To grow Russian Crested chickens, you must adhere to some rules. Although the breed belongs to unpretentious, ignorance of certain facts can negatively affect the livestock. Features of breeding and maintenance, organization of feeding and a lot of other useful information - below.
Interesting historical data
The breed is considered primordially Russian, but the history of its origin is not reliably known, and still causes debate in scientific circles. According to one version, the breed came from the territory of Asia, according to another, it was bred by Russian farmers more than 100 years ago. The second is supported not only by the records in the archives, but also by the bird's ability to tolerate our climate.
Regardless of the versions of origin, this breed is widespread in Russia, it is also grown in Asia. In European countries, the population of the Russian Crested is not numerous.
Description and characteristics of the Russian Crested breed
Let's consider the main characteristics of this breed.
Bird appearance
Exterior features include:
- The birds are of medium size. Their main distinguishing feature is the crest on the head, the feathers of which are directed backward. However, they can stick out or create "artistic disorder" on the head. The form of the hairstyle is sheaf-like or helmet-like.
- The scallop is red in color, leaf-shaped, and pink-shaped, regular, without any processes.
- The head itself is small, slightly elongated, in proportion to the body. The face, earrings and lobes are also colored red. A small amount of white blotches is allowed by the breed standards.
- The color of the eyes and beak depends on the plumage. Representatives with orange eyes are more common, less often with light yellow, brown or red eyes. The color of the beak varies from yellow to dark gray. It is strong, slightly curved. The feathers fit snugly to the body and are directed straight back.
- The neck of the Russian Corydalis is short. The back is broad and straight. The tail is well developed. The chest is also wide and dense. The wings are lowered, strong and strong. Legs are short, fledgling.
Differences between a rooster and a chicken
The male and female of this breed are quite different in appearance. The rooster is much larger than the chicken. Its powerful body is almost 2 times larger than that of a laying hen. But the hairstyle is much more modest. Due to its larger crest, it has a crest of a much smaller size than that of females. But it has a feathery mane, so it usually hangs to one side.
Laying hens have a very lush and thick crest. It needs to be trimmed from time to time so that it doesn't cover their eyes. The tail of the male is triangular. It is lush and long. Moreover, not only long plaits, but also cover feathers.
Color
The breed is also interesting in that it has a variety of colors. There are no strict restrictions in the standards on this issue, but there are 10 main colors:
- White. The most widespread birds are white. In these individuals, the beak and metatarsus - the bones of the leg located between the tibia and toes, are yellow.
- Black. Individuals with black coloring have brown eyes, a dark gray beak and gray metatarsals.
- Red. The red hen has yellow metatarsals, dark eyes and a light brown beak.
- Lavender. An interesting lavender or bluish color, which occurs when the genes responsible for the color mutate. For this reason, it is quite rare.
- Gray. The gray color is characterized by feathers with a wide white border in the neck area and a narrow one on the crest. The eyes of the gray representatives are brown, the beak and metatarsus are gray.
- Silver black. The lower part of the body - the stomach, sides, as well as the back and wings are covered with black feathers, the upper part - the neck, head, crest, loin - are silvery. The eyes are brown, the beak and metatarsus are light in color.
- Golden black. These chickens look rich, thanks to the golden feathers on the neck and tufted, while the rest of the feathers are painted black. The eyes are brown, the beak and metatarsus are dark.
- Cuckoo. These representatives are hard to miss. They have a uniformly variegated color, beaks and metatarsals are light.
- Chintz. The most elegant and unusual color is chintz. Birds have a red or red base color, on which feathers of lighter colors are scattered. Finding two identical calico chickens will not work, since the pattern for each individual is individual.
- Salmon. These are pale yellow hens with black strokes on the neck and chest. The color is similar to that of a salmon.
An overview of the Russian Crested chickens, as well as the varieties of this breed, are presented in the video below:
However, there are a few traits that are unacceptable in breeding birds. If they are available, they reject the bird and do not use it for further breeding:
- the absence of a tuft or its weak development;
- large comb;
- completely white lobes;
- long legs;
- there is a yellow color in the color;
- the wings are high;
- rough body.
Avian disposition
The feathered Russian Crested breed is distinguished by a peaceful, friendly character. These representatives are in excellent neighborly relations with other birds, they are attached to the owner, are not afraid of people and are easily tamed.
However, one should not think that these are phlegmatic natures. On the contrary, they are emotional, active and loud.
Puberty and egg production
The breed belongs to the universal species. The poultry farmer will provide himself not only with eggs, but also with delicious chicken meat. Females begin to rush from 5-6 months of age. Each year, you can get 150-160 eggs from each.
The peak of egg production occurs at a year and a half of the laying hen, then it begins to decline. On average, an egg weighs 56 g. The shell is usually white or cream colored.
