Popular breeds of white chickens and their characteristics

Breeding

The breed, despite its high egg production, is classified by the developers as a meat breed.
For one individual per day, only 125 g of feed will be required, as for egg-laying chicken.

The chickens' immunity is good.

Diseases can only appear with improper care and maintenance in a cold poultry house. When breeding, problems arise when chickens are mixed with any breed other than Cornish.

In this case, young animals are quite weak.

Mini chickens of breed B-33

Secrets of success in breeding:

• select only the best representatives of the breed for the parent herd;
• lay the largest eggs for incubation;
• check each egg with an ovoscope;
• provide the hen with everything necessary to prevent leaving the nest.

Ornamental chickens To breed poultry, you need to follow a few rules that will help you breed strong offspring:

1. Parents must have a pure pedigree.
2. Eggs must be hatched in an incubator.
3. It is necessary to equip a warm brooder and a room for young animals.

The idyllic picture of a hen hatching and caring for her offspring on her own is practically impossible, because many hens lose their brooding instinct.

Decorative chickens are a decoration for the farmstead, as well as fresh and healthy eggs for the table, but there are a number of problems that should be taken into account when keeping chickens of different breeds.

If a person wants chickens to walk in the fresh air throughout the entire area, please the eye, and at the same time retain the breed qualities, then keeping chickens of the same breed is permissible. Because otherwise cross-insemination will occur, and future chickens will have mixed blood. But it’s easy to solve this problem: a separate room with a fenced-in walking yard is made for each breed.

It is best to purchase birds from nurseries

It is best to purchase birds from nurseries, and it is worth studying in detail the activities of each specific seller. Because the word “breeder” is not enough to be considered a good supplier of strong and healthy birds. The farm must have the following parameters:

1. The presence of at least 10 families living in separate chicken coops. Otherwise, incest occurs, which will give poor genetics to the offspring.
2. Chicken coops must be clean and must have perches. Floor and cage housing does not produce good offspring, since the bird cannot rest normally and, accordingly, becomes weaker.
3. The bird must be vaccinated and the breeder must have the appropriate documentation.
4. The seller must describe the feeding ration in detail if adult chickens are purchased, otherwise, due to a nutritional failure, the bird may become stressed and die.

The main advantage of ornamental chickens is the beauty of their plumage and unusual exterior. Also, many chickens can lay eggs well.

Among the disadvantages are the difficulty in purchasing high-quality pedigree chickens, a more complex structure of the chicken coop and hereditary diseases from which many birds die in the first years of life.

This breed of chicken is susceptible to infection with infectious diseases such as:

• pasteurellosis;
• salmonellosis;
• pullorosis.

Among the viral diseases, mini meat chickens are affected by neurolymphatosis, nephrosonephritis, chicken pox, and bird flu.

Important. If signs of dangerous viral diseases are detected in birds, you should immediately contact your local veterinary service to receive recommendations on the localization of the disease and the further fate of the uninfected bird.

When raising miniature meat chickens on home farms, you can easily get broiler chickens. To do this, it is only necessary to replace one purebred dwarf rooster in the herd with a Cornish meat rooster. When crossed with Cornish, you can get excellent broiler chicks.

Little chickens grow very quickly. Like any young animals, mini birds need plenty of warmth. Under the right conditions, the survival process tends to reach its maximum level. Initially, the chicks are set at a temperature of 35 degrees. Every week it drops by two degrees.

If a breeder wants to get striped plumage of the offspring or other non-standard color options, then there is a need to use a red and black male with white chickens.

Farmers with little experience should remember that adding new blood to the pedigree of miniature chickens does not always end in success. This leads to a deterioration in the protective functions of the bird’s body and changes in hereditary characteristics.

Breeding Features

Due to the fact that black chickens are bred artificially, they have practically no instinct to hatch. Breeding such birds requires an incubator. If you have set a goal to breed black birds, you need to choose incubation equipment with temperature control, ventilation, preferably an automatic type. For a dozen hens, one rooster will be enough. You can cross different breeds, but the decorative qualities will be lost; as for the productivity of laying hens and broilers, its progress or regression will be in question.

It is recommended to purchase such breeds and their egg products from specialized farms and officially registered breeders. Otherwise, there is a high risk of buying products with infections. Black chickens usually attract collectors and hobbyists, those who prefer everything non-trivial. The spectacular appearance of chickens and their productivity makes such breeding profitable.

In order for the breeding of black chickens to be successful, first of all you need to take care of the proper organization of nutrition and living conditions. Proper nutrition will ensure the health of the chicken and adults, high-quality development, a high degree of egg production, and a spectacular exterior.

There are a number of requirements that must be met if you want livestock breeding to be successful:

• dry food of the granular, finely divided type should form the main part of the menu;
• after the time of puberty arrives, mixtures of a combined type are introduced, usually after 20 weeks;
• food should be constantly available, not only in feeders, but also in scattered form, so that the chickens move and peck more actively;
• if laying hens roam freely, granulated feed is the best choice, as there will be less pollution;
• consult the breeder about the optimal daily routine and nutrition;
• chickens also need the following supplements: boiled grated eggs, cottage cheese, whey twice a week;
• when the chicken grows up, crushed grain, greens, and combined feed are introduced into the diet.

Diet of adults:

• various grains;
• combined mixtures for laying hens;
• fresh vegetables;
• grass, tops, hay;
• protein component: worms, caterpillars, other insects;
• dairy products;
• mineral and vitamin complexes.

You need to be careful with fermented milk products, introduce them with caution so as not to cause gastrointestinal upset. Naturally, the products must be fresh

Chickens need calcium for healthy flock development. You can give it in the form of chalk, shells, crushed shells. The optimal organization of meals is three meals a day; in the warm season, when there is access to pasture, you can remove the lunch meal from the diet.

​​​​​Proper maintenance of chickens will also affect the success of their breeding. Decorative varieties are more whimsical, this must be taken into account. In general, conditions should be as comfortable as possible from the first day the birds appear on your farm:

• black livestock requires insulated premises during the cold season;
• exclude drafts and winds;
• in winter, the temperature should not fall below +7 C;
• the floor must be insulated with straw and sawdust;
• the room must be dry, the insulation must be clean, and it must be changed regularly;
• the maximum number of birds per square is 4 individuals;
• nests need to be made larger so that several birds can fit into them;
• artificial lighting in winter is necessary to increase daylight hours, then egg production will increase;
• black chickens do not like cramped spaces, they like space and freedom, opportunities for walking should be provided;
• place containers with ash on a free area, black chickens love to swim in them;
• clean water and food must be available at all times.

Provided that all nutritional and maintenance requirements for nigella are met, black livestock will not cause any trouble in breeding, regardless of the breed you choose.

To find out what breeds of black chickens exist, see the following video.

An extremely rare breed in Europe and America. Introduced only in 1998, it is of interest to geneticists, because the nature of the color is still not fully understood. Not every breeder can afford such a bird: the price ranges from $200 at home to $2.5 thousand in America and Europe.

What are the largest chicken breeds?

