In Russia, birds that lay eggs with white and brown shells are considered the most popular types of chickens. The former belong to laying hens, and the latter to the egg-meat type. There are also meat breeds of chickens, sports and miniature. But they are less in demand among farmers, especially the last two types.
Sports breeds are characterized by a high rate of vitality, but their egg production is on average, or even minimal. Miniature hens, on the contrary, rush well, but are too picky in service and die like flies if they are kept like ordinary birds. That is why farmers prefer to breed ordinary breeds of chickens - laying hens and egg-meat appearance. They are unpretentious, live long and in most cases fully justify the forces and financial resources invested in them.
So, let's try to figure out which breeds of chickens are considered the best, why and how they differ from each other. Also consider the main features of a particular species and the appropriateness of its breeding.
Layers
Breeds of laying hens differ from others in high activity. They have a relatively light skeleton, light weight and dense plumage. One of the remarkable visual features of the layers is the large leaf-shaped crest on the crown.
Egg breeds of chickens begin to rush four to five months after birth. As soon as the bird has gained the necessary mass, eggs begin to appear. Domestic farmers prefer to breed the least finicky layers of laying hens - Russian white and leggorn, but some do not deny themselves exotic.
Russian white
This is one of the most popular breeds of chickens. Description and feedback on this type is, as they say, on each column. This breed is very popular in Russian villages and villages. She is picky, tenacious and well carried.
The chicken was born thanks to Russian breeders who crossed the breed of leggorn chickens with meat birds. The laying hen begins to give eggs after five months of life. The live weight of the chicken can reach three to four kilograms in roosters and two or three in females.
By its appearance, the laying hench is somewhat reminiscent of leghorn, but its head is slightly larger than that of the original species. Reviews on the breed of Russian white chickens are mostly positive. The only critical flaw that most farmers complain about is the weak instinct for incubation. Therefore, it is almost necessary to force the bird into the eggs or bring them out artificially.
Leggorn
This breed of chickens (photo below) was bred in Italy, in the town of Livorno, after which it successfully spread throughout Europe and Russia as well. One of the remarkable differences of the bird is its variety of colors. It can be black, fawn, red, but most often white.
Leghorn is the best breed of chickens, according to experienced farmers. An adult weighs about two to three kilograms, but at the same time has a good indicator of egg production. In one year, a laying hen can produce about 200 eggs, which is very good for its mass. The shell has a pure white color and high strength.
As in the case of the Russian white laying hen, Leghorn is a breed of chickens without a developed instinct for incubation. Therefore, it is more advisable to choose a different breed for small yards, but for farmers with incubators - that’s it.
For breeding other breeds of chickens, Leghorn is the main, due to its enviable egg laying. If you properly maintain this bird and how to feed it, it can not only act as a laying hen, but also go for meat. The egg production rate is slightly reduced, but live weight is added.
Poltava
Layers of this breed are usually cuckoo or clay. One of the distinguishing features of Poltava chicken is its pronounced red “earrings”, as well as the presence of earlobes and a leaf-like crest.
Birds of this breed are perfect for breeding by lovers. The weight of an adult chicken ranges from 2-3 kilograms with an average egg production of 170 eggs per year. Unlike previous breeds, Poltava laying hens have a well-developed instinct for hatching, so there are no problems in yards with a small number of heads.
The bird is not picky in service, tenacious and relatively calm. Judging by the reviews on the breed, for rural grandmothers and small farms - that's it.
Oryol
The breeding roots of the breed were lost somewhere, and experts in this field really do not even know who and when bred this bird. A distinctive feature of the laying layer is its athletic build. In appearance, the chicken is more reminiscent of a fighting bird than an ordinary laying hen.
Representatives of the Oryol breed carry medium-sized eggs with white or pale pink color. A female can lay up to 160 eggs a year with her weight of 3 kg. In addition, the bird was distinguished by excellent indicators of resilience, adapting to even the most severe climatic conditions. Therefore, the breed can be recommended without exception, but without fanaticism: the chicken will not survive the strong northern cold without proper maintenance.
It should also be noted that due to their original coloring, many breeders use the Oryol breed as exhibition birds. The mahogany coloring is especially beautiful and interesting in this regard.
Dominant
Chickens of the dominant breed were bred in the Czech Republic. Intense and lengthy breeding work has borne fruit. The breed is not only an excellent indicator of egg production, but also a high vitality along with an attractive appearance.
The bird is perfect for medium and small yards, and thanks to a good instinct of incubation, the chicken can be bred without an incubator. The only drawback that most farmers complain about in their reviews is the large number of yolks in one egg (two to three). This feature is not the best way affects the breeding of young animals. Nevertheless, the dominant is enviable in central and southern Russia.
Meat and egg breeds
Here we have a kind of hybrid, where the birds have not only an acceptable egg production, but also a decent weight, as well as good quality meat.
Such breeds mature almost identically with laying hens, but in contrast to the latter they are less picky about maintenance. It is also worth noting that meat and egg chickens are more flexible and calm. This is especially evident in the behavior in private courtyards. If hens need a high fence or fence, then meat and egg birds do not try to leave the walking area.
