Moscow black chickens appeared relatively recently, but in such a short time they became widely known. The bird shows good fertility results. The breed is simple in appearance, but attracts attention. This article provides a description of this category of birds.
Characterization
The color of the Moscow black chicken is dark, with a faint shade of blue and green. The head is quite large, the eyes are orange, the crest is of the usual size, red. The birds have a rather large physique. They have a long neck and tail. The earlobes are white or red. They have a wide and large chest. Legs of normal length. Roosters are white.
Little chicks are born with black down. Small white spots are allowed in the head area. They can also be seen in the abdomen, near the chest and near the tail. In mature chickens, the plumage acquires a brilliant color. In laying hens, it is clearly visible in the neck area, and in males near the back.
This category of birds has a quiet character. Birds are unpretentious in content, they are distinguished by a great vitality. They are grown in areas with different climatic conditions. This category has a fairly strong immunity.
Moscow black chickens are a category aimed at meat and egg production. A carcass without feathers weighs about 2 kg, and a male weighs about 3 kg.
If they are fed with the right and healthy food, then their fertility will be much higher.
Advantages and disadvantages
There are some advantages of the breed of chickens:
- a chicken coop can be made with low fences and not worry that the bird can fly away;
- she has a calm and quiet nature;
- she overcomes stress well with different care;
- the bird is hardy and unpretentious, quickly restores its fertility;
- she hardly gets sick, little chickens almost always survive;
- very tasty, healthy and tender meat and eggs;
- low cost of chickens;
- very beautiful appearance;
- high fertility rate.
Among the disadvantages are the following:
- late maturation – chickens become sexually mature only at 7 months;
- they cannot hatch offspring for a long time;
- have a tendency to obesity;
- it is difficult to tell a hen from a rooster at birth.
Thus, this breed has much more pluses than minuses.
Content Rules
Birds need to be provided with normal conditions in order to increase their fertility. If the bird is constantly cold, then it will carry eggs much less often. To ensure normal performance, temperature in winter is allowed not less than zero. Roosters can also freeze their comb, but this does not threaten them in any way.
Birds are kept in chicken coops. They do not need to build large fences, because the birds will not be able to fly over them anyway. The floor should be laid with a thick layer of sawdust or straw to keep them warm. Perches for them are made at a distance of about 90 cm from the ground.
Be sure to attach a ladder so that the chickens can climb onto the perch without difficulty. The barn should be ventilated or ventilated.
This should be done especially in the winter, when there is a large accumulation of hydrogen sulfide. This can lead to poisoning and death of chickens.
As a result, their egg production may also decrease.
Chickens need to be bathed. This is easiest to do when the chickens are on the run. It is necessary to build a place for swimming, and pour sand inside. It would also be nice to add ashes so that the chickens get rid of parasites. The place where the birds roam should be shaded in some places so that the chickens can take refuge there during the hot period of time. They also need the sun.
With a large number of birds and during influenza epidemics, chickens need to be vaccinated according to a specific schedule. If this is not done, then there is a high probability that the chickens will get sick.
Coop
Caring for chickens is not very difficult. It won’t take a lot of time. The most important thing is to cover the floor of the chicken coop with bedding. This can be done with straw, dry leaves, peat and sunflower husks. It will warm the chickens well and absorb excess moisture.
You need to count on how many chickens are in the chicken coop. Based on this, form a litter in a certain way. On average, 15 kg of dry flooring should go per bird per year. Above the perch you need to hang a lamp with infrared radiation. Food can be put in regular large containers.
In the spring, the chicken coop should also change the litter. Walls must be treated with lime to kill all germs. Before the beginning of autumn, the litter should also be changed. It can not be changed completely, but only replace the top layer with a new one.
If this is not done, then in winter, due to the large amount of bird droppings, dampness and humidity may occur.
In winter, from time to time you need to pour new sawdust about 15 cm thick. Otherwise, the litter will fall through, and the birds may freeze. The chicken coop needs to be constantly ventilated.
You can install special ventilation. If this is not done, then due to the large amount of hydrogen sulfide in the air, birds can become poisoned or die. Their productivity may also decrease. Chickens may develop parasites on the body. In the chicken coop, you need to put a small container with ash. Thanks to this, birds will be able to exterminate parasites themselves.
In the summer, sometimes you need to lay a new bedding. If this is not done, then in winter the chicken coop can smell strongly of ammonia. The main thing is not to forget to keep the chicken coop clean.
