Successful breeding of chickens of any species depends on the correct breed, keeping conditions, feeding, personal desire to engage in poultry breeding. One of the most popular breed groups are chickens. These are poultry hybrids obtained by crossing different breeds. Such a process is complex and is carried out only by specialists according to strictly established rules.
Crosses are obtained by crossing roosters of one breed with chickens of another. On an industrial scale, population lines are usually crossed. This process differs from ordinary crossbreeding in complexity. In this case, not only natural insemination is used, but also blood transfusion.
Getting a hybrid
Upon receiving cross-hens, breeders rely on one or more of the characteristics that the resulting bird should possess. This is the maturity, growth rate, egg production. New breeds are bred using two to three breeds. In the first case, breeders get a simple line of chickens, and when using three breeds - a synthetic one. When these two lines are crossed, hybrids are obtained.
Such work is carried out in order to obtain productive offspring that are superior to their parents in terms of specified indicators.
Poultry Crosses
Cross is a parent herd from which hybrid offspring are obtained. Poultry crosses come in several options: two-, three-, and four-linear. Sometimes the name of the cross indicates a number that can talk about the number of lines used to obtain the breed.
Modern egg and meat breeds are four-line hybrids. They are bred in order to improve egg and meat productivity.
Breeding Egg Crosses
All crosses of hen eggs are divided according to the color of the eggshell in white and brown.
White hybrids are the result of crossing different lines of white leggorn. Brown shells in chickens, in the appearance of which not only Leghorn, but also the Rhode Island and other breeds took part. In this case, the leghors transmit egg production to the resulting offspring, but the hue of the shell is lost.
Cross-country chickens are in great demand, from which they get eggs with brown shells. This is due to the fact that the bird is not subject to much stress, resistant to heat, cold.
Breeds of Egg Chickens
The best are hybrid breeds of chickens bred by foreign breeders. Among them are the following breeds.
White:
- Loman-White;
- High Line;
- Decalb White.
Browns:
- Broken Brown;
- High Line Silver Brown;
- Isa Brown.
Domestic breeders also have extensive experience in obtaining crosses. Among the best breeds stand out:
- "Start-1";
- Crystal 5;
- Borki
- "B-121";
- "Progress";
- Volzhsky and some others.
From one chicken of any of these breeds it is possible to get up to 330 eggs per year, that is, the bird will lay an egg every day, taking small breaks. Of course, in order to achieve such results, it is necessary to properly feed and maintain the bird. If you do not meet the requirements for the content, then the chicken will give no more than eighty percent of the eggs of the genetically laid. However, raising chickens at home for beginners of precisely foreign breeds can become deplorable. This is due to the fact that at first the lack of knowledge affects, and the cross does not survive. For beginners, domestic selection is more suitable: Slobozhansky-3, Borki-Color.
Egg breeds have many features. Their main advantage is large eggs and excellent egg laying, but, despite this, they are poorly fattened. To get a batch of young growth, an incubator is necessary, since hybrids have virtually no instinct for incubation. However, with proper maintenance, egg laying begins by five months. It is for her that the egg cross-chickens are kept. Breeding these breeds for meat is unprofitable due to poor development.
Meat chickens
Asking the question "what does chicken crosses mean," many assume that these are breeds of meat broilers. They are able to gain up to a kilogram of pure meat in just forty days. With proper feeding, no more than two kilograms of feed is consumed per bird.
Long-term growing of chickens at home for beginners and professionals requires theoretical knowledge.
Broilers should only be kept outdoor. This is the most profitable bird placement. However, they are cramped in order to accelerate muscle building. However, domestic farms are adapted for growing birds in cages, and not for outdoor keeping. Specially for such conditions, breeds adapted specifically for the cellular content were developed. These include the "Ross 308" improved type, as well as "SK Rus-6." For home poultry, cross KOBB-500 and some other breeds are used.
The meat direction differs from the egg direction in large mass, short legs. There is a rare plumage on the bird. The laying of chickens begins after six months of age. In one year, one bird can lay up to hundreds of eggs weighing about 70 grams. Despite all these qualities, beef crosses differ in that they incubate eggs well.
Meat bird species
Among the representatives of meat cross-country, the following types are distinguished:
- Cornish. The weight of the bird is 3-4 kilograms. For a year, she lays up to 110 eggs weighing up to sixty grams.
