The bullock breed of chickens often scares away farmers with their specific appearance. However, the excellent taste of meat, good productivity and ease of maintenance can allow this breed to quickly gain popularity. We will talk about the features, benefits, care, breeding and measures of disease prevention in more detail later in the article.
The history of the appearance of the chicken breed
To date, there is no consensus on the country of origin of the chicken breed. Specialists are considering several versions. Some believe that chickens of a rock breed come from medieval Transylvania (the territory of modern Romania). Hence their names “Transylvanian” and “Semigrad” went.
According to another version, in Romania this breed has only become widespread, and Andalusia, the autonomous community of Spain, should be considered the true homeland of the nappies. That is why they are also called Spanish.
The first mention of the birds of this unusual breed was made in 1875 in Austria. In the CIS countries, Semigrad hens became famous in 1930. At present, galoshes are especially popular in Germany and France. In the UK, the breed of chicken is rarely found, and in the USA it is completely absent.
From a genetic point of view, there is no subject for controversy. It is scientifically proven that this is a purebred breed that belongs to the species of Banking jungle hens.
Description and features of the breed
The breed belongs to the decorative species of birds. The hallucinatory sign is dominant and is inherited. They are distinguished by a calm and balanced character.
External characteristics
An open-breed breed of chickens from other varieties is distinguished by a rather original appearance. On the neck and goiter, these birds completely lack plumage. Feathers are distributed unevenly in the body - stripes, however, while the exposed areas to the goiter are completely covered by neighboring feathers and therefore visually invisible. There is also no plumage on a small triangle of skin on the inside of the legs.
For birds of this species, a rounded chest with fairly developed pectoral muscles is characteristic. The body is elongated, slightly raised up, has the shape of a cylinder. The body is rectangular in shape with proportions of depth and length 1: 2. Size and weight of cocksuckers are average.
Also, chickens are characterized by a voluminous stomach and a long back. The wings are quite developed. They are adjacent to the body loosely and slightly lowered down. Legs are strong, but at the same time low, with four fingers, yellow-orange or gray.
If the body is painted white, then the metatarsus, as an exception, may also be white. In the process of molting, a complete renewal of the upper layer of the skin occurs. The head is wide, small in size. The crest can be either pink or leaf. Feathers on the head are presented in the form of a small hat.
The plumage on the front of the neck looks like a bow. Adjacent, have a red color. The neck is red, rough and wrinkled. The eyes are orange-red. Earrings are thin, rounded. Bill is yellow, slightly bent. The magnificent tail of the small size is slightly raised up. The pigtails are wide but short.
Purpose and productive characteristics
Alchemy chicken refers to breeds with a mixed, meat-and-egg direction of productivity.
Egg production reaches 150-180 eggs per year. The eggshell has a creamy tint. The egg mass varies between 55-60 g. Despite the partial absence of plumage on the body, hens tolerate cold well, and therefore, even in December and January, they maintain good egg production.
Galosheki begin to rush at the age of six months. Chickens are durable, unpretentious in care and quickly grow. The weight of an adult rooster averages from 2.5 kg to 3 kg, and hens - from 2 to 2.5 kg. In terms of taste, the meat of this breed is similar to turkey.
Varieties of color
The plumage of Spaniards can be varied, so the color scheme is not limited to the standard. In most cases, feathers are represented in such colors:
- brown;
- the black;
- cuckoo;
- motley;
- Colombian.
Advantages and disadvantages of the breed
The positive qualities of the galosh breed of chickens include:
- unpretentiousness in leaving and feeding;
- due to the natural features of plumage, plucking is easier and faster;
- calm disposition, which allows them to get along peacefully with other chickens;
- the taste of meat is very similar to diet turkey meat;
- early onset of oviposition;
- good presentation of eggs;
- high rates of hatchability (about 95%);
- resistance to low and high temperatures;
- the naked neck gene is used in breeding other breeds, in particular broiler breeds (it leads to a decrease in body temperature, helps to increase the weight of chickens, improves carcass quality compared to well-fledged broilers, increases feed conversion).
Disadvantages:
- unattractive appearance, due to which some farmers refuse to engage in breeding of this breed;
- poorly developed maternal instinct (chickens are recommended either to incubate using the incubator method or to lay eggs for hens of other breeds);
- average productivity values.
How to choose the right one?
