Man began to breed chickens several millennia ago. Such a poultry has been popular for a long time in Europe, and in Asia, and in America. Of course, most often farmers breed hens of common, widespread breeds - Leghorn, Roy-Aland, Kuchin's anniversary, etc. But some enthusiasts keep on the courtyards a more original decorative or just a domestic bird. What interesting rare breeds of chickens exist today in the world? Read about it in our article.
Ga Dong Tao: Description
In another way, this breed of chickens is called Vietnamese fighting. This bird attracts primarily for its unusual appearance. “Ga” is translated into Russian as “chicken”, “Dong Tao” is the name of a Vietnamese village in which for centuries they have been breeding fighting males. In Europe, only a few collectors contain such chickens. Basically, Ga Dong Tao can be found only in Vietnam itself. At the moment, therefore, it is one of the rarest breeds of chickens in the world.
You can distinguish such a bird from any other by:
At the same time, the most characteristic feature of Ga Dong Tao is very thick legs with short, poorly developed fingers. It was on the legs when breeding chickens of this breed in Vietnam that they once paid attention most of all. The paws of Ga Dong Tao are used in this country to prepare a special gourmet dish.
Features of care and maintenance
These rare chickens are very moody and tender birds. Since this breed was bred in a hot country, the Russian climate is not very suitable for it. A farmer who, for the sake of interest, decides to have such chickens, will have to build an insulated and heated barn for them. Also, the owner of the compound growing Ga Dong Tao is likely to encounter such a problem as the exposure of this bird to various diseases. Unfortunately, Ga Dong Tao has no immunity to European chicken ailments, of course.
This breed belongs, as already mentioned, to the group of fighting. Accordingly, Ga Dong Tao's cockerels are also aggressive. In the courtyard of such hens are kept separately from other farm birds. Yes, and the owners themselves have to behave with such cocks very carefully. One sudden movement in the chicken coop can lead to a rather serious injury.
The aggressiveness of the males of this breed is really off scale. But at the same time they are very easy to train. Chickens are unusually smart, and under the guidance of an experienced trainer they can literally walk along the line.
Red-handed English
Chickens of this breed belong to the egg direction of productivity. The main distinguishing feature of this poultry is a large pink-like crest. The breed is very old, but it is still maintained by some UK farmers. Red-caped chicken was bred in England at the beginning of the 19th century. Farmers then chose the now extinct Yorkshire pheasant, as well as the Lancashire muni, as the parent breed for her.
In addition to the large scarlet ridge, due to which the breed got its name, the characteristic features of the red-caped English chicken are:
light body and high set tail;
medium-sized neck with elongated plumage;
wings tightly pressed to the body;
high set tail;
a small thickened head.
A photo of a rare breed of red-capped English chickens can be seen below. The color of this bird in most cases is dark motley brown. A distinctive feature of this breed, among other things, is the large size difference between the males and the hens.
How to care
This breed is famous primarily for its high egg production. It is because of this quality that red-caped chicken is still popular with some farmers in England. The meat of representatives of this breed is considered very tasty. It is red-handed chickens tender, completely not tough and juicy.
The advantages of this breed include, among other things, endurance. English red-handed chickens tolerate cold well and rarely get sick. Therefore, in Russia, farmers who decided to tackle this breed should not have special problems with it.
The only drawback of such chickens is that they completely lack maternal instinct. The farmer will have to breed chickens of this breed in an incubator.
The owner of the compound, who decided to take up these chickens, among other things, should keep in mind that they are wonderful flyers. For such a bird, among other things, you will have to make an indoor courtyard or aviary with a very high fence.
Paduans
Representatives of this rare breed of chickens have an unusually attractive appearance. A distinctive feature of the Paduan is a very magnificent radiant tuft, covering the entire head. These chickens are known to man from ancient times. In Russia, peasants, for example, used peasants to get eggs and meat back in the 18th century. The exact origin of this breed, unfortunately, is not clear. However, some researchers believe that for the first time such chickens began to breed in Italy. In any case, the earliest mention of this breed is found among the Romans.