- Brahma. The average weight is 4-5 kilograms. Egg production is an average of one hundred eggs per year weighing up to 65 grams.
- COBB-500. The peculiarity of the breed in early maturity. By the fortieth day, the weight of the chicken reaches 2.5 kilograms.
In households, the Leggorn, Lohmann, and Hubbard breeds are often found.
Meat and Egg Crosses
When crossing different lines of birds, meat-and-egg crosses were obtained. They are distinguished by their large mass and high egg production. However, these data are slightly lower than in birds of a purely meat and egg direction.
Chickens of representatives of crosses develop quite quickly, like meat ones. Already from five months the bird begins to lay eggs and can lay more than two hundred eggs, weighing about 65 grams. The advantage of growing meat and egg breeds is that the chicken instinct is well developed.
The best meat and egg breeds
Among the crosses of meat and egg direction, the following breeds are considered the best:
- Australorp The weight of the bird is 2.7 and 3.5 kilograms. A chicken can carry up to 170 eggs weighing about 55 grams per year.
- "Adler silver." The weight of the roosters is 3.5 kilograms, chickens - 2.6. Egg production - 180 eggs.
- The Galosheyki. The weight of the roosters is up to 2.5 kilograms, and the hens are half a kilo less. For a year, crosses can lay about 150 eggs weighing about 60 grams.
- "Kuchinsky anniversary." Roosters weigh almost four kilograms, and hens weigh about three kilograms. For a year, a chicken is able to lay up to 180 eggs weighing 60 grams.
- "Rhode Island". The weight of roosters is up to 4 kilograms, and hens - up to three. Egg production - up to 180 eggs per year.
- "Oryol vociferous." The weight of a rooster is up to four kilograms, and hens up to three. Egg production is about 100 eggs per year weighing up to 80 grams.
In private yards, such breeds as Borki, Beloruss-9, and Lohmann are often found. These crosses can produce up to three hundred eggs per year.
Chicken coop
For a small family, it is enough to have 10 birds. You can keep ten chickens of different breeds in separate chicken coops.
Any chicken coop for 10 chickens should be warm. The minimum temperature that should be in the room is -2 degrees.
In order for the hens to be able to lay eggs stably, it is necessary to organize lighting in the chicken coop: provide windows and electric lamps.
Each breed has its own requirements for density. Broilers are kept indoors with a landing density of not more than three chickens per square meter. Egg breeds feel good at a density of four birds per square meter. When keeping chickens in winter, you can increase the density of planting up to six goals. So they better tolerate the cold.
Before you start building a chicken coop for 10 hens, you need to choose a place where it will be located, and make drawings of the structure. The height of the room should be such that a person can walk there easily without bending his head. The warm part of the chicken coop should be an area of about 2.5 meters. The bird must definitely walk. For this, a canopy enclosed by a mesh is attached to the warm part. Its area should be about 3 square meters. m. A hole with a diameter of about 50 cm is made between the barn and the paddock so that birds can pass freely. Inside the chicken house are perches, nests. For ten chickens, three nests are enough.
Chicken Breeding Business
Breeding chickens at home is possible not only to ensure their own needs, but also in order to earn money on this. First of all, you should analyze the pros and cons. And only then open your small home-based business. Breeding chickens in the initial stages requires only great desire and starting capital.
To begin with, you should think about which chicken crosses will be grown. In parallel with the selection of the breed, one should prepare all the necessary documents for legalizing the business. If you develop a business plan, you can get a subsidy for farming.
The next step will be to choose a place where you plan to keep birds. If you plan to make a small profit, then you can organize a mini-farm on a personal farmstead, if its area is large enough. In other cases, you can rent a room or a piece of land.
Then, young animals are purchased and finished products are sought for marketing. When calculating the budget should take into account the costs of medicines, feed, veterinary services. Constantly buying young animals is not profitable, it is much more profitable to breed chickens from their own eggs. To do this, you need to think over a place where young animals of different ages will be kept, and purchase an incubator.
Subject to the technology of raising and feeding chickens for a year with 50 individuals, you can get a net profit of 50 thousand rubles. If possible, it can be increased if you sell not only eggs, but also young animals.
Breeding chickens is an interesting and uncomplicated matter. These birds can be kept not only for their own needs, but also sell products on the market, in cafes, restaurants, shops.