Let us note right away that large-sized breeds mainly include meat breeds of chickens. Obviously, this was done for a reason and it was not in vain that the breeders worked on breeding meat breeds in order to provide people with chicken meat. All meat chickens and cockerels are characterized by the following external signs:

• Stockiness;
• Horizontal position;
• Strong, strong, medium-length legs;
• Loose plumage.

Brahma

Chickens of the Brahma breed belong to the meat and egg breed, but their impressive weight indicators allowed us to include their description in this article. Outwardly, they are very attractive, they have lush and pleasant to the touch plumage and cute feather panties on their legs. Brahma are light, dark and partridge. Light colored chickens became widespread in Europe in the 50s of the last century.

Interest in this meat and egg breed is stable due to its good productive qualities and unusual appearance. Light Brahmas have correspondingly white plumage with dark feathers on the tail and neck. The posture and gait of these birds is proud and somewhat important.

The meat productivity of a Brahma rooster should not be less than 4-5 kg, and that of a chicken – 3-4.5 kg. Dark Brahmas are very similar to light ones, only the colors of the roosters are the opposite - against the general dark background, white feathers are found on the neck and back of the bird. In addition to good meat qualities, these chickens are a real decoration of the chicken coop. They have a wonderful character and get along easily with other breeds.

A rooster of the dark Brahma breed weighs about 5 kg, there are individual individuals weighing 6-7 kg, and a hen weighs 3-4.5 kg. Partridge Brahmas are very similar in appearance to their white and dark “brothers”, only their colors are red and black on a fawn background; you can see these birds in the photo below. These large chickens weigh approximately 3-4 kg, and cockerels - 3.5-4.5 kg.

Master Gray

Another one of the largest breeds in the world is the Master Gray - an excellent meat and egg breed with a high percentage of young animals, rapid growth and simple conditions of keeping. The breed was bred in France specifically for small farms. In addition to the fact that the weight of an adult Master Gray chicken reaches 4 kg, this chicken is capable of laying about 300 eggs per year! Providing the owner with tasty, lean, dietary meat and a large egg at the same time. The male of the breed in question is quite capable of showing a result of 7 kg of live weight.

Externally, Master Gray chickens are quite attractive, they have gray-white, speckled plumage, which is how they got their name.

Jersey giant

A relatively young, but already widespread and well-known breed in the world. Due to the predominance of a certain color in the plumage, Jersey giants are divided into black, white and blue. Representatives of this breed have many advantages, including fast growth, high meat productivity, good adaptation and a balanced character. The giants fully justify their name - roosters already at one year of age weigh at least 5 kg, and can gain another 1 kg, and the weight of the hen is at least 3.6-4.5 kg.

Cochin

Externally, Cochins are similar to the Brahma breed and only an experienced breeder with a trained eye can determine who is who. This is not surprising, because Cochins were actively used in the selection of Brahma chickens, so their relationship is obvious. It is worth noting that Cochins have become the genetic material for many meat and meat-egg breeds. Cochins are large and massive birds; they tolerate cold very well due to their abundant plumage. Cochins also come in various colors: black, white, blue, fawn, partridge and others, you can see them in our photos.

Unfortunately, chickens of this breed are quite expensive, so you rarely see them in our backyards. Roosters reach a weight of 4.3-4.5 kg, and hens are not far behind them - their weight is 4 kg. Birds of this breed are prone to obesity, so you need to monitor their diet during the period of intensive fattening.

Orpington

The classic English breed with an appetizing white carcass is also quite famous in the world for its meat qualities. Like all large-sized chickens, this bird has an attractive appearance and comes in a variety of colors, like its large predecessors. The bird's body is cubic, covered with abundant plumage.

Orpington chickens are frequent participants in various exhibitions, but you rarely see them on homestead farms. The meat productivity of birds of this breed is as follows: a rooster weighs on average 4-4.5 kg (there are often cases when individuals weigh up to 6-7 kg), and a laying hen weighs 3-3.5 kg. Given their considerable weight, these birds do not require large spaces for keeping.

White Hisex chicken breed - features

White Hisex laying hens were bred in Holland. Individuals were bred, like the Russian White, based on the Leghorn. There is an opinion that white chickens are slightly inferior to the traditional brown Hisex. However, this subspecies has its own characteristics and advantages.

1. White Hisex chickens, both in person and in the photo, look quite miniature - their weight does not exceed 1.8 kg. Chickens are very mobile and active, so to keep them it is worth equipping a spacious aviary or chicken coop, as well as taking care of the area for walking the animals (if they are kept on a private farm).
2. The color of the plumage of individuals is snowy white, without any extraneous shades. By the way, the main breed, Hisex Brown, is characterized by black-brown plumage.
3. White chickens of this breed mature very early - in most cases, subject to optimal diet and housing conditions, the first eggs of the individual begin to lay at the age of 140 days.
4. The main advantage that characterizes these layers is the long-term preservation of high egg productivity. Adults lay up to 280 eggs until they reach the age of 3 years. These are very good indicators, since most laying breeds (including meat-laying breeds such as the black and white Australorp, Moscow black with black and ash plumage, etc.) reduce egg laying after 78 weeks.
5. The eggs of this breed of chickens, in comparison with their low weight, are quite large - weighing up to 65g. The egg shell color is white. By the way, chickens of this breed lay eggs with the lowest cholesterol content, which are indispensable in dietary nutrition.

Despite their external beauty and high productivity, these white chickens are very demanding on their diet. If the food is not balanced, this will immediately become noticeable, since white chickens will greatly reduce their ovipositor in just a few days.

Analogs

There are some other breeds that are somewhat similar to Jersey Giant chickens. For example, the breed of chicken is Australorp black. These chickens are quite large, they have a wide and long back, a large and deep chest. Some individuals can reach significant weight.

Australorps lay eggs well, on average 180 eggs per year (sometimes more than 200-250). The eggs are quite large, weigh 60 g, and are brown in color. Black Australorps are similar in appearance to Jersey giants, but for the most part are still smaller in size.

Indian fighting chickens were specially bred for cockfighting. They require special treatment!

Do you know how long to cook corn to get the best flavor? Read here: https://selo.guru/ovoshhevodstvo/ovoshhnye-sovety/ckolko-vremeni-varit-kukuruzu.html!

Choosing the right breed of chickens for your backyard or breeding is very important. You should like both the appearance of the bird and its character, and you should also be satisfied with the type of productivity

If a chicken is not attractive due to some characteristics, then no matter how profitable its breeding may be, you are unlikely to want to keep it.

Jersey giants are favorites of many breeders; this breed is usually liked by its appearance, peaceful character, and good egg production.

And its large size and great weight give it importance and solidity; the bird is able to decorate any yard

Breeds of laying hens with photographs

The best breed of laying hens is one that ideally suits the owner’s needs and the climatic conditions of the region. An industrial cross with high productivity may not be suitable for a private owner due to its demanding conditions. If the temperature regime, the length of daylight hours or the prescribed diet are violated, industrial egg crosses sharply reduce productivity and become unprofitable.

At home, breeds of laying hens bred through selective breeding and, preferably, in the surrounding area are beneficial. Such breeds may have lower productivity, but they are able to supplement their diet with pasture and can easily withstand weather disturbances. Local poultry has another advantage: the breeds of laying hens in the photo are easily recognizable. Industrial crosses often look like two peas in a pod. For comparison, you can consider 3 crosses: Loman Brown, Tetra-SL and Hisex Brown.

