There are many different breeds of chickens. Some of them include dwarf subspecies with bright and unusual colors. Such poultry does not leave poultry farmers indifferent. That is why dwarf chickens are currently very popular. Today we will get to know them better and find out how they should be kept in accordance with all the rules.
Features
They have been breeding decorative dwarf chickens for many years. The bird of this species is distinguished by high productivity rates and is perfect both for breeding layers and for preparing stocks of the most tender meat. If you provide the dwarf chicken with proper care and feed it correctly, then in the future it can demonstrate excellent egg production.
The main advantage of charming dwarf hens is that they consume much less food than their counterparts. These poultry do not need to build a separate non-standard chicken coop. Dwarf chickens do not need large areas – they can safely live in small buildings.
Also, dwarf chickens are characterized by a complaisant and calm character. They are very peaceful and do not cause serious inconvenience to their owners. Little chickens can seamlessly coexist with other animals in the same area. They bring eggs no less than birds of normal standard sizes.
The only problem a poultry farmer may face is highly developed instinct for planting offspring. For this reason, it is recommended to prepare a good incubator for small hens.
Dwarf chickens have another distinguishing feature – they do not tolerate extreme cold and frost very well. Because of this, the time of walks in the winter season has to be limited.
These poultry need baths with water, sand and clay. With such components, dwarf chickens can easily get rid of various kinds of parasites that often start on the body of birds or in their plumage.
Varieties
There are many breeds of cute dwarf hens. Each of them has its own description, its own distinctive characteristics and external parameters. Let’s take a closer look at the most common and well-known breeds of mini-hens.
Welzumer
These dwarf chickens are rightfully recognized as the most famous and popular. They were bred in Holland in the XNUMXth century. They have a characteristic low-set body and a medium-length neck. The same applies to the bird’s chest. It has a rounded structure. The tail is located at an obtuse angle and resembles a sickle from the side. The head of the Welzumer is small and usually almost bald. The ears have a characteristic almond shape.
The eyes of birds of this breed in most cases have a yellow or orange color. The most powerful body parts of this chicken are the legs and thighs. Welzumer is good because it is unpretentious. You don’t need to spend a lot of money on it. For representatives of this breed, it is not necessary to build a large and spacious aviary. Welzumer also does not need feed in large volumes. Representatives of this breed have a very calm and peaceful nature.
Hamburg
Hamburg chickens are egg representatives of the breed. They are distinguished by high egg production. Moreover, this bird can show excellent productivity in almost any conditions, which distinguishes it from most of its brethren. Hamburg dwarf chickens quickly and easily adapt to a wide variety of environments. They do not require complex and expensive care – this is what attracts poultry farmers. To
In addition, it should be noted good decorative qualities of this interesting and unusual breed of poultry. Hamburg chickens do not need to be given a lot of food – they can be kept very sparingly. Despite the fact that the egg production of Hamburg chickens demonstrates itself to be highly effective, its time period itself is very short.
The instinct of incubation in this bird is absent. Perhaps these are the only drawbacks that the Hamburg little chicken has.
Phoenix
Poultry of this breed is normal and dwarf. The main distinguishing feature of the Phoenix mini chicken is its luxurious decorative tail. It is lush, flat and long due to narrow integumentary and tail feathers. The legs of this chicken usually do not grow very high, and there is a solid plumage on the shins. The colors of these representatives of the breed, as a rule, are wild.
Phoenix dwarf form can not boast of good egg production. Even birds of normal size are not of great interest in the meat or egg directions.
Brama
Interesting dwarf brahmas are distinguished by lush and voluminous plumage available on the limbs and tail. The very structure of these birds is dense and slightly thickened. Such beautiful and unusual birds can decorate any farmstead. Dwarf brahmas easily tolerate heat and cold. They are distinguished by high survival and resistance to external factors. But this applies to adults.
Chickens of this breed cannot boast of such viability. They are sensitive to changes in temperature or the effects of precipitation. As a rule, they are kept in warm and dry poultry houses, where nothing exactly threatens them.
Mini meat
Mini-meat chickens can be attributed to meat breeds. Despite the fact that this type of poultry is meat, it also has good egg production. Most of these individuals are white or fawn. The main characteristics of birds of this breed are:
- rapid growth rate;
- undemanding in matters of feeding;
- the body of these little chickens seamlessly absorbs all the necessary nutrients present in the feed;
- it is permissible to keep small meat chickens both in an aviary and in cages;
- these poultry are very profitable in economic terms – they eat very little and take up very little free space;
- eggs of meat dwarf chickens are large in size;
- these birds behave quietly, do not make unnecessary noises and are more often fond of digging the ground.
The main differences between meat dwarf chickens are the following parameters:
- the presence of short legs and a small weight of the carcass;
- miniature scallop leaf-shaped structure;
- hard and rather dense plumage with different color lines.
Conditions of detention
Dwarf chickens, like any other breeds of these poultry, need suitable conditions. Only under the condition that this rule is observed can high productivity of laying hens be expected. Luckily, raising and breeding mini chickens is easy and inexpensive. Even a novice poultry farmer can easily handle this. Let’s take a closer look at what conditions are suitable for these chickens.
