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Large poultry farms prefer to keep highly specialized breeds, more precisely, hybrids, chickens. This makes it easier to calculate the ration and maintain the livestock. Hybrids are designed for maximum productive return, and the staff does not become attached to them. For private traders, it is often the other way around: they cannot send a hen that has served its end to the soup, because they managed to become attached to it. In addition, private traders often want to breed a chicken herd on their own, and industrial hybrids are not adapted to such conditions. At best, the owner of the hybrid will need an expensive incubator, at worst, a duplicate population of non-specialized chickens capable of incubating eggs. Therefore, meat and egg breeds of chickens are much more convenient for private ownership.
These breeds of a universal direction, unlike factory breeds, were bred naturally for use in villages. If there are relatively few specialized hybrids, then the abundance of breeds of meat and egg chickens dazzles. Many of them are not only relatively highly productive, but also beautiful.
Variety of breeds
When choosing a breed for personal use, a private trader usually fluctuates between egg and universal chickens. For eggs, basically all the same factory hybrids are taken. If the performance of hybrids is approximately the same, then it is already difficult to understand which of the proposed breeds of meat and egg chickens is better. Several factors have to be taken into account at once: egg production, meat precocity, adaptability to the climate of a particular region. Moreover, it is necessary to choose breeds of meat and egg chickens according to photos and names. Usually, few of the neighbors have the right breeds “for testing”. The choice is made taking into account priority requirements.
Yurlovskaya vociferous
By origin, the Yurlov vociferous is classified as a universal breed, since it was bred in the Oryol region by crossing Chinese meat and fighting breeds with the local population of native laying hens. In reality, the main advantage of the breed (or how to look at it) is the cry of a rooster. It was by the cry that the Yurlov vociferous were selected. The higher the quality of the rooster’s cry, the more expensive the rooster cost.
Because of this, there is a strong variation in the live weight of roosters in the breed. Yurlovsky vociferous weighs, according to various sources, from 3,5 to 5,5 kg. In laying hens, the weight is more consolidated, in the range of 3 – 3,5 kg. Yurlov vociferous have low egg production – on average, about 150 eggs per year. But the eggs are quite large and weigh from 60 g. Two-yolk ones can reach 95 g.
The modern population of Yurlov vociferous is small and is mainly used as a genetic reserve for breeding new breeds. Although they can also be found in the private courtyards of lovers of cock singing.
Need eggs
In this case, from all meat and egg chickens, those that carry many eggs are selected, but this choice can only be made according to the description. Not a single photo can tell the level of egg production of the breed. To obtain egg products, there are several popular breeds of meat and egg chickens.
Australorp black-and-white
In Australorp, meat-egg chickens, there are two lines: one is closer to the meat direction, the other to the egg-laying one.
The description of chickens of meat and egg breed Australorp black-and-white indicates that this is more of an egg-laying line than a universal breed. The weight of a chicken is closer to the weight of an egg laying hen and reaches 2,2 kg. The rooster weighs 2,6 kg. This line lays up to 220 eggs weighing 55 g per year.
The eggs of the black-and-white Australorps are distinguished by high fertility, and the chicks are highly hatchable and livable. Since this is not a hybrid, but a breed, black-and-white Australorps can be bred on their own. Unfortunately, this breed of meat and egg chickens, according to reviews, is not particularly cold-resistant and requires keeping in insulated chicken coops in winter.
Adler silver
Adler chickens of meat and egg breed in the photo often already look like ordinary egg layers.
This phenomenon is natural, since originally bred as a “village” universal chicken, today the Adler breed is gradually reoriented in the direction of increasing egg production. So far, Adler chickens cannot boast of high egg production, although individual individuals of their egg line can already lay up to 250 eggs per season.
The instinct of incubation in Adlerok is very poorly developed, as in any egg-laying breed. In addition, the weight of birds of the Adler egg line is approaching the standard weight of industrial laying hens – 2 kg.
Old-type Adler silver eggs lay much less: 160 – 180 pieces per season. But the weight of birds is much higher. Laying weight up to 3 kg, rooster up to 4 kg.
Since when purchasing chickens or hatching eggs, it is not known which Adler line will be purchased, these are not the chickens of the meat and egg breed that should be chosen for a win-win investment.