Loman Brown

One of the 2 most famous egg crosses in Russia. The cross was developed in Germany by Lohmann Tierzucht GmbH and comes in two color variations: white and brown.

Important! The situation is the same for all industrial egg crosses: they are all bred “in 2 versions”.

The versions of the crosses differ from each other only in the colors of the plumage and eggshell.

Loman Brown was bred from 4 lines of egg-laying hens. But the company keeps secret what breeds were used to produce crosses. Hatching eggs are imported to Russia from Germany and Hungary.

Description

The weight of laying hens is 2 kg, adult roosters are about 3 kg. The body is compact, tightly built, and located horizontally. The head is small with a powerful light beak. The small leaf-shaped comb, like the earrings, is pink-red. The neck is short with darker plumage than on the body.

The back and lower back are wide. The short tail is set almost horizontally. The chest is developed. The belly is voluminous and full. The wings are small. Metatarsus unfeathered, pink. Legs are short.

Loman Brown is an autosex cross. Laying hens are brown, roosters are white.

Important! The breed is peaceful, but if kept too crowded, cannibalism is possible.

From 18 weeks of age, laying hens lay their first egg. In the first year of life, you can get 300-320 eggs from a chicken with a brown-colored shell and weighing up to 65g.

When breeding Loman Brown, experts tried to get an unpretentious chicken with high egg production. They got the second one. The first one came out with big reservations.

Loman Brown is relatively undemanding in content. They carry equally well into the nest and on the free range. But to obtain the stated number of eggs, laying hens need a special diet.

Another disadvantage of cross-breeding is the need to purchase new eggs every year. It is impossible to breed a complex cross of 4 lines at home.

Hisex Brown

The second most common egg cross in Russia. These laying hens were bred in Holland and also come in white and brown varieties. Brown chickens are more common as they are considered more productive.

Description

Laying hens weigh 2 kg, roosters weigh 2.5-3 kg, a decent weight for egg-laying hens. The physique is strong. The head is medium in size with a leaf-shaped small crest. The beak is long and light. Earrings are poorly developed. The earlobes, comb and earrings are pink. Neck length is average.

The body is wide and horizontal. The back and loin are long and wide. The tail is located at an angle of 45° to the horizontal. The chest is poorly developed. The wings are small, tightly pressed to the body. The belly is well filled. Metatarsus yellow, unfeathered. Legs of medium length.

The plumage is loose, which is why the chickens seem very voluminous. Laying hens are brown, roosters are white.

Maturation occurs at 20 weeks. Egg production of brown laying hens is 320 pcs. in year. The eggs have a brown shell color. Weighs 65 g.

The downside is that it is demanding on feed.

Tetra-SL

Meat and egg cross produced by the Hungarian company Babolna TETRA. Externally, the chicken is similar to other industrial crosses of the same color. The main difference lies in its productive indicators:

• puberty at 4.5 months;
• achieving slaughter weight at 20 weeks;
• productivity – 300 pcs. eggs with brown shells;
• egg weight 65 g.

The onset of egg production occurs earlier than in the Hisex Brown cross.

Description

Autosex cross: brown hens, white roosters. This makes it possible to separate the diets for chickens and raise them on different feeds. Roosters can be fed early.

The head is small. Leaf-shaped comb. The face, earrings, comb, earlobes are red. The beak is small and light. Orange eyes, short neck. The skeleton is wide, oval in shape. The back and lower back are well developed. The tail is short, set horizontally or at a slight angle to the horizontal.

Shoulders are weak. The length of the wings is average. Wide chest, well developed belly. Average leg length. Metatarsus yellow, without feathers.

The disadvantages of cross-breeding are typical for all hybrid birds:

• demands on feed;
• impossibility of independent reproduction of livestock;
• the risk of misgrading when purchasing due to the external similarity of the crosses.

Considering that any egg crosses suffer from all these problems, this cannot be called a disadvantage. The advantages include the productive characteristics of Tetra-SL.

You can try to find serious differences between industrial crosses. Or you can turn to egg and meat-egg breeds of chickens. A significant advantage of a purebred bird is that it can be bred independently, replacing old individuals with self-repairing young animals.

Important! All crosses lack the brooding instinct.

Leghorn

The most productive breed of laying hens, bred in the 19th century in Italy. It first came to the USSR in 1925, and for some time it was the only egg breed bred on poultry farms. Thanks to the wide geography of breeding and long stay on the territory of Russia, the breed managed to adapt to different climatic conditions. In fact, in almost 100 years, a completely separate line of the breed has already appeared, which is more adapted to Russian conditions than the Italian one.

Description

The head is medium. The comb is very large even in laying hens. Moreover, in females it can fall to the side, in roosters it should stand straight. The color of the comb and earrings is red, the earlobes are blue or white. The eyes are light yellow; those of the pullets are dark orange. The neck is long.

The body is light and wedge-shaped. Elevated. The back is wide. The wings are long and well developed. Set wide at the base of the tail, 35-40°. The chest is wide, the stomach is voluminous. The legs are average. Metatarsus unfeathered, white. In young animals the color of the metatarsus is yellow. The most common color is white, but black, brown, motley, fawn, lavender and others are also found.

The weight of laying hens is 1.5-2 kg, adult roosters are almost the same: 2.3-2.5 kg. Laying hens of this breed mature relatively late: 4.5-5 months. In the first year of life, they receive up to 300 pieces. eggs weighing 57 g. Later, egg production decreases, and old laying hens are replaced with new individuals.

Important! Leghorns do not have a brooding instinct.

The level of development of the reproductive instinct directly depends on the productivity of laying hens. The higher the productivity, the less the chicken tends to nest.

Leghorn chickens have a high egg fertilization rate of 95%. Hatchability – up to 92%.

Advantages of the Leghorn breed:

• endurance;
• high productivity;
• good adaptation abilities;
• precocity.

These qualities of the breed are used to create new and improve old industrial crosses. Previously, with the participation of Leghorns, new breeds of laying hens were developed in the USSR. One of them is Russian white.

Russian white

The breed was developed by crossing Leghorn roosters with local breed chickens. Work was carried out until the middle of the last century, when breeders introduced the new Soviet breed, Russian White. When breeding the breed, the goal was to breed laying hens with high productivity, but more adapted to the cold climate and the then realities of the country. Laying hens of the Russian White breed are less productive than Leghorns, but in those years they became the best breed of laying hens for private backyards in Russia.

Description

The weight of laying hens is 1.8 kg, the weight of adult roosters is not much different - 2 kg. The head is medium. The comb is large, leaf-shaped, with 5 teeth. Due to its size it may hang to one side. The comb and well-developed earrings are bright red. The lobes are medium, white. The eyes are red. The beak is long, curved, yellow. The neck is long, vertically set, with a graceful curve. Roosters have no mane.

The body is relatively powerful, stronger than that of Leghorns. Placed horizontally. The rooster has a well-developed convex chest. The back is straight. The tail of roosters is short but powerful. Laying hens have a long tail compared to their body. The wings are well developed, pressed to the body. Shoulders are powerful. The legs are average. Metatarsus yellow.