- It is important to take into account the fact that any representatives of dwarf species do not tolerate low temperatures well and are heat-loving. For this reason, the house where the chickens are planned to be settled must be made well insulated and well ventilated. Lay a clean and dry bedding on the floor, the thickness of which is approximately 6–9 cm.
- You should make perches of the correct height – no more than 0,2-0,3 m, so that mini-birds can easily climb them, and then just as easily and seamlessly jump back down. If you place the perch higher, then the dwarf beauties will have to sleep on bedding, where you can accidentally pick up various pathogens of serious diseases.
- Multi-tiered perches are not recommended in a poultry house, because in this case, the “inhabitants” of the slats located on top can stain the hens located on the lower tiers. It is advisable to equip the chicken coop more spaciously so that all the inhabitants of the poultry house can fit on one tier.
Feeding and care
Dwarf chickens must be properly fed if you want them to be healthy and viable. The diet must be supplemented with B vitamins, as well as easily digestible proteins. Yeast can act as a source of these beneficial substances. To introduce them, it is recommended to turn to the yeasting of standard feeds.
As for the daily diet of dwarf poultry – there must be present products such as carrots, beets or cabbage. Food should be juicy. To achieve good fertility of the testicles, don’t skimp on vitamin E. It is found in germinated grains of barley and oats. An excellent source of protein is a special herbal meal. Such a product will be even more useful if it is made from young nettles. In the role of mineral additives, it is permissible to use chalk, shells, gravel or eggshells.
If you properly feed decorative mini-hens, then you can get strong and healthy young from them.
Provide good lighting in the poultry house. Thanks to this, you can count on the preservation of future offspring. It is very important to ensure that the birds always have clean and fresh water to drink. It is necessary to vaccinate poultry on time. Allocate a separate area for walking for small chickens. Don’t forget to change your bedding at least once every two weeks.. Artificial lighting in the chicken coop will need to be turned on for at least 15–16 hours throughout the day.
Subtleties of breeding
A number of subtleties of breeding unusual dwarf chickens should be taken into account.
- Depending on the specific breed, little hens start laying at around 7 months of age. The stage of final formation ends after a year. The immediate instinct to incubate makes itself felt from about 2 years old.
- One rooster is able to provide normal care for 7 hens. If there are more laying hens, then the percentage of fertilization will be less. Under one mini-hen, you need to put about 7 testicles.
- Chickens of such decorative breeds, as a rule, are distinguished by pronounced maternal qualities. They both incubate the eggs and take care of the chickens. They are engaged in their education and direct protection. If these birds are provided with appropriate conditions, then the survival rate of chickens will be very good (at least 85-95%).
- Dwarf chickens, especially benthams, are kept by certain farms as natural-type incubators. They can sit in the nest for up to 3 months, giving life to several broods at once in one season. It doesn’t matter to them whose chickens they hatch. Much more important is the process itself.
- On an industrial scale, dwarf chickens are simply not bred. They can decorate the courtyard of real enthusiasts with their unusual appearance. However, around the world, careful care is taken to preserve the genetic reserve of ornamental breeds of poultry, so finding them for further breeding will be easy and simple.
Useful tips and tricks
Any decorative breeds of poultry are quite demanding in terms of care, so it is not recommended for beginner poultry farmers to breed them. However, many of the breeds of dwarf hens are not too picky, so even an inexperienced farmer can work with them. It is permissible to feed decorative chickens with simple feeds. Take care of their attractive appearance.
To do this, useful vitamin complexes must be added to the diet of birds. If you want the plumage of dwarf chickens to look beautiful and not deteriorate over time, then it is recommended to equip a more spacious house for these birds, where everyone can find their place. In some cases it is necessary to install very low perches, because not all pygmy hens can fly.
The bedding layer in the chicken coop should be laid more tightly as soon as the cold winter sets in. For birds with feathered legs, the litter should be loosened and changed more often. Otherwise, the feathers on the paws will quickly get dirty and will look very ugly.
During the breeding season, it is necessary to provide the birds with a balanced and varied diet. Only if you follow this simple rule, you can expect healthy and strong offspring. Chickens are recommended to be kept in separate boxes with good lighting and heating. An installed red lamp or incandescent lamp is suitable. She has to work around the clock.
The chicken coop must be well ventilated. Without it, the conditions for keeping dwarf birds will not be the best. In addition, it is important to ensure that drafts do not “walk” in the house. In such a room, laying hens will often get sick. Small chickens can be kept both in cages and in aviaries. The main thing is to observe maximum cleanliness in both conditions.
If you notice that the hens (or one hen) are sick and behaving strangely, then it is better not to waste time and contact a professional veterinarian as soon as possible. If you lose precious time or self-medicate, then you can seriously harm decorative poultry. The best bedding is made from sawdust, hay or straw. They should be agitated more often so that the materials do not cake. As it gets dirty, you will need to add new layers of the previously listed components.
For information on how to properly care for dwarf breeds of chickens, see the following video.