When choosing chickens for breeding purposes, it is important to know what traits need to be paid attention to and what indicates marriage in the breed. The unclean breed of a nightingale chicken can be determined if the bird:
- pale earrings;
- black face;
- dark eyes;
- in areas without plumage, the skin has a yellow tint;
- sophisticated and weak body;
- steep tail;
- the neck and the inside of the lower leg are covered with plumage.
In a crossbird (for example, a cross between a nightingale and a regular chicken), the neck will also be exposed due to the dominance of the Na gene. However, at least one of all other signs will be present, and give out a discrepancy to the breed standard.
Keeping Chickens
For comfortable keeping of birds and increase of their productivity, it is necessary to create optimal conditions for them to live.
Chicken coop device
For a chicken coop, choose a dry and warm place, preferably protected from cold winds. As building materials it is permissible to use bricks, adobe, boards, stone, warm blocks or panels. If the choice fell on loose material (shell rock, adobe), in order to avoid chipping walls with chickens, you should protect them from below with a mesh up to 80 cm high.
The roof can be made of any waterproof material and gable, which will protect the ceiling from overheating. It is used, as a rule, for storage of bedding material and vitamin grass meal. For the installation of the ceiling, it is better to choose a tree. The heater is clay mixed with sawdust and straw. Windows should be easy to open and easy to remove. The floor must be raised above the ground by at least 20 cm. It can be plank, concrete, mud or asphalt.
When keeping chickens on the floor, a non-replaceable litter is used that retains heat well. A deep litter on the floor is laid in this way:
- pour lime fluff, which serves to absorb excess moisture and disinfect the floor (at the rate of 0.5 kg per 1 sq. m);
- a litter with a height of 5 cm is laid on top, which is added during operation and as it gets dirty so that after a year its height reaches 20 cm.
On average, about 7-8 kg of bedding material per chicken per year. As it can be used sawdust, peat, shavings, chopped straw, flooring, crushed corn stems, sunflower husk and other loose materials. So that the litter does not condense and does not get wet, it is necessary to loosen it once a week. For this purpose, you can also pour grain on it. Chickens will peck and at the same time loosen it. With excessive moisture in the litter, it is covered with lime fluff or superphosphate (200-300 g per 1 sq. M of floor area).
Watering chickens, feeding troughs, roosts and nests are also required for keeping the hens. Feeders and drinking bowls are set so that it is possible to carry them anywhere in the chicken coop or on a walk. In the feeders, internal sides of 2 cm wide should be provided, which will reduce the likelihood of spillage of feed during feeding by 35%.
Reliable groove drinkers that can be made of galvanized iron, wood or plastic pipes cut in half lengthwise are widely popular. The norm of drinker lengths is 2 cm per head.
Nests are placed at a height of 50-60 cm from the floor. In this case, the eggs will not be dirty, and the percentage of the battle will decrease, unlike if the hens were carried on the floor.
Nests should be located in shaded, easily accessible places for cleaning and egg collection. In the shade, hens feel calm and well carried. Also, the chicken coop is equipped with perches, which serve as a place for night rest of birds.
The perches in the form of wooden rounded bars with rounded edges have a cross-sectional diameter of 4x7 cm. These sizes allow the bird to grab their fingers around it without unnecessary discomfort and contribute to a comfortable sleep. Perches are formed at the rate of 20 cm per head, and the distance between them should be at least 35 cm.
It is not recommended to place perches according to the type of stairs or slides, since due to the desire of birds to take upper positions, fights and, as a result, injuries and peritonitis are possible. Perches are set at a height of 50-60 cm from the floor near the wall opposite the chicken coop window.
The place for walking should be fenced with a grid 2 m high. To have an exit from it, make manholes in the wall of the house at a height of 10 cm from the floor. The dimensions of the manhole are 30x35 cm.
Additionally, read the article on how to make a chicken coop yourself.
Microclimate
It is very important to maintain a certain microclimate in the room. The health of chickens, their productivity and the use of feed in many respects depend on temperature conditions, lighting, and relative humidity.
Despite their endurance, golosheyny chickens at temperatures below comfortable, their forces will not be spent on building live weight or egg formation, but on maintaining heat. To replenish energy reserves, birds will eat more feed, which is associated with additional costs.