Important! The hallmark of the breed is white color.

Individuals with any colored spots are rejected from breeding.

The productivity of Russian white laying hens is 200 white eggs per year. Egg weight 55 g. Egg laying begins at 5 months.

The Russian White has a strong nervous system, which distinguishes it better from Leghorns. White Russians are not pugnacious and behave calmer in a stressful situation.

Kuchin anniversary

The breed belongs to the meat-and-egg category, but the egg production indicators are such that these chickens can be safely classified as egg-laying. Kuchin laying hens produce an average of 200 eggs per year, with one egg weighing 60 g.

The Kuchinskaya Jubilee breed was developed by complex crossing of several foreign and local breeds of meat, meat-egg and egg breeds. As a result of selection, a strong, heavy breed of meat and egg production was obtained.

Description

The weight of adult laying hens is 2.7-3 kg, adult roosters weigh 3.4-4 kg. The head is medium-sized with a small leaf-like crest. The blade of the crest is short, the base follows the upper line of the skull. The comb is positioned straight. The beak is powerful, medium length, yellow-brown in color. The lobes, comb, face and earrings are red. Curved long neck. The rooster's mane is well developed.

The body is wide and long. In roosters it is slightly raised, in laying hens it is horizontal. Wide back, bushy tail. Roosters have developed braids. The chest is well muscled. The wings are short, pressed to the body.

Legs are powerful and muscular. The metatarsus are yellow-brown, the plumage is dense.

Oviposition begins at 6 months. The fertility of eggs is 95%; in the incubator, the hatchability of chickens is up to 87%.

Adler silver

Meat and egg breed, bred in 1965. Adler Silvers are well suited for keeping in private yards. They easily adapt to cold and new living conditions. Unpretentious in food. Resistant to diseases.

Description

The weight of adult laying hens is up to 2.5 kg, adult roosters weigh up to 4 kg. Laying hens produce up to 190 eggs weighing 58 g per year. Pullets begin to lay eggs at 6 months. Able to fly at low temperatures. Egg production is maintained in the range from 0 to 20 °C.

The head of Adler laying hens is rounded. Medium-sized leaf-shaped comb, lobes, face and earrings are red. The beak is light. Orange eyes. The neck is of medium length. Roosters have a mane, but it is poorly developed.

The body structure of a chicken and a rooster are very similar, but laying hens are smaller than males. The wings are well developed, but pressed so tightly to the body that the lower black flight feathers are not visible. The tail is short. The legs are medium-sized with unfeathered white metatarsals.

Columbian color: neck, tail and inner flight feathers are black. Chicks hatch yellow. Dark areas appear later as they mature.

Important! The Adler Silver lacks maternal instinct.

Pushkin striped-pied

A relatively new breed, just over 20 years old. The chickens were named after the city in which they were bred. In the city of Pushkin, Leningrad Region, there is an institute dedicated to breeding new breeds of farm animals. At this institute, by crossing black-and-white Australorps and white Leghorns, one of the best universal breeds of laying hens was obtained for the Moscow region and more northern regions.

It was planned to obtain a chicken with good egg production and a fairly large body. But the first specimens turned out to be “purely egg-like”: with a miniature body and low weight. In an attempt to increase body weight, Pushkin chickens were given blood from broilers. But the chickens “refused” to seriously increase in size. But broilers influenced the quality of meat, which became much better. Today there are 2 lines of Pushkin breed of chickens:

• Leningradskaya with high egg production;
• near Moscow with tastier meat.

But the line can only be determined by the breeder’s assurances or documents. Externally, chickens of different lines do not differ from each other. The breed was recognized only in 2007.

Description

The chicken has the typical build of a laying hen. The weight of adult males is 2.5-3 kg, laying hens are 2 kg. The color of laying hens is motley, the roosters are white with rare black spots. The breed is still in its infancy and there is no single type of bird.

General features of the standard that may be changed:

1. The head is small, slightly elongated. The eyes are orange. Rose-red comb. The beak is long and light.
2. The neck is long. The mane is moderately developed. The color of the neck plumage does not differ from the feathers on the body.
3. The body is trapezoidal. The rooster's tail tapers towards the rear. Located almost parallel to the ground.
4. The chest is wide. Chickens have a well-developed belly.
5. The tail is set high.
6. The long wings are pressed tightly to the sides.
7. The pink metatarsals are long and unfeathered.
8. The plumage is close to the body. The fluff is only white.

Temperament is calm. When there is danger, they do not run away, but try to hug the ground.

But there are exterior defects that lead to the culling of birds from breeding:

• black plumage;
• hunched back;
• body too narrow;
• squirrel tail;
• gray or yellow fluff.

The Pushkin breed of chickens lay eggs from 22 weeks. The pullet lays up to 220 eggs in the first season. Then egg production drops. Pushkin laying hens produce white eggs weighing 60 g.

The fertilization rate of eggs reaches 90%. Chick hatching in the incubator is 90%, survival rate of adult chickens is 85%.

The Pushkin breed is cold-resistant. This allows you to receive products from them in winter.

Zagorskaya salmon

The breed is recorded as a meat and egg breed, but laying hens are not very large in size. Laying hens weigh about 2.5 kg, adult roosters weigh 3.5 kg. The breed was bred in the city of Zagorsk, which gave it its name. The Zagorskaya salmon was bred by crossing several egg and meat-egg breeds. Today, Zagorsk laying hens are popular in private backyards due to their ability to quickly gain weight and lay a significant number of eggs.

The egg production of Zagorsk salmon is 220 pieces of 60-gram eggs per season.

The advantage of the breed is its unpretentiousness to living conditions and the ability to digest almost any food, except spoiled food.

Description

The body is powerful, tightly built, and placed horizontally in chickens. The breed is autosex. Due to the difference in colors, already at the age of several days, chickens can be distinguished by sex.

The head of Zagorsk salmon is small with red lobes, earrings and a leaf-shaped crest. The beak is yellow and powerful. The eyes are orange. The neck is of medium length.

The back is wide. The tail is bushy and short. The chest is full and wide. The stomach is well developed. The wings are medium, pressed to the body. The legs are short with unfeathered yellow metatarsals.

Orlovskaya

The Oryol Calico is an old breed of chicken that is over 200 years old. It is perfectly adapted to Russian frosts and does not suffer from frostbite on its ridges. Tolerates heat well. Unpretentious in food. It is capable of laying eggs in winter, which previously made it indispensable on the farm.

Egg production, high by the standards of the 19th century, does not make an impression today. The development of technology and the emergence of productive crosses have made the ability of Oryol laying hens to lay eggs on cold winter days irrelevant. The breed sharply declined in number, but was preserved as a genetic reserve.

Description

The breed originates from fighting cocks. These are large birds with a high-set body. Roosters grow up to 60 cm in height and weigh 5 kg. The color of the chickens is variegated, similar to the colors that cotton fabrics once had. Hence the name calico. Distinctive features of the breed:

1. Small rose-shaped comb. Thanks to this shape of the comb, chickens do not suffer from frostbite.
2. Beard.

The egg production of Oryol laying hens is 145 eggs weighing 60 g. The egg production is not impressive, but these laying hens willingly sit on eggs. The breed is suitable for a private farmstead if the owner wants not only to receive products, but also to have beautiful birds.

