Breeding chickens in the home yard is a very lucrative activity, which allows you to always have fresh eggs and high-quality meat on the kitchen table.
Rooster description
In the formation of chicken herd a special role is given to the rooster. The latter, against the background of modest females, always looks spectacular: colorful plumage, a long loose tail, pointed feathers in the dorsal and cervical zones, and spurs on the legs. In adult males, there is a bright comb and hanging earrings located on the sides of the beak and performing the same function with the comb: directing blood flow to the skin and regulating the body's temperature regime.
The rooster rarely flies and over small distances, in danger it prefers fast running. At the end of autumn and the beginning of the winter period, molting occurs in males, lasting approximately 6 weeks. Crowing begins at 4 months of age.
The bird sleeps on one leg, presses the other under it and hides its head under the wing from the side where the leg is preloaded. Roosters and hens are omnivores, along with seeds and insects they can peck a small lizard, snake or young mouse. An important factor in successful growth and development is drinking water. Its deficiency negatively affects the egg production of females.
In the struggle for primacy
A rooster is a bird, the progenitor of which is a banker jungle chicken. The inhabitant of dense forests and bamboo thickets knew how to fly well, rested and slept on trees. Maybe it was from those times that the modern rooster remained in the habit of climbing as high as possible in order to review the surrounding area and timely warn the hens about the approach of danger.
A rooster is a prominent handsome man who has several females in his submission. He begins to prove his dominant position, while still a chicken. This is expressed in the manifestation of aggressiveness to fellow tribesmen. Competition is tougher the larger the group. It is noted that the winners in the battle for the championship are most often the owners of leaf-shaped ridges. Males with a pod-shaped head ornament, characterized by greater complaisance, have to live humbly in the background.
Some types of roosters do not want to remain at the lower levels of the hierarchy and each time they are fighting for a dominant position, most often not in an open fight, but in stealth, by attacking from the back. Sometimes such sudden swoops, tracking, exhaust the leader very much, and he gives up the championship without a fight.
Fertility of Roosters
For the opposite sex, the expression of interest in males begins at 3 months of age. Light breed males can mate up to several tens of times a day, coping with a load of 25 chickens. Representatives of heavy breeds manage to fertilize up to 20 females with a mating frequency of no more than 10 times.
The rate of egg fertility is affected not only by the number of roosters in the poultry yard, but also by their age. More difficult to communicate with the weaker sex is young males, who, because of timidity, spend a lot of time grooming. Brought into the house, they are grouped together and try to stay apart somewhere in a secluded corner. Adult hens intimidate young males, are not allowed to feeders. Therefore, often a poultry breeder, in order to avoid such treatment with a strong sex, first puts roosters in the chicken coop, and then lets the hens go to them. Then the hens cease to feel like mistresses and exhibit more delicate behavior.
The specificity of courtship for the opposite sex
In the process of courting females, a cock is an exemplary gentleman using a whole set of simple tricks:
- Bait "lady of the heart" to the feed. A rooster takes a beak of food (a grain or a worm) with its beak, demonstrates it and loudly calls the hens. If not one of them has responded to the call, he pecks the feed himself; if several chickens come running, he gives the prey to the one who managed the first.
- Stumble about the wing. When a chicken approaches, it walks around it, periodically kicks its wing with its feathers open.
- Chasing a female. In the process of running after the chicken, the cock extends its neck, bends its head to the ground, ruffles its feathers. This method is often applied to unfamiliar females, representatives of another's house.
To some hens of his herd, the rooster can be indifferent, and they carry unfertilized eggs. Therefore, some owners who want to get a larger offspring are forced to keep 2 roosters in one herd.
Rooster classification
Depending on the economic purpose, roosters and hens are classified into the following breeds:
1. Meat. The weight of the chickens is 2.9-3.6 kg, the males are 3.4-4.7 kg.
- Brahma. Decoration of any house. Bird with an exceptionally decorative appearance: dark or light plumage with a mandatory contrast collar.
- Konhinin. The bird is large and massive, with a wide muscular chest and a broad back. The tail of the rooster is decorated with short pigtails. Leaf scallop. Short curved beak. Red-orange eyes. The plumage is magnificent, also hides the legs.
2. Meat and egg. The weight of the cocks is 3.5-4.1 kg, the hens are 2.5-3.2 kg.
- Kuchinsky anniversary. It has a magnificent swelling, a small comb. It tolerates heat and cold. The plumage of the roosters is red. On the wings there is a black stripe with a green tint.
- Adler silver. Compact physique, medium size, deep long body, straight and broad back. Full chest, powerful strong skeleton. A small round head with a medium-sized crest.
3. Egg. The average weight of chickens is 1.8-2.2 kg, of males - 2.7-3.4 kg. The crest of roosters is mostly leaf-shaped, after the 2-3rd tooth, it is inclined to one side. Egg production of chickens - 200-265 eggs per year.
- Broken Brown is a well-known breed characterized by increased egg production. Its representatives are unpretentious in content. They have a large physique. Chick viability is 98%.
- Leghorn. Medium. They have a wedge-shaped body, proportional physique, roundish, slightly protruding chest forward. Elongated back, concave in the middle. The body resembles an isosceles triangle in shape
4. Decorative:
- Dutch white-crested. These are the owners of an unusual appearance. Medium. Characterized by a compact body. The plumage is tight-fitting. On the head there is a magnificent crest of white feathers resembling a spherical hat. Feathers are also found at the base of the beak.
- Chinese silk. Decorative light breed, quite mobile, characterized by silk plumage.
5. Fighting. The first cocks were tamed in Europe, Asia, Africa for fights. Domestication of poultry for food consumption occurred in India.
- Oryol. Presumably was bred by Prince Orlov-Chesmensky. It was widely distributed in the XIX century in Russia. Outwardly unusual and beautiful. It is characterized by high egg production and excellent meat taste.
- Azil. Wide, short-legged, bony, with a tight-fitting plumage, squat. Strongly expressed fighting character.
- Indian Fighting. Large, muscular breed with strong limbs, wide staged legs, brilliant plumage. Character is pugnacious.
Popular beliefs
The people associated with the cock a lot of beliefs. So, the Eastern Slavs considered singing to be the most important function of the bird. It is the cock cry that indicates the beginning of a new day, the retreat of darkness and evil spirits. With its scandalous disposition, a rooster is a rather sensitive creature, capable of predicting a change in weather. On the eve of a rainy day, even with a very clear sky, the bird becomes restless, sings randomly, scared.
Black cocks are considered quite rare. These birds have long been attributed to witchcraft and attributed to them a direct connection with the other world. But keeping such a bird on the farm is considered a good sign: a black rooster reliably protects the property and its owner from thieves and other ill-wishers.
During the construction of the house, the Slavs traditionally sacrificed just such a bird. In cultures of many nations, the black rooster is considered a symbol of material well-being and affluence.