At a temperature of 1-4 ° C, chickens will continue to rush, but their productivity will drop by 15-20%. When the air temperature drops to -5 ° C, egg production will completely stop. The most comfortable are the temperature values in the chicken coop +5 + 15 ° С. Therefore, in many poultry farms in the cold season, poultry houses are heated, which makes it possible to maintain high productivity in the winter.
At elevated temperatures in the room, chickens lose their appetite, drink a lot of water, breathe faster, sit with their beaks open and their wings spread. And at values of 38-40 ° C within two hours, the bird may die as a result of overheating. If the temperature, on the contrary, is below normal, the birds become crowded, which can lead to death from suffocation.
Relative humidity should be 60-70%. The gas composition of the air and air exchange have a great effect on chickens. An adult bird emits about four liters of carbon dioxide per day. Ammonia and hydrogen sulfide are released from the litter and litter. These gases reduce the viability of the bird, worsen its health and productivity. In order to avoid these consequences, ridge ventilation is arranged. This system will allow you to supply fresh air inside and remove harmful gases, moist air and excess heat.
The egg production of the nodules is also greatly affected by the duration of daylight hours. In poultry practice, various lighting modes are used. The simplest mode is as follows: regardless of the age of the bird and the time of year, the total duration of daylight hours (natural and artificial) should be 15-16 hours per day.
The use of such a light regime can significantly increase the egg production of chickens. To do this, use electric or fluorescent lamps with a power of 40-60 watts. Normal is considered illumination at the level of 20 lux (lux). Lighting less than 5 lux is insufficient. Chickens eat and drink little, which leads to a decrease in productivity and increase in live weight.
Excessive illumination (more than 25 lux) is dangerous because birds become aggressive and can resort to cannibalism.
House cleaning
Chicken house disinfection is an important activity in bird care. It helps prevent the growth of pathogens. As a result, chickens get sick, their productivity decreases, and eggs become infected with dangerous microbes (for example, salmonella or Proteus). Remediation is carried out every two months in strict sequence, after removing the birds from the chicken coop:
- Cleaning. A stubble brush removes droppings, feathers, feed residues and bedding from the floor, perches and other surfaces. Next, remove garbage from the chicken coop. During these procedures, personal protective equipment (gloves, mask) should be used. This will prevent bacteria and dust from entering the body.
- Washing. Walls, floors, perches and nests must be thoroughly washed, after which the room should dry well. Specialized detergents should be used, due to the fact that household chemicals are toxic and irritating to the respiratory system, which cannot but adversely affect the productivity of chickens. In addition, it does not have sufficient disinfectant properties. Processing with a solution of apple cider vinegar in a ratio of 3: 2 is allowed.
- Disinfection. Chemical and organic products that have sanitizing properties are used. Of the specialized ones, Monclavite, Bactericide, Virocid are especially popular. You can do with folk remedies, for example:
- hydrochloric acid is poured into a container with a wide throat and potassium permanganate is poured (5: 1). This mixture is left in the chicken coop for 30 minutes.
- crystalline iodine (20 g per 20 cubic meters of a house), aluminum powder (1 g with a file) and 1.5 ml of water are placed in ceramic dishes. Aluminum chloride will rise in the form of brown steam. Stand the mixture for half an hour. You can carry out this procedure in the presence of chickens.
After disinfection, the house should be well ventilated.
It is necessary to remember about personal protective equipment, such as gloves, a mask, glasses, clothes covering the skin.
Aviary
Galoshenny hens grow well in the presence of a patio for walking, as they need sunlight. The aviary is a spacious room of a wooden frame, covered with a fine metal mesh. It is necessary to equip it close to the chicken coop, but away from the paths where people often go.
There should not be dense vegetation near the enclosure, as it will close the birds from sunlight - a source of vitamin D, which is so necessary for their health. In order to protect from sudden rain, the roof is equipped with sheets of transparent plastic. It is not bad if grass grows in the enclosure, which is important for a balanced diet of elk chickens.
The size of the enclosure should be calculated on the basis of the rule - for each chicken, there should be 1-2 square meters. m square. The minimum allowable size is 2x7 m. If the chickens are cramped, constant crush at the feeders and inevitable stress for them is possible, which will lead to a decrease in egg production.
How and what to feed?
Galoshenny chickens are distinguished by their unpretentiousness, their feeding will not create additional problems.But to increase their productivity, it is very important that nutrition is balanced. Continuous feeding of compound feed and grain mixture alone will lead to a decrease in the egg production potential of this type of chicken.