Pavlovskaya

The old Russian breed is not the most common today. The Pavlovsk breed is ideally adapted to the Russian climate and is undemanding when it comes to feed. Plus, it is decorative. Today it is kept as decorative.

But for all the beauty and originality of their appearance, laying hens are distinguished by good productivity: 150 eggs per year with an average weight of 49 g. The live weight of laying hens is about 1.5 kg, roosters - up to 2.5 kg.

Ukrainian earflaps

A very unpretentious meat and egg breed with a relatively high egg production. The weight of laying hens is 2.3 kg, roosters - 2.8 kg. Ushanka productivity is 160 eggs per year.

Ukrainian earflaps have existed since the 17th century. Tufts of feathers growing near the ear openings give the bird a specific appearance.

Earflaps have 3 types of combs: leaf-shaped, rose-shaped and nut-shaped. The main color is brown, but due to the combination of genes that determine this color, the offspring can also be light brown or black. It all depends on who, what genes a particular embryo will receive.

Bare-necked chickens

Bare-necked chickens are classified as meat-egg chickens. But there is no approved breed standard, since the gene that determines the absence of feathers on the neck is dominant. This means that birds can come in different sizes, colors, and even egg production. On average, bare-necked laying hens produce 160 eggs per season. Typically eggs weigh 58-60 g.

Australorp

Meat and egg breed from Australia. Laying hens are highly productive (more than 300 eggs per season), but the breed is not included in the industrial category and is used only for breeding other breeds and crosses. The breed has also not found application in private farming. This is explained by the demanding conditions of chickens and the problem of selecting breeders. At the same time, in its homeland, Avsrolorp is considered a very unpretentious breed.

Rhode Island

A heavy meat and egg breed that is used to produce broilers. Live weight of laying hens is up to 3 kg, adult roosters – 3.8 kg. The productivity of laying hens reaches 160-170 eggs. The breed is late maturing. Puberty occurs at 7 months.

Main characteristics

A common difference in the description of the Curly Chicken breed is the presence of upward-curved feathers that cover the body with a continuous cover. Short legs are feathered or not, and there are no clear indications about the shape of the crest.

The earlobes are medium-sized, white, and have round red earrings. The wings are lowered, the tail is medium-sized tousled.

Birds created on the basis of the Polish group of chickens have a lush crest. Interesting variations are obtained by crossing with Chinese silk chickens.

European standards have four colors: black (silver), blue, fawn and white. However, since ordinary birds with different colors are used in the production of curly birds, in reality there are much more variations in the colors and plumage of chickens.

Domestic Curly-haired chickens are light in weight (rooster up to 3.0 kg, chicken up to 2.1 kg), with a wide body and medium-length back. The head and neck are medium. Thanks to its “disheveled” plumage, the bird most closely resembles a fluffy ball.

In Europe, larger ones are described: a rooster up to 3.6 kg, a chicken up to 2.7 kg, as well as bantams, the weight of which ranges from 0.5-0.8 kg.

Performance characteristics are average. A laying hen lays from 120 to 160 light brown eggs per year, weighing 25 - 45 grams, depending on the type of bird. Egg production begins at 6 months, and may be delayed in very curly ones.

From above, Curly-haired chickens resemble a hummock of red moss (in the photo there is a red color from the farm of Nadar G., Leningrad region).

Chickens "Belarus-9"

The breed was based on the gray Californian and white Leghorn, the paternal and maternal lines, respectively. From the name it is obvious that the breed was bred in Belarus. Chickens adapt well to various living conditions, so the breed has become widespread.

Chickens have white plumage. The bird has a small weight - from 1.3 to 2 kilograms. Chickens become sexually mature at the age of 160-170 days. On average, egg production is about 290 per 12 months, egg weight is 60 grams. "Belarus-9" is one of the five best breeds of chickens for egg production.

Meat focus

The name of the direction speaks for itself. The breeds of chickens that are included here are valued for their high yield of meat at slaughter. They are also much larger than their other relatives. Their adult weight reaches 3.5-5 kg. The bird gains slaughter weight already at 4-5 months of age, so there is an opinion that meat breeds do not lay eggs. But this is not true, it’s just that their egg production begins 1-2 months later. On average, you can get about 100-150 eggs per year from a meat chicken.

Orpington

Represents the best breeds of meat-oriented chickens. The species is very demanding in terms of nutrition and care. Chickens reach slaughter age at 4 months, and with intensive fattening - earlier. The weight of an adult rooster is approximately 5 kg, and that of a chicken is about 4 kg. Approximate annual egg production is 150-180 pcs. In demand for breeding at home.

Cochin

Chicken breeds imported from China. There are different colors, which divides them into types. Has excellent meat characteristics. The weight of an adult rooster is about 5 kg, and that of a hen is 3.5-4 kg. At the same time, it is not very demanding on living conditions and diet. The annual egg production reaches 120 pcs. Thanks to all this, Cochin is excellent for breeding at home. There are also several of its subspecies, which will be discussed in more detail in other articles, photos and thematic videos.

Broilers

Broilers are not a breed, but a cross. They are bred on the basis of several breeds for breeding on an industrial scale in poultry farms. It would be more correct to call them broiler chickens, since they only survive to adulthood at home. It is because of them that the erroneous opinion was formed that broiler (meat) breeds of chickens do not lay eggs.

Chickens are very demanding in terms of housing and nutritional conditions. But by the age of four months they gain a slaughter weight of 3.5-4 kg. Also, factory crosses have a rather weak immune system, so they require constant scheduled vaccinations. They begin to lay eggs closer to 6-7 months of life. The annual egg production of these chickens is about 100-150 pcs. You can learn more about their varieties, etc. from other thematic articles with photos and videos.

Bresse Gaul

Igor Nikolaev

auto RU

Bresse, a Gallic breed of bird originally from France, is its personification. Their color combines all the colors of the country’s national flag: a bright red expressive crest, snow-white plumage, and blue paws.

The livestock belongs to the meat-and-egg direction. Birds are characterized by accelerated weight gain. They lay their first clutch at 5 months. The annual income of eggs is 200 pieces, weighing 69 g. The shell is white.

The Bress Gallic breed is preferred for farmers who plan to produce eggs and meat. Birds are resistant to leukemia and many pathogenic bacteria. When properly maintained, they rarely get sick.

More on the topic: Rules for raising broiler chickens

Review of white meat and egg chickens

Meat and egg chickens are versatile chickens that are bred for meat and eggs. These birds are ideal for breeding on home farms. Their main features are their large size and egg production at the level of 160–200 eggs annually.

Pervomayskaya

A beautiful laying hen of Ukrainian origin with a luxurious collar around her neck. Representatives of the Pervomaiskaya breed have Colombian coloring - the feathers on the entire body are snow-white with rare splashes of black. Dark feathers are present on the tips of the wings, tail and mane.

Pervomayskaya breed of chickens

White chickens of the Pervomayskaya breed mature at 6 months and lay 180 eggs per year. The birds are quite large - the weight of a one-year-old rooster reaches 3.8 kg, and that of a hen - 2.5–2.9 kg.