These chickens look very light and elegant. The plumage of the representatives of this breed is bright and harmonious. In chickens, a crest has the appearance of a ball; in males, it looks like a mane. The crest in representatives of this breed is absent. Moreover, the beard of such hens is very large. This bird also does not have earrings.
How to care
This elite breed of laying hens belongs to the group of decorative. They contain paduans, as well as ordinary chickens, in spacious houses. The barn built for them, among other things, needs to be well insulated and put heaters in it. A thick layer of straw must be laid on the floor in the poultry house. In the aviary for these hens you also need to build a canopy.
Paduans are an omnivorous bird. However, the diet for them, as for any chickens, needs to be developed carefully. Everything in a row cannot be allowed to this bird. If the paduan pecks something stale or too greasy, he will certainly get sick. It is believed that dry complete feed is best suited for these chickens.
The food offered to this bird, among other things, needs to be checked for hormones. A food containing such components can significantly reduce the immunity of paduan. Moreover, when using such food, these hens begin to lay not very high-quality eggs. In winter, Paduans are usually given warm food. Most often it is steamed peas, corn, lentils. Very useful for representatives of this breed is considered and greens.
Drinking bowls for paduan should definitely be purchased nipple. Water cannot be poured into simple containers for these chickens. Otherwise, the long beard of these birds will constantly get wet and collect dirt.
The peculiarity of the chickens of this breed, among other things, is that they are very strongly attached to the owner. Therefore, experienced farmers do not advise acquiring adult Paduan for the compound. In a new place, such hens will feel uncomfortable. It’s better to buy chickens of this breed for farming.
Bentamki
At the moment, it is one of the rarest dwarf breeds of chickens in the world. In another way, these hens are called kings. Bentamics were brought to Europe once from Japan. They came to the Land of the Rising Sun from India, where in ancient times they were bred for cockfights. Once upon a time, these mini-chickens were considered a sign of wealth and only wealthy people could acquire them. Many researchers attribute this beautiful breed to the oldest in the world.
The plumage of the benthos can have a different color. But at the same time it is always bright and very catchy. Standards for these one of the rarest chickens in the world allow white, black, colorful, etc. colors. Also characteristic features of such a bird are:
The crest of the bentamok can be either leafy or pink. Also, some varieties of this rare breed of chickens have a crest.
Care Features
These chickens are bred in most cases as decorative. However, from them you can get a small number of eggs. Depending on the variety, benthos can carry them from 90 to 130 pcs. in year. The peculiarity of the eggs of these hens is that the yolk inside them cannot move.
For a Russian farmer, a business plan for breeding a rare breed of bentamok hens must necessarily include the calculation of the construction of a heated, ventilated shed. Equip the house for bentamok in the same way as for representatives of other breeds. The only thing - perches for them are set lower and in one tier. In any case, the hen house for bentamok should always be dry and very light. When kept in such a room, their plumage will look as attractive as possible. In addition, with a large number of windows, this bird rushes better.
Representatives of this rare breed of laying hens eat very little. Therefore, the owners of farmsteads have the opportunity to purchase the best and highest quality feed for them. Like other chickens, the basis of the diet of bentamok is made up of wet vegetable mixes with the addition of bran. Also, such a bird must receive cereals.
Russian crested
This wonderful breed was obtained by folk selection in the XIX century. When raising these chickens, Russian peasants focused on their endurance and productivity in terms of meat and eggs. Chickens of this breed look very attractive. Their main distinguishing feature is a large, protruding crest. The standards of this breed, among other things, are:
The crest of these rare chickens is always thrown back. In males, the tail is fluffy and has braids. Characteristic features of this breed are also a slightly curved beak and red eyes at the end.
Recently, the Russian crested began to enjoy great popularity among domestic collectors. Today they contain, for example, this rare breed of chickens in Kursk, Volgograd, Moscow Region and even in the Urals and Siberia. And in the increased popularity of Russian crested, there is nothing surprising. After all, a bird is not only quite productive, but also very beautiful.