Rhode Island
American breeders from the same state worked for a long time to develop the necessary qualities of poultry, and as a result we got one of the best meat and egg breeds. It appeared in the middle of the XIX century, but it was imported into our country only in the early 20s of the last century.
One of the remarkable features of the Rhode Island is its strong and whipped physique: a convex chest, a straight back, strong legs, a rectangular body and a richly feathered tail. The bird has practically no wings, but its legs are well developed.
As for the color, for the most part it is red, and part of the tail and fly feathers are black. Representatives of the breed have a bright yellow beak and red earlobes. The average bird weight reaches 3-4 kilograms, and the annual egg production does not exceed the rate of 170 eggs.
New hampshire
Another breed with the name of the state, bred in New England in North America at the beginning of the last century. Rhode Island became the basis for breeding, but the new species received a higher rate of egg production and vitality.
The only thing farmers sometimes complain about in their reviews is the late maturity of the bird. If the above breeds reached it in 4 months, then New Hampshire hens need at least six months. But the expectation is more than paid for by the return: the hatchability of young animals does not cross the lower mark of 85%, and this despite instincts of incubation similar to laying hens. So in this case, you can do without incubators and some specific content.
On the exterior, the birds are very similar to the Rhode Island breed, but the plumage of chickens is slightly lighter with the departure of a chestnut shade. By nature, they are very calm, so they may well be contained in ordinary cells for several individuals.
In addition, the New Hampshire breed is divided into two subspecies: broiler and egg. The first is characterized by a larger physique, as well as meat productivity, and the second has a modest skeleton, but high egg production (up to 200 eggs per year). Regardless of the subspecies, the live weight of hens reaches 4 kilograms. It should also be noted that males predominate in broods, so the broiler direction looks more promising for this breed.
Plymouth Rock
The breed was bred in North America over a hundred years ago. Breeders crossed several species of birds at once and as a result got quite productive and picky chicken. The breed enjoys enviable popularity in our country, especially in the meat direction.
Plymouth rock has a specific and easily recognizable striped color. The bird begins to rush upon reaching the age of five months, and the hatchability of young animals does not fall below the 80% mark, which is very good for hens with a good instinct for incubation. In the advantages of the breed, you can also record a very calm and peaceful character. They are well adjacent to each other in tight rooms and do not peck their own kind.
The bird is characterized by good egg production along with good meat qualities. A similar universal option can be seen in most villages and towns in the middle and southern parts of Russia. A one-year-old chicken reaches a weight of 4 kilograms and carries about 180 eggs per year.
Meat breeds
An obvious difference between meat breeds from others is the size of the skeleton, coupled with the compactness of the body. The plumage of the bird is loose, the legs are short, and the character in most cases is phlegmatic.
Because the main task of such chickens is meat production, egg production of breeds has the lowest rate. It should also be noted that the instinct of incubation in these hens is much better developed than in laying hens and meat and egg birds.
Brahma
Hens of Brama breed are very different from their own kind. Birds are practically devoid of a crest, and their legs are shrouded in fluffy plumage. Roosters of this breed have a kind of collar that encircles the entire neck and back. Moreover, the latter always contrasts with the main color.
There are a lot of subspecies of Brama, but they all weigh about the same: males about 4.5-5 kilograms, and females about 4 kg. The bird behaves more or less calmly, but only with its relatives. They do not like uninvited guests like ducks or geese, preferring their own kind.
Cornish
This breed was obtained due to the crossing of Malaysian and English fighting chickens. At the beginning of the last century, the bird could occasionally be seen in Europe and in Russia, because there was nothing to take from them except meat: young growth was slowly hatched and fledged, and the eggs were very small.
Around the middle of the last century, careful selection was made by breeders and as a result a breed of the same name with a relatively high egg production and good weight was obtained. Females weigh 3.5-4 kilograms, and the mass of males can reach up to 5 kg.
Subsequently, it was this breed that was taken as a basis when breeding a broiler bird. She is tenacious, picky and relatively quickly gaining weight.
Faverol
This breed is characterized by rapid maturation. Six months later, the female weighs almost 4 kilograms, and the male - 5 kg. At the same time, the bird, in spite of its whipped physique, has a very good egg production and can carry up to 160 eggs per year.
The appearance of the faverole is unusual and original. They have a scarf tied up under their throats, and many breeders consider the exterior of the bird to be humorous and touching. That is why breeders brought out a subspecies of faverles - dwarf chickens, which can be kept almost in the apartment. The weight of an adult does not exceed one kilogram, and egg production reaches an indicator of 200 units per year. Moreover, in winter it does not decrease.
The breed has taken root well in the Middle Volga and in the southern Russian regions, because it is unpretentious to climatic conditions and maintenance. The nature of the individuals is calm and friendly. Hens feel great in company with other birds - geese, turkeys, ducks and others.
The only negative that farmers often complain about in their reviews of the breed is a bad instinct for hatching. The bird has to be forcibly driven into eggs and create some additional conditions for perching. With an incubator, things are much simpler, so large farmers have no such problems.