Moscow white

It was bred through long-term crossing experiments at the All-Union Institute of Poultry Science in the city of Zagorsk, Moscow region. The selection involved such well-known breeds of chickens as White Russian, May Day and Plymouth Rock.

Pullets of the Moscow White breed

Moscow laying hens weigh 2.5 kg, roosters - 3.2–3.5 kg. The birds are well adapted to the Russian climate, are unpretentious and show high productivity. Sexual maturity in females occurs at 6–7 months. A chicken produces about 180 eggs per year, weighing 55–58 g.

Reference. By crossing Moscow white laying hens with representatives of meat breeds, you can get domestic broilers.

Among the chickens with snow-white plumage, there are both egg-laying and meat-producing chickens. However, small households value versatile birds that provide the owner with eggs and meat at the same time. Before choosing one of the breeds, you need to study their characteristics and care features.

It is important to consider the possibility of raising poultry at home

Sports and decorative breeds of chickens

In addition to the breeds described above, some homestead farms also breed sporting and ornamental birds.

The most famous sporting chicken breeds include (Fig. 16):

• English fighting chickens are the most common chickens. The birds have a very distinctive appearance: a head with a wide forehead and a small crest, a vertical neck, dense plumage, long and strong legs. In addition to their strong build, the birds have a very aggressive character and featherless legs. Egg production is low (about 100 eggs per year), but English fighting breed chickens are often used for crossing with meat breeds to improve the strength of the physique and greater development of the pectoral muscles.
• Kulangi are most common in Uzbekistan. Feather color can be brown, black or red. The weight of roosters can exceed 4 kg, and hens - 3 kg.

Rice. 16. Sports and decorative breeds of chickens: 1 - English fighting, 2 - kulangi, 3 - bantam, 4 - shabot

Ornamental chicken breeds are often bred on homestead farms for aesthetic purposes. Birds may be much smaller than standard size, have a long tail (or no tail at all), or have unusual plumage.

The most famous decorative breeds of chickens are (Fig. 10):

• Bantams are the most common ornamental chickens, as this breed includes many subspecies of dwarf birds. The first group includes the bantams themselves, and the second group includes dwarf copies of other breeds (Langshans, Cochins). The birds have low egg production (up to 100 eggs per year), and their body weight does not exceed a kilogram.
• Shabot is a dwarf breed of chickens, which is often bred for decorative purposes. Feathers can be white, yellow, porcelain or calico. The weight of adult roosters reaches only 600 grams, and hens - 500 grams.

Pavlovskaya is also considered one of the most famous ornamental breeds of chickens (Fig. 17). Such birds are not bred for meat and eggs, since the weight of an adult individual rarely exceeds one and a half kilograms, and laying hens produce only about 80 eggs per year. Pavlovsk chickens have a very beautiful unusual golden-brown color and a large crest on the head. From a maintenance point of view, Pavlovsk chickens are very demanding: they cannot be kept in cages, and the range must be spacious.

Rice. 17. Chickens of the Pavlovsk breed

More useful information about chicken breeds is given in the video. You will learn how to properly care for birds and keep them for profit.

Content Rules

There are several options for keeping Russian White chickens. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. You shouldn't forget about them. It would be nice to keep the birds on a litter. The material must be rough. This method is suitable for those who own large plots. Chickens must be kept indoors. A rough bedding is spread on the floor.

Chickens should be outside a lot of the time. They don't need a lot of food. They can eat whatever comes under their feet. These can be insects and worms, seeds and green grass. There is no need to keep a very large number of chickens. Otherwise, they will trample the ground and eat all the available insects.

It can easily be eaten by a more predatory bird. To prevent this from happening, you need to make a fence around the chicken coop. The ground surface must be fairly hard. If the ground is soft, it will be difficult for the farmer to clean the plot. You should not make a floor out of earth in a chicken coop. After the rain has passed, the ground will be muddy. A lot of germs will accumulate on it. If a farmer has a small area of ​​land, then hens need to be kept in cages. This saves a lot of space and makes caring for birds easier.

The farmer will be able to walk around the chicken coop every day and check the laying hens. The floor will be clean. Birds will sit in cages most of the time. They will eat much less food because they will not expend energy while walking. The option of keeping birds in cages also has its disadvantages. Due to the fact that chickens will be outside less, the owner must constantly monitor the temperature in the chicken coop.

When it's very hot outside, birds eat less. But the number of eggs they lay also decreases. Chickens don't lay eggs well when they don't have enough water. This causes great inconvenience to farmers. Baby chicks are fed the same food as adult chickens. They eat 3 times a day.

After this age, the amount of food is gradually reduced. Chickens need to crush the feed into crumbs. It takes them a lot of time to eat large food. Birds peck at each other less. From the 20th week, chicks begin to eat in the same way as adult chickens.

Bird food is rich in calcium salts. As a result, the eggshell 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.

Shaver White

The Shaver White breed is a hybrid breed. This is a cross that was bred by breeders by crossing Leghorns. There are birds of snow-white color, brown and black. The chickens are very light in weight, but their distinctive ability is manifested in their high egg production, more than 320 pcs. At the same time, they consume less feed than birds of other groups.

• Shaver White is short. They don't require much space.
• Birds are not known for their mobility and curiosity. They are slow.
• Laying hens are able to incubate eggs, which is rare among egg breeds.
• Shavers have well-developed wings. They don't miss the opportunity to fly high on the fence. When maintaining them, you need to carefully monitor them. It is strictly not recommended to trim their wings. This affects not only productivity, but also immunity.
• Puberty in birds occurs early, but it is recommended to postpone the first clutch until 5-6 months of age. In this case, the eggs will weigh 60 g and be of good size. The color of the shell depends on the plumage of the birds. Shaver White's is white. Individuals with brown and black plumage have brown eggs.
• The weight of an adult rooster can reach 4 kg, a chicken 3 kg.

When feeding, a combined technique is used. Birds are given both dry grain and a mash of crushed dry mixture. It is recommended to make a mash for the first feeding. The food will have a positive effect on egg laying. The livestock is fed 3 times a day. Be sure to give green grass and vegetables.

Breeds of white laying hens

Egg-laying chickens have their own distinctive characteristics. These are light-boned, small-sized birds. Their weight rarely exceeds 2–2.5 kg. Such birds have a round, full belly, and the chest is V-shaped.

White Leghorn

The Leghorn is the most common egg breed with a snow-white feather color and contains the best qualities of laying hens. It comes from the Italian city of Livorno. Later the line was improved by American scientists.

Leghorn hens have no equal in egg production, and therefore they are popular all over the world both among industrial poultry farmers and among owners of small private farms. Representatives of the Italian breed have a wedge-shaped body, a long neck, a wide back, and a medium-sized head with a large red crest. Interestingly, in roosters it is located straight, while in hens it hangs to the side.

Reference. White Leghorns were first bred, but later, due to the growing demand for brown-shelled eggs, breeders created colored varieties of the breed.

The productive qualities of chickens with snow-white feathers are excellent - a laying hen produces about 300 eggs per year. Birds begin laying eggs at the age of 4 months. They are used on poultry farms for 1.5 years, then sent for slaughter.