Features of care for Russian crested
No special conditions are required for the maintenance of this rare breed of chickens. Such a bird, of course, is very well adapted to the Russian climate. The chicken coop for the Russian crested, of course, should be insulated, but it is not necessary to heat it. Lighting on the quality of life of these hens also has virtually no effect. However, at least one window in the poultry house arranged for them, of course, must be mandatory.
These chickens are fed in the same way as representatives of any other domestic or foreign breed. The only nuance of caring for this bird is that from time to time it needs to trim a crest. The feathers on the head often obscure these hens, which is why they may not even find a feeding trough. Sometimes a crest in such a bird is simply tied up.
Wyandotte
The formation of this breed began in the XIX century. in North America. Wyandotte is the name of one of the Indian tribes of this continent. Officially, this interesting breed was registered in 1883. It is believed that the Leggors, Orpingtons, Cochins, Dorkings and some others became her parents.
The main distinguishing features of Wyandotte are:
voluminous fluffy plumage;
significant width of feathers;
strong body;
magnificent not too long tail;
a small crest in both males and females;
strong strong legs of medium size.
The plumage of these hens can be different - from blue to golden. In this case, silver is considered to be the most beautiful. Such chickens have a white feather with a steel tint with a black edging, which gives them a special elegance. Below in the photo a rare breed of chickens Wyandotte is presented to the attention of the reader.
Content Features
This breed, like many other ancient Russian and European, very quickly adapts to any living conditions. In order for the Wyandots to feel comfortable, their house should first of all be well lit. The weight of the chickens of this breed are significant. Therefore, perches in the barn are not too high for them.
A feature of this breed, among other things, is its sensitivity to dirt in the chicken coop. Change the litter in the shed with Wyandotes is supposed to be at least 1 time per week. Chickens of this breed are fed just like any other. That is, they give them mixers and grain. Too many concentrates are not recommended for these chickens. Otherwise, they will gobble up and rush worse.
The chickens of the chickens wyandotte hatch willingly. Therefore, they are incubated by farmers only if they wish to get more chickens.
Japanese phoenix
This elite breed of chickens came to Europe from China and Japan. In these countries, it was believed that the phoenixes, if you settle them in the yard, can bring considerable luck. In the East, representatives of this breed were once even forbidden to eat.
The main feature of the phoenix is its beautiful tail, often reaching a length of 10 m. Because of this “accessory,” the males of this breed can’t walk practically. Also features of this breed are:
Photos of rare chickens of this breed are presented below. As you can see, phoenixes look really impressive. Japanese scientists managed, among other things, to inhibit the gene for molting the tail of representatives of this breed. Therefore, the feathers in it in the phoenixes simply gradually change every 5 years.
Care Rules
Keeping chickens of this breed is an unusually complex matter. It is believed that only real professionals can cope with it. In addition, the Japanese authorities also prohibited the purchase / sale of phoenixes. Because of this, they are for the most part considered one of the rarest breeds of chickens on the planet. Selling phoenixes is fraught for Japanese farmers with a large fine. Therefore, the German version of the phoenix has become quite popular in the world, the restrictions on the sale of which do not exist. German breeders “shortened” the tail of representatives of this breed to 3 m. Phoenixes of the German variety are also rather capricious, but still less whimsical to care than Japanese.
A farmer who decides to breed this elite breed of chickens should keep in mind, among other things, that these males will have to be walked at least 3 times a day. With a tail length of more than two meters, such a bird will not be able to walk on its own. The farmer will need to walk with such a cock as a dog. The tail of such a phoenix will have to be pre-screwed onto a papillot or laid on a trolley.
Phoenix chickens, among other things, also completely lack maternal instinct. Therefore, to replenish the flock of such a bird, an incubator is needed.
Farmers add yeast to phoenix foods. Moreover, daily in the menu of such a bird include barley, oats, beets, carrots, cabbage. Also, these hens are given herbal flour. Be sure this bird should receive mineral supplements.