California gray chickens
They came to the USSR back in 1963 and took root as a “pockmarked chicken”. These chickens can only be called universal at a stretch. Is that because of the lower egg production than that of egg breeds. The weight of the laying hen is almost the same as the egg laying hen and is 2 kg. Rooster weight 3 kg. They lay 200 eggs a year with a relatively low egg weight of 58 g. In fact, these chickens cannot be recommended with a clear conscience for breeding in private farmsteads: they have little meat, egg-laying hens also carry more eggs. The only advantage seen in the bird is tender, lean meat, even in adult chickens. But in small quantities.
Meat is the priority
If meat is needed more than eggs, when choosing a breed of meat and egg chickens, you can focus on the photo and description.
Kyrgyz gray
A breed of a universal direction, but its bias is in meat productivity. Outwardly, a non-specialist is unlikely to distinguish the Kyrgyz breed from the Californian. They have the same color, but the weight does not differ much. The Kyrgyz chicken is superior to the Californian in body weight and eggs, but is inferior in annual egg productivity. A Kyrgyz layer weighs an average of 2,5 kg, a rooster – 3,4. The annual number of eggs is 150 – 170 pieces, on average, 58 g each.
Kyrgyz chicken is distinguished by high egg fertility, good safety of young animals – up to 97% and high safety of adult chickens – 85%.
The breed was bred for the conditions of mountainous Kyrgyzstan and feels good in a dry hot climate, perfectly adapted to life in high mountain regions. The disadvantage of chickens is the “fear” of high humidity and low egg productivity. But work on increasing productivity is still underway.
Australorp black
The second line of the meat and egg breed of chickens with a photo of a rooster, which shows that this line is relatively heavy compared to the black-and-white Australorp.
In terms of body weight / number of eggs, it is one of the best meat and egg breeds of chickens. Its egg production is slightly lower than that of the black-and-white (up to 200 eggs per year), but the eggs are slightly larger (57 g on average). But the body weight of these chickens is much larger: a rooster up to 4 kg, a laying hen up to 3 kg. Demanding to the conditions of detention is the same as that of the black-and-white line.
Maran
A very original and profitable breed, characterized by a decent weight. The weight of a laying maran reaches 3,2 kg. In a rooster, the live weight reaches 4 kg. Moreover, chickens grow very quickly and gain 2,5 – 3,5 kg by the age of one. Maran egg production is not very high. Laying hens in the first productive year carry an average of 140 pcs. large eggs. The advantage of the breed is large eggs of a beautiful chocolate color. Chickens are popular with lovers of experiments. When marans are crossed with other breeds of chickens, the offspring carry eggs with a color of varying degrees of intensity. In addition, maran eggs are not inferior to industrial egg crosses and weigh 65 g. The advertised larger egg weight can be attributed to the minuses, as this means that a two-yolk egg was laid, suitable only for food. Accordingly, if you want to breed marans from the very beginning, some of the eggs will have to be rejected. And this is taking into account the fact that the egg production of maran is not very high anyway.
Faverolles
Rare in Our Country, the fireball belongs to the chickens of the universal direction. Originally from France, faverol chicken is considered unpretentious in terms of keeping conditions and diet. This is a large bird with a maximum live weight of a rooster of 4 kg. Chickens can gain up to 3,5 kg. Egg productivity is low: no more than 200 eggs per year. Due to the insignificant egg productivity, the breed is increasingly moving into the category of decorative ones. It’s justified. Many other chickens fit for meat, but with a more trivial appearance.
Unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention
Unpretentious breeds of meat and egg chickens, according to the description and photo, are also unlikely to be chosen, since unpretentiousness is often very arbitrary. If the description of a breed of Hungarian origin says that it can withstand frosty winters, then it must be borne in mind that these are Hungarian, not Siberian winters. Unpretentiousness to feed can also be relative: a chicken of any breed lives on pasture, but its productive characteristics are almost zero. To obtain production from this chicken, it must be fed with high-quality grain feed.
Wyandot
Birds of a very original color bred in the USA can be safely called one of the best breeds of meat and egg chickens. These birds not only have a decent weight: up to 4 kg for a rooster and up to 3 kg for a chicken, but also decent egg production for a universal direction: up to 180 eggs per year. The disadvantage is the small weight of the eggs, which weigh 55 g on average. In addition, Wyandots are resistant to frosts and are able to rush all winter, if they are provided with sufficient daylight hours.
Thus, in addition to supplying the owner with delicious meat and winter eggs, the Wyandots are also pleasing to the eye, walking around the yard during the day.
