The Mechelen cuckoo is a breed of chickens that are not so numerous in the world. Chickens are outwardly very beautiful, while they belong to the meat type. Many farmers raise chickens of this breed to get delicious dietary meat.
Inference history
For the first time, the Mechelen cuckoo breed became known at the beginning of the XNUMXth century. This breed was brought out by a Belgian breeder in the city of Mechelen, Antwerp province, which is located in Belgium. Chickens got their name in honor of the city in which they were bred. In chickens, the color of the feathers was of a cuckoo type, so the breed received the second part of the name – the cuckoo. To breed this breed, breeders took representatives of the local breed of chickens and oriental fighting representatives. The Mechelen cuckoo and the Jersey giant are the largest representatives among poultry.
By the beginning of the XNUMXth century, this breed could also be brought to Russia. Since before the start of the revolution among the high society everyone communicated in French, the translation of the word “mechelen” into French sounded like “melen”. At that time, the birds of this breed in Russia were given the name Kuku de Malin.
Over time, this name was reduced to the word Malin, therefore, at the present time, many farmers called the representatives of the Mechelen cuckoo the name Malen.
Description
Representatives of the breed are large poultry. They have a larger body and a stronger skeleton than other chicken breeds. The mass of a large rooster is about 6,2 kg, the mass of a chicken is 4,4-4,6 kg. An important feature of this breed is the instant weight gain in chickens. For example, a 4-month-old cockerel weighs about 2,1 kg. And when a rooster is 9 months old, he can reach a weight of 5,9 kg if he was kept for fattening.
Due to their heavy weight and sluggishness, the birds will not be able to fly away. They are clumsy, sluggish and too lazy. Even with a thick mass, the birds themselves are not obese. The meat has a small percentage of fat, and therefore is used as lean, dietary. This breed has an amazing color of feathers – black and white stripes. It is rare to find birds that have the color of black, white and blue.
The feathers are dense and dense. There are also feathers on the paws, but in small quantities. Many feathers are located on the outer part of the paw, the toes do not have feathers.
The body structure is similar to Jersey and Hungarian chickens. The chest has a wide bulge, the back and belly are dense and developed, the neck is not long, has few feathers. The legs are long in size, the paws themselves are dense and not weak. The head is small. Roosters have larger combs and earrings than hens. The eyes are light brown. The comb and earrings are red. The beak is short, painted white. Red skin. The muzzle has a small plumage.
Mechelen hens are late because they start laying eggs only at 7 months old, and then if they are given a variety of whole foods. If it is bad to keep birds, then they will rush only by 9 months. In a year, one chicken can carry about 161 eggs, and this is already a high figure. The eggs themselves have light shades, their weight is about 66 grams.
The shell is of medium thickness. This breed has good fertility, about 96% of chickens survive. This breed has a balanced and calm character. From their ancestors, birds received only a strong physique. Having a large weight, they rarely arrange fights with each other and with other pets.
But such a breed has a masterful disposition, so birds often do not want to obey their owners.
Advantages and disadvantages
Breeds Mechelen cuckoo has its pros and cons. The advantages are the following.
- Meat. The carcass of these birds is very large, with each representative you can get a large amount of meat. He has excellent taste.
- Chickens have a calm character, they can get along with other animals and birds.
- Mechelen cuckoos are unpretentious and picky about the conditions of detention.
- Representatives of this breed have excellent immunity, they will be able to sustainably endure all diseases.
- Chickens of this breed can carry very large eggs, the mass of which can be about 66 grams. This breed has a stable productivity.
- These birds have very lush and dense plumage, so they are resistant to cold weather.
But chickens also have their drawback – they lack maternal instinct. Birds will not plant eggs, therefore chickens are bred only in an incubator or if the eggs are transferred to hens of other breeds.
Features of the content
Birds need a spacious chicken coop. The normal height for a chicken coop is 1,3 meters. Inside the chicken coop, you need to place small perches, a ladder, a long bed of sawdust, straw or hay. The litter must be constantly stirred or changed if it becomes dirty. It is necessary to organize well such a place where the birds could walk. This will have a good effect on the quality characteristics of the meat.
Chickens have very good health, but the owners get a well-grown individual only when they feed their pets correctly and balanced. The diet should contain vitamins and minerals, proteins, bone meal, fish and other healthy ingredients. Young representatives should eat food that is 61% protein and 39% vegetables and herbs. Chickens need to be fed with the most useful foods, such as: potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, green onions, clover, nettles, dandelions and others.