Incubation instinct
Russian crested cats have a strong maternal instinct, so the poultry farmer does not have problems with hatching chickens. If there is no goal to get offspring in large numbers, then hens cope with this task at the highest level.
They not only take care of egg-laying with special zeal, but then also take care of their babies with the same care. At the same time, mass mortality of chickens is not observed.
Productivity
In terms of productivity, crested individuals have average indicators. Different sources have different meanings. This is due to the genetic diversity of the breed.
So, a mature cockerel can weigh from 2.7 to 3.5 kg. The weight of the chicken is less. In most sources, the average mass is indicated as 2.2 kg, but there are data on 1.8 kg.
Advantages and disadvantages of the breed
Whether or not to grow this particular breed on the farm is up to the poultry farmer. To facilitate the choice, consider the main advantages and disadvantages of the Russian Crested breed.
Of the advantages, experts note:
- excellent frost resistance of birds (they winter well in unheated chicken coops and in a little frost they prefer walking in the fresh air);
- high immunity to disease;
- high adaptive abilities, take root in any region;
- stable egg production - 1 egg every 2 days;
- original appearance, variety of colors;
- high fertilization of eggs up to 90–95%;
- strong maternal instinct of hens;
- high rate of hatchability of offspring;
- calm disposition;
- delicious tender meat.
Of the shortcomings, the pugnaciousness of the roosters and the additional trouble in keeping the chickens are noted - they need to periodically trim the crest.
Conditions of detention
Although the birds are unpretentious and undemanding in maintenance, it is still the responsibility of the poultry farmer to create favorable conditions for life.
How to equip a chicken coop?
Due to the fact that Corydalis are not afraid of frost, the hen house can not be insulated. But it must be built on a foundation with a height of 40-60 cm and provide ventilation. If it is not possible to install it, then the room is ventilated daily. The air must not stagnate.
Inside, perches are installed at a height of 30–35 cm from the floor surface. A bed of hay or sawdust is laid on the floor. Timely it is changed as it gets dirty and damp. The house should be dry and clean, the health of the birds depends on it. There must be artificial lighting, they support the length of daylight hours at least 12-14 hours.
The nests are placed on the floor away from the perches. Their optimal size is 50X50 or 50X40 cm.
If you want to make a chicken coop with your own hands, then this article can be helpful.
Walking yard
Since birds are very active and inquisitive, there must be a walking yard with a canopy so that the birds can hide under it from the rain or hot sun. The site is fenced off with a mesh with small cells. The bottom of the mesh is dug into the ground to avoid digging from both sides.
On the one hand, this will prevent the escape of chickens, on the other hand, it will protect them from intruders-predators. In the summer, chickens spend all their time outdoors. In winter, they also like to walk in the yard even in severe frosts down to -40 ° C.
Feeders and drinkers
Feeders and drinkers are kept outdoors in the summer, and in the cold period they are brought into the chicken coop. They are regularly washed and disinfected to prevent the development of pathogenic microorganisms. How to make your own feeder is written here.
Drinkers change the water regularly. Birds should be able to approach them unhindered. Wet mash is placed in plastic or metal feeders, dry food - in wooden ones. The half-eaten wet food is discarded.
Read the article on how to make your own drinkers for chickens and chickens.
Bird wintering
In winter, chickens are kept in poultry houses. In order not to drop egg production, they turn on artificial lighting every day. At temperatures below -40 ° C, the Corydalis is not allowed outside.
In milder frosts, they can walk for 30–60 minutes a day without harm to their health and the risk of frostbite on the scallops and earrings.
Molt
Any bird has a feather change. Molting is a natural process that occurs with a decrease in egg production, since the main nutrients are consumed to renew the feather cover.
In healthy birds, it lasts about 2 months. In healthy birds, molt proceeds without any difficulty, and they quickly return to normal.
Feeding adults
In summer, chickens on free bread can easily provide themselves with a complete diet on their own. The rest, who go for a walk only in the outdoor courtyard, are fed 3 times a day. Birds have no particular food preferences. However, the diet should be nutritious and contain vital substances - minerals, vitamins, proteins.
From grain they are given - wheat, oats, millet. You can use ready-made industrial feed.
The bird gets calcium from the crushed shell, chalk, shell rock. Fine gravel must always be available. It works well for the digestive system.
The essential vitamins are found in green grass. In the summer, it is in abundance, so every day it should be present in the diet. In winter, fresh root crops are given - carrots, beets, zucchini, as well as apples, hay, yeast. A wet mash with the addition of meat or fish meal is given all year round. In winter, such food is given warm so that the bird can additionally warm up.
Breeding chicks
Breeding Russian Crested chicks does not require any special skills, but it is necessary to know about the features of the process.