Megrula
The main advantage of this Georgian breed is unpretentiousness. Chickens are not distinguished by high live weight and egg production. Megrul was bred by crossing local native chickens with meat foreign breeds. The result, it must be said, is not encouraging. The weight of the laying hen is only 1,7 kg, the male – 2,3 kg. Eggs per season – 160. Eggs are relatively small – 55 g. On top of all the shortcomings, the hens are late-ripening, egg-laying begins at the age of over six months.
However, if Megrula had only flaws, she would hardly have survived. Megrula has two types: eastern and western. East is closer to the egg direction with the corresponding weight of laying hens and roosters. Western is closer to meat and egg and the weight of this type of rooster reaches 2,8 kg. The live weight of the “western” chicken is 2,3 kg.
Megruls are distinguished by fertility, high fertility of eggs, high survivability of chicks and high survivability of adult birds. Megrula is bred for traditional Georgian dishes that require juicy tender meat. In this regard, megrula is demanding on feed and is not suitable for farms where grain is the basis of the diet. Megrula requires a large amount of succulent fodder and top dressing with corn.
In the Caucasus, keep Megrul in individual farms. For industrial farms, it is unprofitable.
Ukrainian Ushankas
Almost domestic meat and egg breed of chickens “Ushanki” in the photo look very original even when they are still chickens.
Although the Ukrainian Ushanka can be called one of the best domestic breeds of meat and egg chickens, its numbers today are very small. Ukrainian Ushankas lay up to 180 eggs per year. A laying hen weighs up to 2,3 kg, a rooster up to 3,5 kg. These chickens have a very well developed maternal instinct, thanks to which they free the owner from worries about the incubator and electricity.
“Ushankas” are unpretentious in maintenance and are ready to be content with a small amount of feed. A bird of this breed is easy to distinguish from any other due to the tufts of feathers growing near the ear openings, smoothly turning into a beard.
According to the owners, these birds are not at all afraid of frost, their temper is very calm. They don’t bully themselves, but they don’t let themselves be offended either. The almost complete disappearance of Ukrainian Ushankas can only be explained by the open borders after the collapse of the Union and the fashion for everything foreign, inherent in those times. However, the owners of Ushankas, who managed to buy a purebred bird in the Gene Pool, believe that this is an ideal chicken for private farmsteads.
But Faverolle has feathered metatarsus, Ushanka does not. Plus there are differences in body proportions.
Kotlyarevsky
Chickens are bred in the Caucasus and are intended for the southern regions of Our Country. Differ in high efficiency and vitality. Roosters gain up to 4 kg of weight, laying hens up to 3 kg. Chickens are distinguished by a certain late maturity, bringing about 160 eggs in the first year. Unlike other chicken breeds, in Kotlyarevsky, the next year, egg production does not fall, but increases. At the peak of production, the Kotlyarevsky laying hen can produce 240 eggs per year. At the same time, the eggs of Kotlyarevsky chickens are comparable to the products of industrial crosses, it weighs 60 – 63 g.
Kotlyarevsky chickens are distinguished by high vitality. After hatching, only 5% of the young die from the egg.
What are the benefits of mini chickens
Mini chickens first appeared in Our Country, but quickly spread throughout Europe, replacing traditional broilers in many farms. Mini chickens are essentially dwarf birds with shortened legs. Among them there are egg-laying, meat and meat-and-egg lines. Color can be white, fawn and red. White, according to reviews, is not a meat and egg breed of chickens, but more egg-laying. Although the description usually states that all mini-chickens are meat. A colored breed of chickens belongs to the mini-meat-egg.
The productive characteristics of this meat and egg breed of chickens are quite high. They begin to rush at 5 months and the egg weight is about 50 g. They can lay eggs weighing 75 – 97 g, but it is better to cull such birds from breeding. Large eggs contain several yolks. The egg weighing 97 g was three-yolk.
The weight of a 5-month-old rooster is 1,3 – 1,7 kg, which is quite comparable with the weight of a full-fledged large laying hen.
The dwarfism gene affects the length of the limbs, but the body usually remains the same as in large individuals.
What are the advantages of this breed and why, according to reviews, it is one of the best breeds of meat and egg chickens:
- short legs do not allow you to spend a lot of energy on movement;
- due to the low need for movement, chickens consume less feed than their large relatives;
- eggs are almost the same size as eggs from large birds;
- high egg production among meat and egg breeds;
- fast weight gain;
- calm temperament, due to the same length of legs.
- unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention and feed.
Also, the advantage of mini-hens is the fact that this is a breed, not a hybrid. That is, when breeding, the owner receives a full-fledged chicken, which he can sell or leave for self-repair.