Chickens tolerate cold well. They feel good even in chicken coops that are not heated. In the summer, they need to be taken out to the sand – there they can swim and clean their feathers.
In winter, it is necessary to provide the birds with artificial light. If this is not done, then the birds will bring few eggs. Birds can be let out for a walk even at a temperature of -20 degrees. When it’s too cold, the chicken coop needs to be heated. For 20 heads it will be enough to hang one lamp.
Food
In order for chickens to lay eggs well, they need to be given the right balanced diet. The following foods must be included in the diet.
- Proteins: beans, rice, herb pomace. In order for chickens to quickly gain weight, they are fed with special meat and bone meal. With the help of proteins, the muscles of the bird are formed.
- Vitamins and minerals. You can give fish oil, feed yeast and spring herbs.
- Minerals are also needed in sufficient quantities. With their help, chicken bones are formed. You can give chalk, lime, crushed egg shells, ashes.
- Carbohydrates – it depends on them how viable the birds are. Carbohydrates are present in fiber and sugar. Birds can be fed grains and root crops.
Birds are given food about 4 times a day, but no more. You need to give a certain amount of food.
You should choose high-quality feed mixtures. The egg production of chickens will depend on this.
In order for the bird to have beautiful feathers, seaweed must be added to the diet.
Feed is considered the main food for chickens. In summer, you can give different greens, vegetables and even fruits. From time to time you can give them sifted flour. From vegetables – boiled potatoes. But do not overfeed the chickens because of their tendency to be overweight.
Pour clean fresh water into the drinking bowl. It must be changed 2 times a day in the summer. And in winter – 1 time per day. If there is a possibility of poisoning, then a few drops of manganese are added to the water.
A few days after birth, chickens are fed grits. Gradually, it will be possible to give them egg white, green onions, chicken feed. After 2 weeks, dairy products or boiled root crops should be given. Starting from the age of two months, chickens switch to normal food.
In the summer, the bird can be given food 2 times a day, in the morning and in the evening. In winter, they are fed 3 times a day at regular intervals. Chickens should eat food after 15 minutes. Birds can get poisoned by poor-quality and bad products.
Place for walking
Chickens need to be walked every day. They will be able to extract food from the soil in the form of insects, seeds and various grasses. Grass has a good effect on the health of chickens. It is best to walk the birds in a clearing with green grass. Chickens love to walk on grass because their feet and feathers stay clean.
It is good if the house has a garden. There should be areas where the bird can bask in the sun and shade where they can rest. You should not bring chickens to bare ground, especially in wet weather. In summer, the feathers become dusty, which can make the chicken feel bad.
Breeding
The main method of breeding offspring in chickens is incubation. Birds themselves do not like to incubate eggs. For the incubator, you need to select only fresh eggs that are no more than 4 days old.
First, they need to be enlightened with a device called an ovoscope. With it, you can see what state the embryo is in. There should be no inclusions in the protein. The yolk should lie strictly in the center of the egg. The shell must be free of cracks.. Eggs must be taken from birds, who are over 8 months old.
Chicks are still weak right after birth. The room must be heated and lit constantly. Due to the lack of vitamins, chickens should be fed green onions. After 2 weeks, the chickens can already be taken out for a short walk.
Diseases
Feathers are exposed to disease in rare cases. They don’t have any particular disease. To protect chickens from diseases, you must:
- add a variety of vitamins to the diet;
- clean the chicken coop 2 times a year to disinfect from parasites.
If an influenza epidemic breaks out, chickens in most cases are exposed to disease.
If a lot of chickens get sick, then they need to be exterminated. The flu cannot be cured. This only leads to their death.
To see the disease in time, you need to pay attention to the behavior of the chicken:
- becomes lethargic;
- moves a little;
- very worried and agitated;
- breathing is difficult.
Reviews
Owner reviews are completely different. This category of chickens is considered very valuable among Russian farmers. They notice that chickens have delicious eggs and soft, tender meat. The bulk of farmers speak well of black Moscow chickens. Some call this breed the best. Chicks are born strong. Chickens eat any food. Mature hens can lay for a whole year.
Owners like the fact that birds tolerate cold well. They are very resistant to various stresses, not pugnacious and not shy. Farmers also note the high palatability of meat. The owners do not like the fact that the hens are unable to incubate their own eggs, and the incubator is considered a rather expensive thing.
Next, watch the video review of the Moscow black breed of chickens.
