useful qualities, but also for the beautiful voiced cock-song singing.

Selection

In the history of mankind, almost 1,000 breeds were bred, more than in any other livestock sector. Unfortunately, 32 of them are lost forever, another 286 - on the verge of extinction. Among the modern breeds there are common, with a multimillion-headed livestock (rod-island, New Hampshire), there are unique ones, numbering only 15,000 heads (Chinese silk chickens).

Breeders of thoroughbred chickens protect and increase a variety of breeds. Birds are in demand as a source of dietary products, a "subject" of collecting, a hobby, pets (small breeds are kept in apartments).