Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

Amrox chickens are hardy, productive birds with a high survival rate. They are just a godsend for beginners in poultry farming. If you are going to start chickens of this breed, you should familiarize yourself with all their features in more detail.

History of origin

Amrox chickens are from America, they have common progenitors with Plymouth Rocks. The breed was selected in the 1945th century, and it was brought to Europe in XNUMX as humanitarian aid to the destroyed, post-war Germany. The Amroks coped with their task, providing the Germans with high-quality meat and eggs. Today this productive breed is popular in Europe, but surprisingly little used in the US.

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

Breeding in Germany continued, and in the 50s Amrox was brought into the standard. From that moment on, the breed began to actively spread in the private farms of farmers in Germany and other countries.

Breed description

The breed is medium-heavy, universal, for meat and egg purposes, with signs of a productive laying hen. Adult chickens weigh 2,5-3 kg, roosters – 3-4 kg. Chickens of a lively, mobile disposition, peaceful character. Coexist amicably with other breeds of birds. The elegant appearance of chickens has characteristic features.

  • A strong, large-sized body, which seems even larger due to the thick, voluminous plumage. A bird with a large, elongated body, developed chest, broad back and loins.
  • The color of the plumage is special, elegant, with alternating black and light gray stripes (cuckoo). Individual feathers have a black border around the edges. Purebred Amrox always have black feather tips. At the same time, chickens have dark stripes of a larger size than roosters. The color of feathers in chickens is more saturated.
  • The head is small and neat. The neck of chickens is somewhat more elegant than that of roosters.
  • The comb resembles the border of a tree leaf, it is large, standing straight, fleshy, has 5-6 teeth. The shape of the crest is arched, with a decrease towards the end. The back of the crest, following the occipital line, does not fit snugly against the head. Lobes and earrings are painted in the traditional red color, in roosters – a scarlet hue.
  • The eyes are large, brownish.
  • The legs are fleshy, bright yellow in color. The lower legs are pronounced, not long, with dense plumage. The fingers are yellow, symmetrically located. Light colored nails.
  • The breed is characterized by wide and bushy tails of medium length, complemented by crescent plumage.
  • Wings with a rich, dense feather of medium length, flight feathers of medium size.
  • On the head of the chickens there is a bright spot, almost the correct shape. In roosters, the spot is blurry or absent.

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

The body of chickens is wider and deeper, and the neck is thinner than that of roosters. The tail feathers protrude to a lesser extent over the plumage of the body. The beak is yellow, with narrow dark stripes. Metatarsus yellowish, may have a gray coating. In adult Amrox, the feathers are always slightly shaggy, giving them a solemnly warlike, funny and “fluffy” look.

As a result of selection, the dwarf amrox obtained already in Germany are similar in their characteristics to the large breed. In fact, this is a copy of the original breed. Although dwarfs belong to the category of bentams, they are also meat and egg-based, weighing up to 1,2 kg, and producing up to 140 eggs per year. Egg weight – 40 g.

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

Performance indicators

Amroks are early maturing chickens with good egg production and tasty meat. Other meat breeds are less precocious. A hen produces up to 220 eggs annually. The average egg weight is 60 g. In the second year, the productivity of amrox may decrease slightly – up to 200 eggs per year.

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

Advantages and disadvantages

Amroks are a good option for poultry farmers starting their business. They are distinguished by high adaptive capabilities, unpretentious nature, and the absence of special demands on nutrition. Chickens of this breed are usually in good health. The young fledge rather quickly, the feathered chick does not need additional heat from the brooder, and the poultry farmer can save on electricity. Savings can be even more noticeable with a significant chicken population. Sexually, chickens mature after 6 months. Hens are excellent mothers, and chicks have a good survival rate.

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

The calm, kind and accommodating nature of the amrox makes it easy to care for them. The breed is prone to a peaceful but active lifestyle. Therefore, the space for walking will not be superfluous.

Summarize:

  • an excellent degree of survival contributes to an uncomplicated reproduction process;
  • no need to create special conditions of detention, due to the high adaptability of the breed;
  • optimal egg production parameters and good quality of eggs and meat;
  • non-aggressive disposition.

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

All of the above to a large extent allows you to vote “for” the use of amroks in personal farming. There are also disadvantages, among them:

  • a large number of roosters among newborn chickens;
  • with an increase in daylight hours, chickens begin to lay eggs more actively, which contributes to their rapid depletion;
  • birds do not tolerate frost.

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

Amroks are included in the genetic reserve fund of VNITIP. The standard defines a set of defects in the exterior of chickens, in which defective specimens are not suitable for breeding:

  • narrow or short body;
  • narrowed back;
  • “sickly” stomach;
  • thin and elongated beak;
  • too small and deep-set eyes;
  • eyes of a non-standard color;
  • shortened or elongated legs;
  • elongated claws;
  • excessively rough scaly on the metatarsus;
  • the absence of a dark strip at the end of the pen;
  • flight plumage solid black;
  • lack of stripes on the down;
  • excessively thin stripes on the plumage;
  • not black and white color of feathers;
  • low level of productivity.

