Russian white chickens are one of the most famous breeds in Russia. The category of chickens was bred in the USSR by crossing males of the white leghorn category with local ordinary hens. Features, description and characteristics of chickens are presented in this article.
Features
Russian white categories of birds have the same color. Chicks are born with yellow down. As it grows, it turns white. Chickens should not have any deviations from the standards. Birds that look like leghorns are culled.
This species is quite egg-laying. She is grown on a farm only so that she gives a lot of eggs. Therefore, the breed is often used on large farms. It is also suitable for farmers who are just starting to raise chickens, as it does not require special care.
Chickens rarely get sick and live long enough. Birds were selected in the Soviet Union until 1953. The birds don’t weigh that much. Roosters average about 3 kg, and hens reach 2 kg.
They lay eggs from 5 months. Every year they bring up to 240 white eggs. Their weight is 60 grams.
Varieties
Those who grow ornamental chickens do not have the opportunity to make a lot of money on this. In order for chickens to bring in cash, meat and egg breeds are used. The Leningrad white chicken is assigned to this category of birds intended for agriculture.
The chickens are quite large. Their feathers are white. If you see a bird with black spots, then this indicates that this is not a purebred chicken. In Leningrad white hens, the comb is well developed. Earrings and earlobes are also developed. This category of birds has a lot of positive properties.
They have a large chest and back. The neck is also quite strong. The head is slightly curved. The feathers are very thick and even. This will protect the birds from cold weather. Chickens have well developed wings and tail. But the birds themselves do not like to fly. They have thick legs that are widely spaced. Eye color is orange.
Growing this breed of chickens is not very difficult. Birds can adapt to any environment. They eat absolutely any food. Birds can’t stand dampness. The chicken coop should be dry and warm. It is also worth avoiding drafts inside the room. Chickens have excellent immunity, for this they need to be well fed, but not overfed. This is fraught with the fact that the bird may suffer from obesity in the future. Her egg production may also decrease.
Also, farmers often pay attention to the Russian white breed of chickens, which has several distinguishing features:
- head of medium size, well developed;
- roosters have a large leaf-shaped comb with 5 cloves;
- laying hens with a large comb to one side;
- the beak is quite powerful;
- neck of medium size, rather full;
- the chest is wide and slightly convex;
- elongated body;
- the back is wide enough;
- white earlobes;
- large belly;
- the wings are very developed, close to the body;
- legs are yellow;
- This category of bird does not have feathers;
- tail of medium length, well developed.
How to choose?
There are many different categories of chickens all over the world. They can be used to get eggs. Not all chickens lay many eggs. Which category of birds to choose for breeding on a farm depends only on the budget and on what the poultry farmer prefers. For some, the main aspect is the appearance of the chicken. For some, the size and color of eggs is important.
For egg orientation, the white breed of chickens is best suited. They feel good in frost and are suitable for growing in the cold corners of Russia. They carry better even at low temperatures. The chicken is quite expensive. Therefore, they are often rejected.
For those who want to get a large amount of meat in a small amount of time, it is worth buying broiler chickens. This category of chickens has a very large number of breeds. In order to make the right choice when buying a broiler, you need to weigh all the pros and cons of different breeds.
Content Rules
There are several options for keeping Russian white chickens. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. You should not forget about them. Birds would be nice to keep on the litter. The material must be rough. This method is suitable for those who own large plots. Chickens must be kept indoors. Rough bedding is spread on the floor.
A lot of the time the chickens should be outside. They don’t need much food. They can eat whatever comes under their feet. It can be insects and worms, seeds and green grass. No need to keep a very large number of chickens. Otherwise, they will trample the ground and eat all the available insects.
If there are a lot of birds, they can pick up some kind of virus. Also, the bird can run out of the fence.
It can easily be eaten by a more predatory bird. In order to prevent this from happening, it is necessary to make a fence around the chicken coop. The surface of the earth must be sufficiently firm. If the ground is soft, then it will be difficult for the farmer to clean the site. The floor of the earth in the chicken coop should not be done. After the rain has passed, the ground will be muddy. It will accumulate a lot of microbes. If the farmer has a small area of land, then you need to keep chickens in cages. This saves a lot of space and makes it easier to take care of the birds.
The farmer will be able to go around the chicken coop every day and check the layers. The floor will be clean. Birds will spend most of their time in cages. They will eat much less food because they will not expend energy while walking. The option of keeping birds in cages has its drawbacks. Due to the fact that chickens will be less outdoors, the owner must constantly monitor the temperature in the chicken coop.
If the temperature is very high or low, the birds can get sick. Humidity in the room should be no higher than 70%. The temperature in winter and summer should not be less than -2 degrees, but not more than 27 degrees. In severe frost, the birds’ earrings and comb freeze. The number of eggs laid by the laying hen is reduced. Birds eat food just as well as before.
When it is very hot outside, the birds eat less. But the number of eggs they lay also decreases. Chickens don’t lay well when they don’t have enough water. This causes great inconvenience to farmers. Young chicks are fed the same food as adult hens. They eat 3 times a day.
After the expiration of this age, the amount of food is gradually reduced. Chickens need to crush the feed into crumbs. It takes them a very long time to eat large food. Birds peck at each other less. From the 20th week, chickens already begin to eat in the same way as adult chickens.
Bird food is rich in calcium salts. As a result, the shell of the eggs becomes thicker. The eggs are not deformed. In order for the chicken to lay eggs for the first time, a lot of protein is added to the feed. Thanks to this, they will have better reproduction.
Breeding
You can breed chickens both without walking and with walking. Birds that breed without walking should always sit in their cages. To calculate the area correctly, you need to have no more than 8 chickens per meter. Cells can be placed in several tiers. This is done in the case when the area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe room is small, and there are a lot of birds. Keeping chickens in cages may be suitable for large farmers. To create a cage for chickens, you can use a chain-link mesh. The mesh should be located on the sides and on the back. Ahead it is better to make metal rods.
It is best to fix plywood or slate on the floor. Polycarbonate is also suitable. It is better to make the bottom in 2 layers. The cage will always be clean. Attach the feeder to the front of the cage.
The main thing is that the room should be light. The number of laying eggs by hens depends on this. Cells are best placed near windows. You can make small lamps near each cell.
Consider the option of breeding chickens with walking. It is necessary to make a chicken coop and space for walking chickens. The chicken coop may be indoors. It needs nests for birds. There should be as many of them as there are hens. There should be no more than 15 birds per meter of chicken coop. Inside the nest you need to lay out chopped straw. In order for the chicken to walk comfortably on the perch, it is necessary to attach a board of small size.
A young laying hen can lay about 2 medium-sized eggs in 200 years. Over time, their egg production decreases. Their weight is increasing. Around this time, the herd is changed to a new one. The chickens are growing very fast. At 5 months they reach the same weight as adult chickens.
Chicks that have just been born weigh about 43 grams.
Reviews
Farmers note that chickens have rather high egg production rates. Accordingly, the income from this becomes even higher. They are praised for the fact that the chicken adapts perfectly to different climates. It is also noted that chickens are completely unpretentious. They are perfect for beginner farmers. It is worth noting that the birds are quite hardy.
The chicks have a good survival rate. They are resistant to the external environment. They are in good health. Laying hens eat much less feed than other egg hens. They have very tasty meat. It is in demand among buyers. But some farmers do not like the fact that the chickens are too active. But if you are constantly together with a bird, then it behaves normally.
The chickens are very shy. As they quickly get used to the owner, this disadvantage will gradually disappear.
On the signs of the breed of white chickens, see below.
