Tsarskoye Selo chickens are a versatile breed that simultaneously combines not only an attractive and interesting appearance, but also high body weight and egg production. Chickens are meat and egg and are rapidly gaining popularity among farmers.
Origin of Tsarskoye Selo breed
At the end of the 80s of the last century, the Tsarskoye Selo breed of chickens was bred. The breeders have set a goal to obtain a highly productive breed with good resistance to extreme cold.
Scientists used for crossing Poltava, New Hampshire chickens, as well as a broiler-6 hybrid.
The development of the first experimental species took place under the constant supervision of scientists, but after only a couple of years, this breed found great demand.
Description
This type of bird has a meat and egg direction, but this breed is also considered a decorative variety due to its rare color and unique texture. Today, there are no more than three such types of chickens around the world.
Bird exterior
The bird has the following characteristic features of appearance:
- Large body, deep and wide set, trapezoidal and slightly elongated.
- The head is small, the neck is long and thin. The beak is yellow-gray.
- The back, chest and abdomen are wide.
- Medium leg length, no plumage, interesting yellow-gray shade. The hips are well developed.
- The scallop is serrated, pink-shaped or leaf-shaped, bright red.
- The earrings are large.
- The feathers are knocked down and lush, thanks to which the body takes on a more streamlined shape.
- In chickens, in contrast to roosters, the color is lighter. Red feathers with dark stripes that blend into white.
- In both chickens and roosters, the plaits in the tail are speckled or black (there are variants of slight interspersed gray).
Color
The birds look very colorful and massive, which is explained by both the dense texture and the peculiarities of the plumage. Visually, feathers add extra volume to bird shapes. The features of this breed is a red-striped color. The plumage is predominantly reddish.
The roosters have a brighter and more intense color. The hens look a little more modest - paler, not too catchy shades. The surface of the feathers is covered with a reddish pattern with characteristic features - light fragments alternate with dark ones. Inserts of grayish-black color can also be found.
Characteristics
This type of bird has become one of the best options for self-breeding. Their main qualities are discussed below.
Puberty and productivity
Chickens are characterized by high egg production rates. On average, one hen produces about 165-185 eggs per year. Weather conditions and food do not matter to this indicator, even if the chicken coop will not be heated in winter.
Having reached 5 months of age, the laying hen begins to lay eggs, but it will be fully formed no earlier than by 10 months.
Subject to all the tips for caring for this breed of chickens, an optimal diet, and favorable living conditions, a laying hen can produce more than 200 eggs per year. Starting from the first clutch, the average weight of the eggs is about 55-72 g. The shells are beige-brown.
The birds are fed very quickly, so the farmer can save on feed.
Incubation instinct
The birds of this breed are not whimsical in living conditions, so incubation allows you to achieve almost 100% fertility of eggs. Excellent incubation properties are manifested. When working on the Tsarskoye Selo breed of birds, scientists were able to instill this quality in chickens and significantly enhance it.
Females become caring mothers, they do not abandon their nests and offspring, both during incubation and after hatching of chicks, engaged in raising them.
Character
There are notes of nobility in the character of this calm poultry:
- hens are quiet and calm;
- benevolence towards people is shown, there is no aggressive behavior;
- if the family was not composed correctly, the male is able to arrange a fight with another rooster, this behavior also manifests itself with insufficient space for birds;
- a friendly attitude towards other animals is shown;
- birds are bold, active and curious;
- practically not exposed to stress;
- brave and fearless, birds are ready to defend their family in any danger.
Advantages and disadvantages
Chickens of the described breed have a lot of positive qualities, which include:
- high resistance to various diseases;
- rapid growth, rapid weight gain;
- high quality meat;
- undemanding to the conditions of detention;
- can eat various foods;
- birds hardly suffer from obesity;
- about 100% survival rate of chicks;
- high endurance, therefore, even during molting, the body of birds does not weaken;
- can be grown in the northern regions, as the thick and fluffy plumage reliably protects chickens from frost;
- the character is quiet, calm, flexible and friendly - the birds easily get along with various inhabitants of the yard.