According to the reviews of the owners of mini-hens, these are the most unpretentious meat and egg chickens. The only thing that buyers may regret is that they took few hatching eggs. Demand for this breed is growing, and a guaranteed purebred bird can be bought at the Genofond in Moscow.
Tsarskoye Selo breed group
So far, this group of the meat and egg direction is still difficult to call a breed, but those poultry farmers who are more important than productivity than purebred have already become interested in it. Tsarskoye Selo chicken is bred on the basis of three breeds: Poltava Clay, Broiler 6 and New Hampshire. Thanks to the resulting very beautiful plumage, chickens of this breed group are often referred to as decorative ones, although their productive indicators are not inferior to the already established breeds of chickens of the universal direction.
The average weight of the Tsarskoye Selo laying hen is 2,4 kg. A rooster weighs an average of 3 kilograms. Representatives of the Tsarskoye Selo breed group are rapidly gaining weight, and this pleases breeders who breed poultry for meat. Hens are mid-season, rush from 5 months. The annual productivity of a laying hen is 180 eggs, weighing 60 g on average. The eggshell from Tsarskoye Selo chickens can vary from light to dark brown in color.
The undoubted advantages of this breed group include the fact that, despite the relatively high egg production, chickens have not lost the instinct of incubation. Tsarskoye Selo chicken is also a good hen.
The breed group has a good hatchability of chickens that are born with red down.
The differences between the groups are in the shape of the ridge and the frost resistance associated with it. A line with a rose-shaped crest tolerates frost better than a line with a leaf-shaped one.
The purpose of breeding a new breed is suitability for breeding both in factories and in private yards. Therefore, already now the Tsarskoye Selo breed group is distinguished by unpretentiousness to the conditions of detention, good vitality and high endurance. Tsarskoye Selo chickens are able to overwinter in cold chicken coops without stopping egg-laying. This moment makes them promising for breeding in the northern regions of the country. Also, the breed group is highly resistant to diseases and good safety of livestock.
The best of the best
Is there a hen that weighs a lot, and lays a lot of eggs, and does not require a golden palace? Undemanding to the content has always distinguished the animals of “Soviet production”, so you need to look for such a chicken among the representatives of the “Bankiv jungle chicken” species.
Kuchinskaya Anniversary
The beginning of work on the Kuchinsky anniversary coincided with the end of Khrushchev’s reign – the beginning of Brezhnev’s reign. Selection work continued until 1990, when the Kuchinsky Jubilees were finally registered as a breed. Since in those days food was produced in abundance only on paper, the Kuchinsky jubilees were supposed to support the rural population in terms of supplying the villagers with meat and eggs.
So the village had to supply itself with meat. Grain for livestock feed to the villagers was also sold in small quantities. And there was no feed in the modern sense at all. It was under such conditions that the Kuchin jubilee parties were created. The result obtained met expectations. Kuchinsky anniversary today are popular with practical villagers. For a universal direction, this is a large chicken: the weight of layers is up to 3 kg, roosters up to 4 kg. Average egg production pcs. eggs per year. Kuchinsky jubilee eggs are almost equal in weight to those produced by industrial egg crosses.
Zagorskaya salmon
Without exaggeration, another masterpiece of Soviet breeders, and even at a time when they knew almost nothing about genetics and treated it as pseudo-science. Zagorsk salmon is considered an ideal chicken for rural conditions. She has only one drawback: due to the ability to extract the maximum amount of nutrients from the offered feed, this chicken is prone to obesity.
Zagorsk chickens grow very quickly, gaining 2 kg of weight by the age of 1 months. Adult hens were fed up to 2,5 kg, roosters up to 3 kg, which adversely affected their egg production.
Zagorsk salmon is distinguished by late maturation. They begin to rush only after 7 months. A laying hen in normal condition is capable of producing up to 220 eggs per year.
From the foregoing, we can conclude that among the large varieties there are the best meat and egg breeds of chickens: Kuchinsky anniversary, Ukrainian earflaps, Wyandot, Zagorsk salmon.
Conclusion
Each poultry farmer wants to take the best breed of meat and egg chickens, but which one will be the best for a particular owner of the poultry yard depends only on his preferences. Someone wants chickens to please the eye, someone is interested in exceptionally productive characteristics. You should not be guided by reviews on sites which breed of meat and egg chickens is better. Every bird owner’s experience is different. When choosing a breed, you need to take into account your interests and your area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbresidence.