Amateur poultry farmers are increasingly paying attention to decorative birds, which include dwarf chickens. Interesting appearance, high egg production and delicious dietary meat make them more and more popular.
Famous breeds
All decorative chickens are divided not only into meat and egg breeds. There are special species that are bred exclusively for decorative purposes.
Dwarf chickens usually weigh no more than 1 kg. Their egg production usually does not exceed 130 pieces per year.
The most common are dwarf chickens:
- bentamka;
- paduana;
- dwarf kokhinhin;
- dwarf vyandot;
- black (silk);
- dwarf la-flash;
- dwarf New English;
- Dutch white-crested;
- dwarf brama;
- bantam java;
- Orlov chintz dwarf;
- milfler;
- Shabo.
But this is not all known dwarf chickens. Breeds (photo of representatives allows us to understand how attractive they are), bred for decorative purposes, attract even professional poultry farmers.
Wyandottes are dwarf
The first representatives of this species appeared in the XIX century. Its ancestors were seabright bentamiki, kokhinkhiny, dark brama and Hamburg breeds.
Decorative dwarf chickens look quite attractive. The body of the bird is dense and wide, the legs of the cockerels are powerful with yellow plumage. Young hens can begin to rush at the age of 5 to 7 months. Up to 120 eggs can be obtained from them per year, weighing about 50 grams. Dwarf Wyandots differ in that they are prone to hatching. For a year they can give up to 3 broods of young chickens.
But in Russia, these dwarf chickens are not very common, although their population in the world is quite large. Experts say that silver-bordered chickens are considered the most popular, but there are about 15 color options in total.
Dutch white-crested
This decorative dwarf chicken has been known for a long time. Her first images were dated to the 15th century. The Dutch white-crested breed has a huge lush feather crest on its head. All representatives of this species are white. Also, belonging to the breed is established by a black spot located at the base of the beak. In shape, it resembles a moth.
The body of most birds is covered with black feathers with a greenish tint, sometimes with red blotches. The crest habitual for hens in Dutch white- crested animals is practically absent. But they have big bright red earrings. They stand out especially among roosters.
Black plumage, although it is the most common, is not the only one. There are also blue and brown Dutch white-crested dwarf chickens. Breeds, the photo of which makes it possible to evaluate all their advantages, require special care. For example, in Dutch white-crested animals it is necessary to trim their feather comb, otherwise it grows to the shoulders of the bird.
Paduans
The first represented represented dwarf chickens were more than 100 years ago. Paduans are representatives of decorative crested breeds. But, unlike other species, their feather crest is rare, long and falls back. The beak of the paduan is bent, it is bluish-gray in color. The earlobes and earrings are small, often they are not even visible from under the feathers. The body of the Paduan is elongated, it narrows to the back. Their tail is wide and well-feathered. The wings are long, they are pressed tightly to the body.
Despite the fact that Paduans are considered decorative chickens, they are bred in subsidiary farms. They can carry up to 120 eggs a year, and their meat is appreciated by gourmets.
Dwarf Cochinchins
Most poultry farmers who are fond of breeding ornamental breeds especially highlight those species that resemble a ball in shape. This is how dwarf cochinchins look like.
The hens are completely, from head to toe, covered with feathers. Their beak is yellow, it is slightly curved, the leaf-like crest. Ordinary and decorative birds of this breed practically do not differ; standard cochinchins and dwarf chickens look almost the same. Photos of representatives of both breeds unprofessional can even confuse. Although the dwarf species, due to its compact size, looks like a ball, ordinary cochinchins are quite large.
Their neck is of medium length, the back bends slightly and rises in the lumbar region. The chest of dwarf cochinchins is well developed. Their legs are set wide. What sets them apart is that they are covered with feathers all the way to the fingers. The wings and tail of the hens are rounded, they are quite short. It is almost impossible to list all the color variations of dwarf kokhinkhins.
Bentamki
This breed of chickens is characterized by unpretentiousness, cheerful disposition, and cockiness. They do not tolerate low temperatures, they can freeze the crest, earrings and even legs, but they are resistant to various diseases. If the bentam is cold, they will eat poor food, lose weight and even die. Therefore, it is important in the winter to keep them in insulated houses.
Bentamki, like many other dwarf chicken breeds, are excellent brood hens. They can lay eggs of various birds. They can sit offspring of valuable breeds of geese, ducks, chickens and other birds. To do this, you just need to provide them in sufficient quantities with food and water.
Young birds scamper at the age of 7 months. Chickens are very mobile, they quickly gain weight and are characterized by increased survivability. Birds of this breed fledge early.
Black breeds
Silk, or, as they are also called, black-skinned, dwarf hens have been known for more than 2 millennia. But their standard was established only in the 19th century in America. Black hens differ in that, regardless of their color, their
earlobes, beak and leaf-shaped comb are colored blue. There are 5 fingers on their feet, the latter being distant from the remaining four.
Interestingly, bird feathers are very similar to wool by touch. It is because of this that they are called silk. The chest and back of these birds are wide, the body is cubic, and the shape of the body is rounded on all sides. The legs of black hens are short with dense plumage. The color of these breeds of birds can be anything, there are both bright pinto, and light blue and even white representatives.
Each year, such a dwarf chicken can lay about 120 eggs. She can hatch not only her offspring. Birds of this breed are able to breed young birds of any birds.
Japanese bentamki
Shabo birds have been known for centuries. Japan is considered their homeland. In the countries of Southeast Asia, Japanese bentamoks were bred as domestic favorite birds in the homes of wealthy people.
Despite the fact that many dwarf breeds of chickens are demanding of the conditions of detention and susceptible to disease, Japanese bentamiki are quite tenacious. They are considered one of the most hardy of all decorative birds.
Chabot hens differ in short legs and a relatively massive body. They have a short back, long wings that touch the ground, and their chest is convex. The head of Japanese bentameks is large, a crest with 4-5 teeth is leaf-shaped, the color of the beak coincides with the color of the plumage, it is strong and short. The tail feathers located on the tail are raised high. On the neck they have lush feathers. Japanese bentamiki can be black and silver, golden, porcelain, wheat.
Features of the content of decorative breeds
If you are attracted to small hens, and you can create suitable conditions for them, then you need to know a few nuances of caring for them. Decorative rocks are thermophilic. It is important for them to make a warmed house, otherwise there is a risk of losing all the hens. At any time there should be at least 15 about C.
Dwarf breeds need to be fed in much the same way as regular ones. They need a varied diet, which includes grain, herbs, cottage cheese, food waste and vitamin supplements.
The house should have a bathtub filled with sand or dried shredded clay. Bathing in it helps birds get rid of parasites. Near the chicken coop there should be a site for their walking. It is desirable to sow grass.
Most decorative chickens begin to rush after six months. Moreover, their weight at this moment is about 0.6-0.7 kg.
In order for the hens of dwarf breeds to incubate eggs, it is necessary to prepare nests for them. These can be shallow boxes, the bottom of which must be lined with straw. The best hens are considered hens at 2-4 years of age. During the incubation period, they must be provided with water and food and organize a daily walk at any time of the year. It is impossible to disturb the hens only on the first and last day of incubation.