In one day, the chicken should consume about 110-160 grams of grain mixture or combined feed. In the summer, representatives of this breed can find their own forage, and also eat green grass. You also need to give concentrated feed to gain more weight.
But at the same time, all nutrients must be balanced. Although chickens are in excellent health, they need vitamins and minerals. In the spring, birds need to be given a special multivitamin complex, which is designed specifically for chickens. Sometimes it is necessary to add fish or bone meal to this complex.
All year round, individuals need to eat vegetables and herbs. Daylight hours in chickens of this breed can last about 12 hours. For them, this time is sufficient to be active.
Experts recommend that the room where individuals of this breed will be located, had a stable temperature of about + 15 + 16 degrees. It is necessary to regulate the temperature not only with the help of a heater and the frequency of ventilation, but also with the help of the level of the litter. In winter, the air temperature inside the chickens’ dwelling should not be allowed to drop below + 6 degrees.
Feeders and drinkers are important and indispensable items for placing chickens and for a walking yard. These accessories must be arranged in a separate place where direct sunlight will not fall. Various factory models are currently sold, but many owners make these accessories themselves to save money. If the chicken owner wants to make feeders and drinkers himself, then for this you can use materials such as: wood, metals that will be resistant to aggressive elements, as well as polymers for food.
As a feeder, you can take a box that is not too large, having a rectangular shape, 10 × 10 centimeters high and wide. For one chicken, the length of the feeder should be about 11-16 centimeters. The feeder must be properly fixed on strong supports so that the birds cannot climb on it and turn it over. Any open container can be used as a drinker, but often farmers use a special vessel that has a volume of about 6-7 liters.
The drinking bowl and feeder must be cleaned of dirt every day. If they are not cleaned, various infections can accumulate on them, which will be contagious for chickens. The feeder should be cleaned every day or after the feed has been changed. Once in 7 days they need to be cleaned using a soapy solution, and thoroughly disinfected during general cleaning. The liquid in the drinker needs to be changed every day, about 2 times a day. You need to disinfect the drinker together with the feeder.
Food in the feeder should not stagnate, feed should be poured in not too large portions. Otherwise, the feed will deteriorate, and because of them, the bird will begin to have a serious indigestion, intoxication of the chicken will occur, and the individual may die.
Diseases
When seasonal molting comes, and it begins around the end of autumn, the body of individuals begins to weaken, hens do not lay eggs. At this very time, many birds will be subjected to diseases and beriberi. And for this reason, many owners need to add complex supplements to their food, which contain minerals and vitamins. It is necessary to vaccinate the whole flock when the birds were still small, and when the chickens mature, they will not have health problems.
When the birds begin to molt, they have an attack of cannibalism, this is when one chicken attacks another and can peck it to death. Mechelen cuckoo chickens have a stable immunity to diseases. If the owners create good conditions for the birds, clean their premises, then the chickens will not pick up any contagious infection and remain healthy.
If the birds become ill with parasites, then these parasites must be removed. You just need to add specialized preparations to the chicken liquid, and when the bird drinks water, the parasites will gradually come out. As a preventive measure, you can put a container of ash in the chicken house. If a chicken bathes in it, it will be able to cleanse itself of small insects that sit on the skin and on feathers.
Usually, meat breeds are not kept for a very long time, since the most delicious is the meat of one-year-old birds. If the chicken is too old, its meat will become very tough. Birds are slaughtered for meat when they reach the age of 11 months.
If you keep the Mechelen cuckoo breed for a very long time, then it will become unprofitable, since the chicken still lays few eggs.
Reviews
Many people ordered eggs from Belgium if they agreed with the breeders. The problem was inbreeding individuals. Many had to travel to Belgium to acquire unrelated eggs. The breed is very rare, so if you buy chickens, they will cost too much. Chickens have a lot of meat and are dietary. Many people who raised chickens of this breed note the calm and unhurried disposition of the bird. Also, the birds have a stylish color. The meat is really excellent and tender even in adult chickens. Even if you keep the bird in a cage, the meat will not be rough.
Chickens of the Mechelen cuckoo breed are rarely found in Russia. Farmers who develop this type of bird keep this breed well and try to save every egg when hatching chickens. Usually farmers raise birds to sell eggs, chickens and meat for a high price. But those who purchased birds of this breed do not regret spending their money on them. Because the meat is really valuable.
Mechelen cuckoos can grow quickly and do not require too much food or space. They have a calm nature. Although hens lay few eggs, their meat quality is most valued.
If you walk the birds, then their meat will become more tender. Thus, Mechelen cuckoo chickens are indeed the largest and most delicious.
In the next video, you will find more information about the Mechelen cuckoo chicken breed.