Incubation or incubation?
Corydalis are famous for their strong maternal instinct, therefore they are one of the best hens. If you keep chickens only for yourself, then it will be enough to put hens on the eggs. Those who sell young animals of this breed usually use incubators for breeding.
By the spring, the mother's instinct "triggers" in the hen and she begins to equip the nest, lining it with her plucked feathers from the breast. Spring is the best time to hatch as the chicks will grow warm. 3-4 days after the quacking hen begins to equip the nest, eggs can be placed under it. She incubates them for 21 days.
Corydalis are very responsible mothers and may not leave the nest for a very long time. Therefore, they need to be removed from time to time from laying, and make sure that hens eat and drink regularly.
Sometimes an egg can be found near the nest. It was the chicken that rolled him out of the nest. It is not necessary to return it to the clutch, because at the intuitive level the hen feels in which egg there is no life. Apparently, it was not fertilized or the embryo died.
Young growth care
Chicks begin to hatch after 21 days. The ideal option is to leave the kids with their mother - the chicken will warm them up, will not hurt and protect them. Later the brood will follow the brood everywhere. She will teach them to drink and eat.
If this is not possible, then the dried chickens are taken from the hen and transferred to a box. Around the clock it should be illuminated by a lamp from above and heated from below. A litter is laid on its bottom. The drawer must be warm (+ 30 ° C), dry, clean and free from drafts.
Chick feeding
Meals are organized as follows:
- In the early days, chickens are fed a hard-boiled egg, which is pre-ground very finely. Then they give millet porridge cooked in water with the addition of dill. Chickens are watered with a decoction of chamomile or a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate. This menu is followed for 2 weeks.
- From the 2nd week, fresh cottage cheese, semolina and finely ground corn grits are added to the diet, they give a boiled mash. At this age, chickens can already catch small insects.
- Up to 4 months, young animals should have more protein feed in the diet. From 1.5 months, they begin to actively grow and gain muscle mass. They make mash with meat broth, give them compound feed enriched with proteins, fermented milk products - cottage cheese, yogurt.
- At 5–6 months, young females begin to rush. Sources of calcium, minerals, vitamins are introduced into the menu.
Routine herd and disease replacement
A complete replacement of the number of laying hens is carried out in 2-3 years, by which time the egg production rate decreases to critical levels. But since the survival rate of chickens is high, there are usually no difficulties with updating. The livestock is recovering quickly and pleases with good productivity.
With good care and observance of sanitary and hygienic standards, the Russian Corydalis will not give a reason to worry about your health, thanks to its strong immunity. For prevention, it is enough to give them chamomile broth to drink.
However, if you feed the birds with stale food, do not change the water in the drinkers, leave the remnants of wet food for the whole day, especially in hot weather, then no immunity will help in this case. The livestock will get sick with intestinal diseases and diseases caused by dangerous microorganisms.
Where to buy and how much does a bird cost?
Young animals are recommended to be purchased from poultry farms or proven farms, since not all birds with a tuft are precisely the Russian crested breed. There are quite a few different breeds of chickens in the world, the head of which is decorated with a forelock.
On average, one hatching egg costs about 50 rubles, a daily chicken about 150 rubles.
Prices for adult birds vary by region. A rooster can be purchased from 500 to 1,000 rubles, a laying hen from 300 to 800 rubles.
Reviews of poultry farmers about the breed of chickens Russian Crested
Reviews of the Russian Crested breed are mostly positive, poultry farmers appreciate them for their unpretentiousness and beauty.
Nina Afanasyevna, 55 years old, Rostov region. These chickens were also kept by my parents.She spent all her childhood surrounded by these beauties with the most modern hairstyles. Of course, I also have other breeds of chickens on the farm, mostly egg ones. But the Corydalis are still larger due to their good health and hardenedness.
Ivan Nikiforovich, 63 years old, Siberia. In our area, in Siberia, not every chicken will survive. And this at least henna. They also manage to run out into the frost for a walk. Then you can hardly drive them into the barn.
Svetlana Yurievna, 59 years old, Moscow region. When choosing breeds, I always looked at the egg production rate. In Corydalis, of course, to put it mildly, it is short. But I fell in love with the breed the first time I saw these disheveled crests on the market.
And, you know, I did not regret the purchase at all. Firstly, in comparison with the others, they do not get sick. Secondly, good brood hens - two hens quietly built nests, laid eggs and sat down to hatch. Thirdly, they know and love me like little dogs, by God. As soon as I enter, they immediately rush to me.
The Russian Crested is just right to participate in a beauty contest, the bird is easy to recognize by its stylish "hairstyle" and beautiful plumage. However, this breed is famous not only for its beauty. With proper care and compliance with all the rules, it will delight you with its egg production and unpretentiousness.