There are also some disadvantages:
- the breed is under development, therefore there are no definite features that will confirm that the bird belongs to a specific species;
- it is quite difficult to acquire eggs, adult birds and chicks, since the breed remains rare and small in number.
The video below provides an overview of the Tsarskoselskaya chicken breed:
Varieties
There are two types of birds of this breed, and the main difference is the type of ridge:
- leafy;
- pinkish.
The birds that have become the owners of the pink-shaped crest are much better adapted to living in severe frosts. Chickens with a crest resembling a leaf have a higher susceptibility to cooling and temperature changes.
Where to keep chickens of the Tsarskoye Selo breed?
This is an experimental breed with a lot of positive qualities, but the main advantages are hardening, endurance and unassuming. These qualities allow even inexperienced farmers to raise birds. Both care and maintenance do not require too large financial investments and time costs.
Chicken coop requirements
To place the chicken coop, choose the highest possible site, since flooding should not be allowed, which is possible during the onset of spring floods or heavy rains. Only the concrete type of foundation is allowed, because with the help of undermining, predators dangerous to birds can get into the room.
It is desirable that the walls of the hen house be wooden. It is required to correctly calculate the internal area of the room, taking into account the following data - per 1 sq. m there can be no more than 10 birds. Be sure to cover the wooden floor with a layer of hay, dried straw or sawdust.
Periodically, a change of litter should be performed, which will help maintain dryness and cleanliness of the room.
Place drinkers at such a level that it is comfortable for birds to reach them. It is best to place them on a small elevation, so that the chickens will not constantly overturn them. Consequently, birds will not wet their feathers and the floor will stay clean longer. You will learn how to make drinkers with your own hands from this article.
As for feeders, use those that have small sides. How to make a chicken feeder yourself is written here.
Place nests at a height of at least 1 m. Keep in mind that there should be no more than five layers per nest. During the winter season, additional lighting is required in the house to help extend the incubation time of the eggs. There are no special requirements regarding the warming of the room, because the birds of this breed calmly tolerate low temperatures.
Walking yard
Like any other poultry, Tsarskoye Selo chickens love and need free walking opportunities. This can be organized in several ways - using an aviary or a walking yard, or letting birds graze in an open meadow.
To decorate a walking yard, follow a few simple tips:
- for walks, fence off a dry area, use a fine-mesh metal mesh;
- attach the net flush to the house;
- make sure that the net is not damaged, which can injure birds;
- Dig the bottom of the mesh into the ground to a depth of not less than 50 cm;
- build a canopy over the area where birds will walk, so that they can hide from the hot sun or rain.
Content
Tsarskoye Selo chickens are not adapted to being kept in cages, so they need to equip a poultry house. It is advisable to stop the choice on an insulated room with a good ventilation system. Try to avoid drafts.
Adult chickens
It is not necessary to build perches, as layers feel more comfortable if they are on the floor. This will help protect the flock from the risk of accidental falls from high perches, which could result in serious injury. Laying hens are capable of building a cozy nest for themselves in a remote place.
Females are very energetic, so they need enough space to move. If the house is crowded, this can lead to intermittent fighting between layers.
Chicks
Chicks should only be kept in warm and well-equipped rooms. But do not focus too much on ensuring the correct temperature regime. Already in the first days after birth, the chicks show good resistance to cool air and do not suffer from diseases that are provoked by sudden changes in temperature.
To understand how comfortable the chicks feel, just watch them. When they freeze, they begin to pile up, trying to find a source of heat. If it is stuffy, the young become very lethargic, the chickens refuse to eat and sleep almost all the time.
Shedding and egg laying break
With the onset of molting, the birds do not suffer and are not weakened, which is how they differ from other species of birds. Duration of molting can be 60 days. If molting has not started on its own, forced stimulation will be required.