The daily diet of noodles should include:
- sprouted grain;
- boiled vegetables (zucchini, beets, potatoes, pumpkin);
- wet mixers;
- dairy products and vitamin and mineral supplements.
As well as broilers, for the purpose of rapid weight gain, these hens should add a little yeast to the feed.
To replenish the bird's body with calcium, which is significantly consumed during egg laying, it is necessary to enrich its diet with crushed eggshells, corn kernels, salt and shell lime.
Mandatory is the constant availability of water in the drinkers.
Adult chickens should be fed twice a day. In the first feeding (in the morning even before the light is turned on), you can give vegetables and wet mixers, and in the second evening (one and a half hours before turning off the light) - mixed feed. Daily ration: 130 g of feed is necessary for one adult chicken weighing 2 kg, and for each subsequent 250 g of bird weight, 10 g of grain is added.
Breeding
The hen breed of chickens, as a rule, is bred only in private farms. They do not require special care, different from other breeds. Galosheks feel good both indoors and outdoors.
When buying birds for breeding, it is necessary to take into account the fact that one rooster is able to fertilize up to 10 females. It is preferable to choose an incubation method for growing young animals. It involves placing eggs in an incubator and hatching artificially. This method is a priority due to the fact that Spanish galoshes can leave the nest with eggs in the middle of the hatching period. However, as mothers, they are caring and attentive.
The requirements for hatching material for growing young animals are as follows:
- Egg freshness (not older than 5 days);
- purity and absence of visible defects (cracks, rough or folded, with calcareous growths);
- the correct form;
- the same average size (weakened chicks are hatched from small eggs).
It is advisable to illuminate the eggs with an ovoscope for defects. Eggs should only be washed if more than 50% of their surface is contaminated. This is done very carefully so as not to damage the upper shell covering the shell. The best egg cleaner is a 1-1.5% hydrogen peroxide solution.
The optimum temperature in the room with the incubator is 20-22 ° C, but not lower than 15 ° C. It is recommended to bookmark in the evening, so that the withdrawal does not begin at night, but in the morning.
The conditions in the incubation apparatus depend on the incubation stage presented in the table:
initial stage (1-11 day) | Intermediate stage (12-19 day) | Final stage (19-21 day) |
The temperature in the incubator is 38-39 ° C. Humidity 30%. The incubation material must be rotated every 2-3 hours. From 4 days begin to air the eggs. | The temperature drops by 0.5 ° C. Humidity 28%. During ventilation, the temperature should not fall below the permissible level for more than half an hour. | Temperature 37-38 ° С. Humidity 31%. The ventilation ducts are left completely open. Turning and airing the eggs is no longer required. |
Growing chickens
In order to minimize the mortality of young animals and accelerate their growth and development, it is important to know the basics of the correct keeping and feeding of chickens.
The necessary conditions
For growing hatchery-raised chickens hatched in an incubator, a heated and fenced area should be prepared in advance. You can use a wooden insulated box with walls 40-60 cm high. The box is installed on the litter, and thick paper is laid on its bottom. The population density should be 30-35 day old chickens per 1 square. m
For the purpose of heating chickens, it is better to use electric lamps with a power of 100-150 W or a reflector with a metal mesh. The following temperature conditions must be observed:
- from 1 to 5 days - 29-30 ° C;
- from 6 to 10 days - 26 ° C;
- then every three days the temperature drops by 3 ° C until it reaches 16-18 ° C.
The thermometer is installed at a height of 50 cm from the floor.
The first 10 days of raising chickens use round-the-clock lighting. Further, the duration of daylight hours is gradually reduced and adjusted to 9-10 hours by two months and before the start of oviposition. The power of light bulbs should be 3-4 watts per 1 square. m floor.
On the 4th-7th day, the paper is removed from the box and replaced with litter. After 2-3 weeks, the area of young growth should be gradually expanded.
From the age of 5 days it is useful to release chickens on a walk, subject to sunny and calm weather. Under adverse weather conditions up to two months of age, young animals are not walking. With no-maintenance content, vitamins D2 and D3 should be added to their diet to avoid rickets.
How to feed?
The more varied the food, the better the chickens are preserved and grow. In the first days of life, noodles are considered good food hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, millet, oatmeal, finely chopped yellow corn and wheat. Before feeding, cottage cheese and eggs are ground with crushed grain.
