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If a decision is made in the household to breed chickens for eggs, then it is necessary to acquire a breed whose females are distinguished by good egg production. The task is not an easy one, because a bird, like a garden crop, needs a certain climate. For example, not every breed of chicken is able to lay well in the harsh climatic conditions of the northern region. Today we will try to find out which breeds of laying hens are most suitable for home breeding in Our Country.
Features of egg breeds
When choosing the best breed of laying hens, one must be prepared for the fact that it is almost impossible to get meat from them. Males and females are characterized by low weight and early puberty. The hen starts laying at about four months of age. If we take for comparison a female meat breed, then she begins to lay eggs three months later.
The general characteristics of egg-laying breeds look like this:
- A thoroughbred cockerel weighs within 3 kg. The weight of the female usually varies from 2 to 2,2 kg.
- Egg laying hens are not assiduous. The bird is characterized by high activity, as well as mobility.
- Increased appetite is explained by the exactingness of feeding the body. The norm for a chicken is the laying of one egg in 25 hours. To restore strength and replenish lost calories, the female constantly needs food.
The egg production of a female of any breed depends on the number of eggs. This trait is laid down at the birth of a chicken, and remains unchanged throughout the life of a bird. In females of egg-laying breeds, up to 4 thousand eggs can grow, and this is considered the norm. However, you should not expect that for the entire time of keeping the hen is able to carry the same number of eggs. A chicken is capable of realizing a 100% laid egg within 15 years. But up to this age, the bird is not kept at home and at the poultry farm, since many individuals simply will not live.
In the table below, you can see which breeds of egg chickens bring the most eggs.
The standard for industrial egg-laying breeds of chickens is considered to be 220 eggs per year. There are, of course, champions in this direction. For example, a Leggorn female laid 361 eggs in a year.
Overview of egg-laying breeds
When choosing the best egg-laying breeds of chickens for home breeding, one must remember that the number of eggs laid by the female largely depends on the conditions of the bird, as well as the experience of the owner himself, who provides care. The climatic factor has a great influence on the breeding of chickens. The bird must be chosen not only for the names of the breed. It is important to consider whether this chicken will be laid, for example, in Siberia or the Moscow region. Now we will make a review with photographs, where there is a brief description of the egg-laying breeds that are best suited for home breeding.
Lohman Brown
A female of this breed can lay up to 300 eggs per year. Most often at home, this figure is 280 pieces. The mass of one egg is about 60 g. In terms of precocity, this breed occupies the first place among chickens of the egg direction. The hen lays the first egg on the 136th day of life. Full egg production occurs at the age of 180 days.
However, this breed has a significant drawback. The egg laying of the female is no more than 80 weeks, which is 140 days less than that of hens of other breeds of this direction. After this period, the females sharply reduce the number of laying eggs. On a poultry farm, further keeping of poultry is unprofitable, therefore, the old livestock is subject to culling.
The maintenance of laying hens “Loman Brown” is simple. The hen easily tolerates temperature fluctuations and is undemanding to feed. The cellular content of the bird does not reduce the egg production rate.
white
The name of this breed already indicates that this bird is best adapted to our climate. Chickens are characterized by calmness, although they lead an active lifestyle. Individuals grow small in size, have white plumage and a large crest hanging to one side. For a year, a chicken is able to lay 280 eggs weighing up to 65 g. ” White” is best suited for breeding in the Moscow region and other cold regions, as it does not require the creation of special conditions. The survival rate of young animals is 95%. Poultry is rarely infected with common chicken diseases. The appearance of chickens is very similar to individuals of the Leggorn breed. The hen weighs no more than 1,8 kg, males – about 2,2 kg.
Leggorn
This breed of chickens was bred through several stages of selection. This is the only way to achieve the highest egg production rates. To date, the bird is in demand in many domestic and foreign poultry farms. A feature of the breed is the presence of several subspecies, but the bird with white plumage received the most recognition. A hen can lay up to 300 eggs per year, weighing about 58 g each.
Females start laying at the age of 24 weeks. An adult female weighs about 1,6 kg. The mass of the cockerel reaches 2,6 kg. The most productive female is considered in the first year of life. Further, the egg production rate drops. In poultry farms, such a bird is culled.