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

Conditions for keeping

The breed is for the most part adapted to outdoor content; chickens are almost never kept in cages. The floor content of the breed provides for equipment in the room of deep litter. Since chickens love to dig holes in the ground, the depth of the litter should be appropriate for such a chicken habit. Otherwise, the litter will often have to be changed, and this is an extra cost. Provides the following floor options:

  • daily tedding of the bedding material so that the droppings do not accumulate on top, with the addition of insecticidal preparations to the bedding in order to prevent skin parasites in birds;
  • do not lay down bedding, but put together roosts for chickens.

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

The second method is more suitable, taking into account the natural needs of chickens. The perch should be low (40-50 cm) because Amrox is a heavy breed. Such a perch will protect chickens from predators at night, and will be safe to jump off in the morning. Perch poles should not contain sharp corners.

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

Features of feeding

According to the generally accepted diet for the breed, it is impossible to say that these chickens are capricious, but it is important to diversify feeding. In food, the presence of grain products, vegetables, herbs, animal proteins is relevant. Grains in the diet need no more than 60%, and the rest is replenished with juicy food. Cereals and protein are usually replaced with a quality compound feed. Potatoes, various root crops and greens, wheat bran are useful for amrox.

From the age of two months, corn is added to the diet of chickens. Proper diet is the key to tasty and tender meat and nutritious eggs.

Breeding

Chicks grow quickly – being born completely black, by the end of the first month of life they increase in size and acquire the pockmarked stains characteristic of Amrox. Exceptionally fast growth, characteristic of chicks, is observed in the third and fourth months. Their active development is facilitated by nutritious, high-quality feed, boiled fish. Omissions in feeding are given out by bare bellies, reduced egg production parameters, and weak immunity of birds.

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

If problems arise in the growth and plumage of chickens, they often change the rooster, thus changing the genetic reserve. This allows you to save healthy offspring in a separate farm. Usually chickens are distinguished by high vitality, since the survival rate in the breed is stated at the level of 97%.

In addition, with additional lighting and an excellent diet, the breed lays eggs throughout the full winter, which, of course, is beneficial for increasing the number of chickens. Amrox is an autosex species, and the sex of the chicks is easily determined immediately after their appearance, by appearance. Chicks are born with dark down on the back and light spots on the abdomen. However, chickens, unlike roosters, have a white spot on their heads. In addition to this, hens are darker than roosters in color. In other words, Amrox sex is determined by their heads.

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

It is important to carefully monitor the nutrition of the bird. With calcium deficiency, chickens can peck eggs, which destroy offspring.

This can be avoided by adding crushed egg shells to the feed. At the same time, it is important to strive to ensure that the birds are not used to such additives. The use of incubators is not out of the question, and it can be advantageous in terms of productivity.

Incubators help hatch 80% of chickens. The egg laying regimen of Amrox chickens has its own specific pattern, which is associated with the life cycle of the breed. At the initial stage, eggs are laid up to 4 days in a row. This is followed by rest, usually for a day. At this time, it is important to pay attention to maintaining a stable lighting regime so as not to distract the hens from the process of laying and saving eggs. There should be no other potential risks that could interfere with this process.

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

After the birth of chickens, antiparasitic prophylaxis should be carried out. For this purpose, special preparations are used that are suitable for representatives of this particular breed. Attention to the diet and proper care of the chicks is a categorical condition for maintaining healthy offspring and the productivity of the entire bird population. Let’s look at a few rules.

  • Compliance with the established diet for chicks. At first, they are fed special formulations (greens, grains, boiled eggs). At about one and a half months, a standardized diet is established, based on compound feed with an increased amount of protein.
  • For chicks during the first three days, constant lighting is important. Further, its duration is reduced by a multiple – by 2, 4 and 6 hours. The right approach to lighting is a guarantee of appetite and healthy development of chicks.
  • The cleanliness of the content, the daily change of the underlying layers, the accuracy in the feeders and drinkers are important. The main task is to prevent the development of dangerous bacteria.
  • Special attention is paid to the immunity of chicks, since initially they have poor health. To strengthen the immune system, chicks are fed with yeast, vitamins, mineral supplements and fish oil.

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

Reviews

Summarizing the reviews from people who are faced with the care of chickens of the Amrox breed, you can see that there are practically no negative opinions about the breed. Here are some typical judgments that will certainly be useful to people who decide to keep the breed in their personal household.

  • The content of this breed is a kind of school for beginner poultry farmers. With a relatively small labor and financial cost, you can get a good practical output, and all this with a high level of probability.
  • There is a high level of egg production and tasty meat of chickens, the optimal timing of the growth of chickens.
  • The weakest link in the content of amroks is the rearing of chickens, where special attention and care must be shown.
  • It is important to monitor the feed and not overfeed chickens with grain.
  • Contributes to the content of chickens, their peaceful, unpretentious, albeit inquisitive nature.

Chickens Amroks description and rearing of chickens, reviews

For information on how to properly care for this breed of chickens, see the following video.

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Anna Evans

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