Russian white

This breed was created in the mid-20th century in Russia. In Soviet times, it was one of the most popular among laying hens and was used on an industrial scale and in households. Its ancestors are Leghorn hens, from which the Russian laying hen inherited feather color and high egg productivity. The bird is well adapted to the Russian climate, since indigenous varieties were involved in the selection.

Russian white chicken

Distinctive features of the Russian white laying hen:

• adult weight – 2.1 kg;
• long and strong back;
• slightly protruding chest;
• large leaf-shaped red comb with 5 teeth;
• well developed earrings;
• bright yellow thin metatarsals;
• The roosters' tail is raised high, thick, with long braids.

In terms of productive indicators, Russian chickens are inferior to Leghorns - each of them produces 200–240 eggs per year. The average weight of a product unit is 60–63 g.

Hisex white

The white breed of chickens, Hisex White, comes from Holland. This is an egg cross with high productivity - 300-315 eggs per year weighing 65 g. The weight of the hen is 1.8 kg, the weight of the rooster is 2 kg. Reproductive age occurs at 5 months. The duration of intensive oviposition is 2 years.

Birds have light bones. The rooster has a large bright red crest on its small head. In hens it tilts in one direction, forming something like a wave, while in cockerels it stands straight. The earrings of representatives of this breed are quite large, round in shape, and soft to the touch.

Attention! The highsex white hybrid boasts a good survival rate of young animals, reaching 96%

Loman white

The photo shows a white laying hen, Loman White. This hybrid was created by German breeders on the basis of Leghorns. It is considered the leader in egg production. The birds have a body structure typical of the egg direction - a trapezoidal body with a narrow chest and a rounded belly.

Representatives of the Loman White breed have a small head with a bright red comb, which in laying hens tilts to one side. The average weight of a bird is 1.6–1.8 kg. The wings are medium in size, the legs are long and thin.

Attention! A white broken egg laying hen brings 320–330 eggs per year, and some individuals bring more. The cross is used primarily in industrial poultry farming, as it requires strict adherence to recommendations regarding feeding and housing conditions

The cross is used primarily in industrial poultry farming, as it requires strict adherence to recommendations regarding feeding and housing conditions.

Shaver white

Shaver chickens of Dutch selection belong to the egg breeding direction. Like representatives of other egg-laying breeds, these are very active, small birds with light bones. Laying hens have dense white plumage and a well-developed leaf-like comb and earrings. Roosters have a proud posture and can boast of protruding beautiful breasts. The hens have a full belly typical of egg-laying breeds.

• bird weight – 1.6–1.8 kg;
• egg laying begins at 4 months;
• egg production duration - 80 weeks;
• number of eggs – 330–350;
• product unit weight – 60 g.

American breed Plymouthrock

Today there are 8 types of Plymouth Rocks, but in our country only two have gained popularity - striped and white. They are resilient and absolutely unpretentious to living conditions.

Plymouth rock chickens have a compact and strong build. Their head is of medium size. The beak is short and yellow. The comb is set low, has five teeth on hens and four on roosters. The breed is distinguished by its bright red earlobes with a smooth surface and oval shape. The neck is of medium length with thick feathering. The chest is slightly raised, has a wide and convex shape. The wings are of medium size and press tightly to the body. The back is slightly raised towards the tail with strong plumage with moderately long braids. White Plymouthrocks have white plumage, while striped ones have stripes of black with a lilac tint across the white feathers.

Plymouth rock chickens have a calm character and little activity in movement. They get along easily in any climate and are resistant to bird diseases. Chicks gain weight quickly, which cannot be said about the plumage, which only begins to appear after six weeks. Plymouthrocks mature quickly and produce their first eggs within six months. They have tender meat, the taste of which is reminiscent of fish. Roosters grow up to 4.6 kg, and chickens grow to almost 3.4 kg. They produce 170 eggs per year.

Breed overview

The very name of the breed – Russian White – gives an almost clear idea of ​​the appearance of the chicken and its “nationality”. The second name of the breed is unusual and poetic - Snow White. More about Russian White or Snow White later.

Origin

The selection and breeding of snow-white chickens was carried out by domestic professionals. Selection work began at the beginning of the last century. Around 1929, for the first time, white Leghorn roosters were crossed with local hens, as people say, “outbred.” Moreover, Leghorns were used by different “nationalities”: English, American, Danish. Then, over the course of a quarter of a century, the initially obtained offspring were bred “in themselves.”

Crossbreeds of varying degrees of kinship were re-crossed, some of them again receiving Leghorn blood. The best of them were selected, crossed with each other, and this continued until the breed was finally approved in 1953. The Russian White turned out to be a meat and egg breed, however, given the egg orientation of the Leghorns, they continued to work on the Snow Whites, focusing specifically on their egg qualities.

Therefore, until 1965, Russian Whites were used as the main domestic egg breed of chickens. After all, the figure of 190 eggs was quite respectable at that time. At the same time, in some specialized breeding farms it was possible to “improve” White chickens and ensure that their egg production exceeded 200 eggs.

I would like to note that Russian white chickens were at the peak of their “popularity” in the middle of the last century. So, in 1975, the population of Snow Whites numbered about 30 million individuals, but already in 1990 this figure decreased tenfold and the population no longer exceeded 3 million chickens. This is due to the fact that it became difficult for domestic chickens to compete with the same Leghorns, who confidently produced 50 more eggs per year than they did. However, such a decline in popularity and enthusiasm for the Russian Whites was not observed in the territory of Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

At the moment, selection work on the domestic breed has not yet been completed and it is possible that white chickens will soon delight us with new indicators and records.

Appearance

In addition to the spectacular snow-white color, which we have already repeatedly emphasized, the appearance of the Russian Hen can be described as follows. The bird's head is of medium size, crowned by a fairly large leaf-shaped crest with five teeth. The comb is painted bright red; in roosters it is of a respectable size and looks contrasting and beautiful against the background of white plumage. Due to its size, the comb may sometimes hang to one side.

The birds' earrings are the same bright and contrasting red color as the crest, they are also quite large, and the earlobes are white. The neck is not long, in roosters it is somewhat longer than in hens, it is massive and well feathered. The chest is wide, arched, protruding significantly forward, the back is wide. The wings of Russian Whites are well developed and feathered, fitting tightly to the body.

The legs are yellow and lack feathers. The tail of Russian Whites is beautiful and well developed. In hens it sticks out more, has long stiff feathers, in roosters it bends in a beautiful arc.

Russian chickens have only one plumage option - white. In young chickens it is yellow, gradually being replaced by snow-white. All birds with plumage other than white or inclusions of some foreign color were rejected. Chickens that were too fragile and closely resembled Leghorns were also subject to culling.

Productive qualities

Despite the fact that the excitement around Russian Whites has subsided and many highly productive crosses have appeared recently, these chickens continue to be kept both in small households and on a large industrial scale. Of greater interest is the breed's egg production. Currently it is fixed at around 200 eggs per year.

There are separate selected lines that are capable of laying 230-240 eggs.

The weight of the eggs is small - 55-56 g, which is considered a disadvantage of the breed; the shell is white. As the hen “gets older”, its egg production may decrease by 10-20%, but at the same time the weight of the fruit will increase and can reach up to 60 g. The beginning of egg laying in Russian laying hens is five months of age.