Cages are considered the best conditions for keeping laying hens. The bird feels comfortable in a limited space, the main thing is that there is good lighting around. Keeping chickens is beneficial due to low feed costs. The female eats exactly as much as her body requires, and never overeats. The only requirement is that the feed must contain mineral supplements, and the drinking water in the drinkers must be kept clean.
Kuchinskaya Anniversary
Very good breed of chickens for home breeding. The bird adapts to different weather conditions. The female begins to rush from the age of five months. Usually, at home, hens carry about 180 eggs per year, weighing up to 61 g each. However, better egg production can be achieved from this bird by improving the conditions of its keeping and the quality of the feed.
Adler silver
The name of this breed is associated with the city where it was bred. For a long time of existence, the bird has adapted to various climate conditions, and has taken root in all expanses of the post-Soviet space. Chickens rush well only in favorable conditions for them. The bird needs a mandatory walking on the street. This is connected not only with the freedom of space. Chickens find protein food useful for them in the ground. Under normal conditions, the female is able to lay 280 eggs per year, weighing up to 61 g each.
Highsex Brown
Above, we have already considered Leggorn chickens. So “Hysex Brown” is a hybrid of this breed. Despite the fact that egg production lasts 80 weeks, the female manages to carry up to 360 eggs per year. In the conditions of poultry farms, as well as with proper home care, you can get quite large eggs weighing from 63 to 71 g. These qualities have made the breed very popular.
Tetra
Chickens of this breed are famous for their high and early productivity. Starting from the 17th week, the female is able to rush. Day-old chicks can be easily distinguished into females and males by the color of their plumage. During the year, the hen lays about 330 eggs with a brown shell color, with an average weight of 61 g. It is enough for the female to feed 125 g of compound feed per day.
Behind Brown
The breed of egg hens of French selection has adapted well in the vastness of our country. For a year, the female is able to carry about 320 eggs with a brown shell. The beginning of egg production is observed at 135 days of age. The eggs are large, some specimens reach a weight of 63 g. Cage keeping of birds is allowed, while about 110 g of feed is required per head per day.
High line
Females have incredible calmness and easily adapt to all conditions of detention. What is very important, this does not affect the quality and quantity of eggs laid. Starting from the age of eighty weeks, the female is able to carry up to 350 large eggs in a strong shell.
We select laying hens by productivity
Breeding chickens at home, each person is primarily interested in the productivity of the breed. If this is a bird of the egg direction, then it has requirements for the number of eggs laid per year. Here the undisputed leader can be considered “Leggornov”. If you managed to find thoroughbred chickens, then chickens grown from them are guaranteed to lay up to 300 eggs in a year. By paying more attention to the bird, and providing proper care, the laying hen can thank the owner with even better egg production. Indicators such as 365 eggs per year were observed.
The video talks about laying hens:
Italy is considered the birthplace of the Leghorn. For many years, domestic breeders have tried to increase the productivity of the breed with the help of new technologies, but the result has remained unchanged. Crossing work is still ongoing, however, even in its original form, laying hens are popular in many countries of the world.
In the vastness of our homeland, “Leggorns” have taken root thanks to a very dense plumage. It protects the body of the chicken from strong winds and frost. There is probably no region where this beautiful chicken has taken root.
What breed of chickens is better to avoid
In principle, almost all breeds of laying hens offered on the domestic market are capable of laying eggs in farms and households in any region. The only question is how many eggs they will lay and what care will be required for the bird. Since it’s a matter of choice, it is better to refuse to grow Minokorok.
Chickens are characterized by a high rate of egg production. Adults have a slender elongated body, a long neck, a small head with a large red crest. Feather color can be black, white or brown. The eggs are laid in a white hard shell.
So, why then, with high egg production, it is undesirable to start a breed at home. The thing is that the bird was bred in Spain, and she loves warmth very much. In the southern regions, chickens will still be comfortable. If we take, for example, the Moscow region, not to mention the Siberian region, with a sharp onset of cold weather, egg production will drop sharply. In severe frosts, ridges can, in general, be frostbitten. Even if you can provide warm living conditions for the chicken, it needs a lot of walking, otherwise you can forget about productivity.
The video shows the best breeds of laying hens:
Summing up the review of the breeds, it should be noted that for breeding laying hens you need to buy from trusted manufacturers. Only in this way is it guaranteed to get a pure breed, and not a mixture.