Herd replacement planned
By the age of one year, the birds are almost completely formed and acquire good weight. That is why, if necessary, birds can be sent for slaughter. Most often young males are slaughtered.
Chickens can serve as layers for 2 years. After this period, there is a rapid decline in productivity indicators.
Feeding basics
When drawing up a menu and a feeding schedule for birds, it is worth considering certain factors. Of particular importance is the age of the females - for example, young individuals need a diet with a high percentage of protein. After reaching the age of one year, it is required to gradually reduce the amount of protein consumed by the bird.
Seasonal diet
In order for chickens to give good offspring and grow quickly, it is necessary to use a three-time food system. Do not allow a break of more than 6-7 hours between meals.
A bird should receive at least 80 g of grain per day. Add a wide variety of crops. Sometimes it is possible to give bran bran. Representatives of this breed can safely consume almost all vegetable crops on their own or in the form of mash.
Greens with fresh tops are excellent sources of minerals with vitamins and other nutrients. Mix dry greens periodically into food in the winter.
Daily diet
It is recommended to introduce sprouted grain into the daily diet, which is most important in autumn and winter. Complex products containing valuable vitamins are necessary to support bird health and increase productivity during periods of lowering temperature.
Minerals are the basis for obtaining eggs with a strong and strong shell, they also have a positive effect on the skeleton of the bird. Leave freely available feeders filled with chalk or crushed shell rock.
During molting, it is recommended to give nutritious food and fish oil to maintain the body of the birds. The diet has a direct effect on the activity of laying hens - if there is a lack of food, the chicken temporarily stops the laying of eggs in order to maintain its own energy potential. But after the normalization of nutrition, this process is quickly and independently restored.
Drinking regimen plays a large role in the nutrition of birds, so clean water should always be available. Periodically you can give curdled milk.
An approximate daily ration for one bird might look like this:
- 3-4 types of whole grains (50 g);
- dissolved table salt (0.7 g);
- 3-4 types of grain and flour mixture (50 g);
- chalk or crushed shell (5 g);
- wheat bran (10 g);
- pumpkin, cabbage leaves, carrots (40 g);
- meal, oilcake (5 g);
- coniferous or hay flour (5 g);
- fish, bone or meat and bone meal (10-14 g).
Diseases and Pests
The successful work of scientists has made it possible to obtain a breed of chickens that is resistant to most diseases. They are not afraid of a cold, flu, or viral infections. The greatest danger to chickens is the possibility of infection with parasites, which can occur through contact with rodents or wild birds. It is they who are the most dangerous distributors of infection.
An excellent prevention of various diseases is the timely vaccination of the herd and a properly selected, healthy diet.
Similar breeds
Due to such qualities as frost resistance and the ability to lay large quantities of eggs even in the cold season, this species is similar to the birds of the Wyandotte breed. If we compare the main characteristics, the closest to the Tsarskoye Selo breed is Kuchinskaya Jubilee.
Where can I get eggs and poultry?
On the territory of Russia today there are several farms that are engaged in breeding this breed of chickens:
- Smolensk - "Smolenskoe Podvorie";
- Moscow - "Golden Feathers";
- The village of Oktyabrevka, Vladimir region - "Oktyabrevskaya bird."
Reviews about Tsarskoye Selo chickens
Alla, 25 years old, housewife, Voronezh. A wonderful bird that produces not only eggs, but also delicious meat. Among the general herd, these birds stand out due to their large size and body shape. They quickly get used to a person, have a calm disposition. They give large eggs and lay regularly.
Vladislav, 30 years old, dentist, Krasnodar. The first time I decided to take this breed of chickens in order to try and decide in the future whether to breed them or not. I was very pleased that the birds are not whimsical in their care and grow as quickly as broilers. They eat everything, no special food is required. They are not shy, so when I go into the chicken coop, they do not run into the loose.
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The Tsarskoye Selo breed of chickens has both advantages and some disadvantages. Thanks to this, they become very attractive and in demand among those who seek to breed domestic chickens. The birds are of high productivity and natural beauty.