As for meat productivity, it is as follows: the live weight of hens is about 1.8 kg, of cockerels - 2-2.5 kg. At the same time, the safety of young animals is quite high - 96%, of adults - 91%.

Characteristics of breeds of laying hens

The basis for choosing laying hens for semi-commercial use should be the ratio of feed consumed to the number of eggs produced. The size of the egg is also taken into account, since the buyer prefers to take large ones.

Industrial egg crosses, which produce the maximum amount of production per year, are best suited for such purposes. But the disadvantage of crosses is that they also eat a lot compared to less productive breeds. If the chicken does not consume food, it will have nowhere to get materials to create eggs. Also, crosses are capricious in maintenance and require the creation of special conditions.

If a chicken breeder chooses laying hens in order to obtain eggs for himself, then he can pay attention to less demanding purebred laying hens bred through selection. Today, productive breeds of laying hens have already been bred, which are not much inferior to industrial crosses. If laying hens are taken only for the family, and the consumption of eggs in the house is not high, you can pay attention to beautiful breeds of laying hens. Their productivity may be lower, but the birds will delight the eye with their unusual appearance.

General requirement for all purebred laying hens, including crosses:

• low body weight (up to 2 kg);
• well developed abdominal cavity.

The general law for all chickens is either meat or eggs. Laying hens do not have good meat quality and do not gain significant muscle mass. A slaughtered one-year-old hen evokes the thought of “skin and bones.” You should not expect high egg production from chickens that produce a beautiful meat carcass.

Important! Meat breeds of chickens are often distinguished by their beauty.

When buying Brahma or Cochin, you should not expect a large number of eggs from them. But you can hope to get a large meat carcass.

A little history

As you know, people did not immediately domesticate chickens and began to raise them on their farms. Initially, many species were wild, living and breeding in natural conditions.

To date, scientists cannot answer when exactly people figured out how to make useful domestic animals out of chickens. But this only means that domestication occurred quite a long time ago, and that is why no records of the first chicken breeders have survived to this day.

Breeds today are classified by type. The most popular are egg, meat and meat-egg. In addition to these birds, there are also decorative and fighting birds.

Among the varieties known today, only a small part is considered natural - the remaining breeds of white laying hens were obtained through selection at different times. Chickens with light feathers are also, for the most part, the result of the work of breeders.

White Loman chicken breed - description

It is worth noting that there is no such breed as the white Loman. This is a subspecies of the world-famous laying hen Loman Brown. White chickens were the result of crossing the common brown Lohman with the white Leghorn.

The distinctive characteristics of this cross of chickens include the following:

1. Snow-white plumage, without any extraneous shades.
2. Adult chickens weigh up to 1.5 kg. After all, the main focus of the breed is high egg-laying productivity.
3. Loman whites, with a proper balanced diet and optimal housing conditions, begin to lay eggs very early - at the age of 4 months.
4. The annual egg production is up to 340 eggs.

The main advantages that characterize these white chickens include a very calm and friendly character, as well as unpretentiousness to climatic conditions. Lohman White individuals breed equally well in different climate zones. The main thing is to choose the right diet.

Breeds of white chickens

Meat breeds

As for meat productivity, in Belarus they prefer to breed cross breeds, since they are characterized by increased productivity.

To obtain high-quality and tasty meat, Orpington, Rhode Island, Brahma, Faverolles, Cornish chickens, and of course broilers are bred in the republic. These breeds acclimatized well and took root in the farms of Belarus.

The Orpington breed is distinguished by its massive body and variety of colors. The breed belongs to the meat breed, but also has high rates of egg production. The peculiarity of Orpingtons is that they do not fly at all due to their high body weight, so they can be kept in a pen with a low fence.

Initially, the color of the Orpington's plumage was black with a green tint, but as a result of selection and numerous crossings, white, fawn, red, calico, gold, marbled, brown, yellow and other species began to appear.

The Orpington has a small head on a massive body with thick plumage. The head is decorated with an erect leaf-shaped crest, lobes and earrings of bright red color. Moreover, in appearance, hens of this breed are similar to roosters, and differ from them in size - they are smaller than males and their bellies are rounder.

Orpingtons are advantageous for keeping because they are able to gain weight up to 4.5-5 kg ​​for roosters, and 3.5-4 kg for hens. Their meat is juicy and tasty, their skin is white. On average, per year, 1 hen produces up to 180 eggs with light brown shells, weighing 60-65 grams.

At the same time, not all farmers like them - the fact is that chickens of this breed grow very slowly, and large amounts of feed have to be spent to achieve the required weight. This is the only drawback of Orpingtons, which harms their popularity among poultry farmers in Belarus.

Cornish is another meat breed of chicken, popular in Belarus. The breed was bred in England, but in the vastness of the republic it has taken root very well. Cornishes are massive chickens with white, red, fawn and dark plumage. White Cornish became the basis for breeding early-ripening broilers.

Externally, white Cornish are characterized by a wide head with a pod-like crest and massive red earrings, and a massive, oval body. They have excellent meat forms that poultry farmers like so much.

Cornish hens produce 110-140 eggs per year, but this breed is distinguished by its high weight. Roosters gain up to 4.2-4.8 kg of live weight, and hens gain 3.2-3.6 kg. chickens grow quite quickly, and by 2 months the cockerels weigh up to 2 kg, and the hens weigh up to 1.6 kg.

Cornish have a well-developed brooding instinct, but their low reproductive qualities make their cultivation impractical. Therefore, males of this breed are used to breed early maturing boiler hybrids with higher egg production and better survival of young animals.

Plymouthrock is a meat and egg breed that came to Belarus from the English city of Plymouth. The plumage color of chickens of this breed can be gray, striped, white, black, fawn. White and striped Plymouthrocks are the most common in the republic.

Striped Plymouth Rocks, like Cornish and Orpingtons, are the basis for breeding breeds for meat and egg production. As a result of crossing, white Plymouthrocks appeared as a mutant species of tabby, and as the main breed for breeding the maternal line of broilers.

The appearance of the Plymouth Rock is characterized by a small head with a small leaf-shaped crest, medium-length earrings and red earlobes, as well as a long, wide body.

The live weight of an adult male reaches 2.9-3.8 kg, females 2.5-2.8 kg. A Plymouth rock hen produces 170-220 eggs per year, weighing up to 60 grams, with light brown shells. Chickens have a well-developed brooding instinct.

Plymouth rock chickens should not be overfed, as they have a tendency to become obese, which interferes with the reproduction of offspring.

Rhode Island is a meat breed of chicken delivered to Belarus from the USA. The external features of the breed are a medium-sized head, a leaf-shaped, erect comb, small middle ears, and red earlobes. The body is rectangular, large, the plumage is lush in red-brown tones, the mane, end of the tail and wings are black, with a greenish tint.

The live weight of an adult rooster reaches 3-3.5 kg, and that of a chicken – up to 2.5 kg. A laying hen of this breed produces 260-280 eggs per year, weighing 62-64 grams, with white or light brown shells.

In breeding farms, Rhode Island hens are used to cross with White Leghorn roosters to produce eggs.