It is recommended to strictly adhere to the feeding schedule on time. For the first 10 days, chicks of naked chicken are fed 5-6 times a day, after a month - 3 times a day. From the 3rd day, fresh greens (nettle, alfalfa, clover, etc.) should be given, from the 5th - shell, chalk, fish and meat and bone meal. From the 11th day, meal and meal, boiled vegetables (potatoes, beets, carrots) are added to the diet. Oat and wheat flour must be sifted through a sieve until the chickens reach a month of age. Continuous access of young animals to clean, fresh water should be organized.
From a week to 1.5 months of age, 2 times a week for half an hour it is recommended to fill the drinkers with a solution of potassium permanganate (0.1%).
You cannot grow young animals of different ages in the same sections - older individuals can eat chickens from an earlier age.
In the first month of rearing, the chickens are fed with wet mashrooms (a crushed mixture of grains of corn, wheat, oats, peas, barley) 3-4 times a day, then 2-3 times. Crushed grain is fed morning and evening. Yogurt is given in separate clay or wooden drinkers. The intake of nutrients in the body of young animals older than 60 days is limited by the introduction of bulky feeds into the diet - greens, root crops (up to 25-30 g per chicken per day). Up to four months old Spanish chickens also grow well on broiler feed.
The feeding process for chicks of the cervical breed should be closely monitored. It is necessary to ensure that weaker chicks are not repelled from the feeder, to manually probe the fullness of the goiter in all chickens after eating. If someone remains hungry, they are fed individually. All underfed wet food is immediately removed from the feeder immediately after feeding.
Diseases of cervical chickens, prevention
Galoshenny chickens are extremely rarely affected by disease. The mortality of young animals, like adult birds, is less than 5%.
The main diseases affecting chickens:
- pullorosis;
- coccidiosis;
- pasteurellosis;
- salmonellosis;
- helminthiasis.
In order to determine the disease in time and take the necessary measures, attention should be paid to the behavior and appearance of the nappies. Sick chickens have poor appetite or refuse to eat at all. They sit motionless in the corners with their eyes closed, turn their heads under the wing, make no sounds and hardly move.
Their crest fades, wrinkles, acquires a bluish or icteric hue. The plumage is ruffled, contaminated. In infectious diseases caused by bacteria and viruses, there is an increase in the temperature of the nappies to 43-44 ° C. The mucous membranes of the respiratory system turn red. The bird makes wheezing sounds, and mucus accumulates in the nasal and oral cavities.
Many diseases are accompanied by indigestion. The fluff around the cesspool is contaminated, making it difficult to remove the litter.
There are cases of nervous disorders: paralysis, cramps, irritability, head tilting.
When these signs appear in golosheynnyh chickens, they must be urgently evacuated from the chicken coop and notify the veterinarian.
The following preventive measures will help reduce the risk of infection with major possible diseases:
- it is necessary to constantly maintain cleanliness in the chicken coops;
- periodically carry out deratization (extermination of rodents - the main carriers of infections and fleas);
- do preventive vaccinations;
- provide birds with balanced nutrition and proper care.
Reviews
Valentine, 48 years old.I decided to try to get these unusual hens. It was fascinating that they are resistant to cold, easy to care for and plucking takes much less time. I can say that I was not mistaken in my choice! Birds are also calm, rush well.
Sergey Petrovich, 63 years old.The children brought me the little nipples chickens as a present; they probably wanted to surprise them with their appearance. At first I was worried that the care would be specific, and that I could not cope and did not save the young. But in practice, everything turned out to be no more complicated than with any other breed of chickens. I am satisfied.
Nina Voloshina, 33 years old.We bought golosheynny chickens for breeding for sale, because they had heard about very tasty meat, similar to turkey. The carcasses are compact, medium in size. In appearance, of course, the birds are a little creepy, but this is the only minus for us. Although we had to buy an incubator, we still recouped our costs over time.
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You can find a brief overview of the main characteristics and advantages of the chicken breed in the following video:
The bullock breed of chickens did not gain wide popularity due to its unpretentious appearance. However, it has a number of undeniable advantages over other familiar breeds. Galosheyk are quite hardy, unpretentious in care and feeding. Chickens of this breed have good egg production, tasty meat and a fairly calm disposition.