Contents
The original-looking old breed of chickens, bred by folk selection, was very common in the Empire in the XNUMXth century. The time of its occurrence is not exactly known, but it is believed that Asian chickens were the ancestors of these funny birds. The opinion is reinforced by the fact that the crested breed of chickens is suspiciously similar to another old and original looking, but Ukrainian breed. For the most part, they have the same name. Replaced only the region of origin and “crest” with “forelock”.
For the sake of interest, you can compare photos of crested breed of chickens (left) and Ukrainian chubat (right).
And try to find 10 differences.
This situation is not surprising. Most likely, the division into different breeds took place not according to productive and exterior characteristics, but along administrative boundaries, and more recently in a historical perspective. With the wide prevalence of the crested breed in Tsarist Our Country, it is unlikely that the peasants who moved with their families to Little Our Country would, in principle, leave their chickens in the old place.
After the revolution in the Soviet Union, there was an instruction that each republic should have “its own” republican breed of farm animals. And in all areas of agriculture: from birds to cattle. Apparently, it was then that the crested came under the division along the administrative border.
What is she like today?
Today, the crested chicken is considered a native breed. When breeding the breed, it is unlikely that the peasants “set a goal” to make chickens resistant to frosts. It’s just that “folk selection” by today’s city standards is very cruel to animals. If the animal does not meet the necessary requirements, is not able to withstand the conditions of detention offered to it, it is sent under the knife. If they succeed, it won’t fall sooner. But, to be honest, such a tough selection gives excellent results.
In the description of the crested breed of chickens, its high frost resistance is especially noted. Here it’s time to recall the catchphrase from the film that has become a catchphrase: “If you want to live, you won’t get so upset.” In the situation with crested chickens, this statement is more than appropriate. If the peasant does not have an insulated chicken coop, then either adapt to survive in a cold barn, or freeze. There were no electric heaters back then.
Modern standard
Corydalis is a medium-sized bird of a universal direction.
The head is elongated, proportional. The face is red. The comb is red, more often leaf-shaped, but pink-shaped of the correct form without extra processes is also allowed. The face, lobes and earrings are red. There may be white patches on the lobes. The eyes are orange, red or light yellow.
Birds with dark plumage may have brown eyes. The beak of Corydalis is strong, the color of the beak depends on the color and can vary from yellow to dark gray.
The crests of crested chickens are better developed than those of roosters due to the worse development of the crest. The feathers on the crest are directed backwards. The shape of the crest can be:
- helmet-shaped;
- raskidistym;
- protruding;
- sheaf-like.
The neck is relatively short. The crested rooster has a poorly developed mane, and the crest is smaller than that of a chicken. In the photo below, the chicken has a helmet-shaped crest
The back and lower back of crested chickens, as seen in the photo, are wide and even. The tail of the rooster is magnificent, long. Moreover, not only the braids are long, but also the integumentary feather. In a chicken, the tail is somewhat less developed, although it also differs in the richness of its plumage.
In particular, it is indicated that the tail of the crested is poorly developed. The tail feathers of the roosters are exposed, since the integumentary feather and braids are not long enough.
The wings are large, slightly lowered. The chest is broad and well filled. The belly is well developed in hens and tucked up in roosters. Legs of medium length with non-feathered metatarsus.
The plumage is well developed, rich, but not loose. According to the description of the standard, the color of the crested has at least 10 options:
- white;
- the black;
- red;
- lavender;
- Gray;
- black and silver;
- black-gold;
- chintz;
- cuckoo;
- salmon.
The most common color in the crested breed is white.
Varieties of colors
What are the types of color in the crested breed of chickens shown in the photo below.
White.
With a pure white feather, chickens should have a yellow beak and metatarsus.
The black.
With a black color, chickens have brown eyes, a dark gray beak and gray metatarsals.
Red.
It would be a bored red chicken, if not for the tuft.
Lavender.
In chickens, a mutation of the genes responsible for color often occurs. This results in “blue” or “lavender” colors. Lavender color variations can range from almost gray to really blue.
Gray.
With a general dark gray color, the neck is decorated with feathers with a white border. The beak and metatarsus are gray, the eyes are brown.
Silver black.
The crest, neck and loin are silver. Back, belly, wings and sides black. The eyes are brown.
Golden black.
Genetically, chickens of this color are black, so the beak and metatarsals are also dark in color, and the eyes are brown. On the neck and crest there is a golden feather, which in roosters passes into the integumentary feathers of the lower back.
Calico.
The most interesting and varied color in the crested breed of chickens is calico. Feathers of a lighter color are scattered over the main red or red color, creating a “shirt” pattern that is original for each chicken.
Cuckoo.
“Uniform” variegated color, light beak and metatarsus.
Salmon.
A delicate fawn color with dark dots on the chest and neck is therefore called salmon, which is very reminiscent of the “shirt” of freshly caught salmon.
Description and photos of the vices of crested chickens that are unacceptable for breeding birds:
- underdeveloped crest;
- lack of crest;
- white lobes;
- very large comb;
- rough body;
- high set of wings;
- yellow color;
- too long metatarsus;
- “squirrel” tail.
Productivity
Due to the genetic diversity among the Corydalis, performance data in the description of Crested chickens varies depending on the source. So, according to various sources, a rooster weighs 2,7 – 3,5 kg. Chicken from 1,8 kg, which does not fit at all with the declared universal direction, up to 2,2 kg. The last figure is already closer to the meat and egg breed. Although the data on egg production vary, none of the numbers resembles an egg breed: 150 – 160 pcs. for the season. The average egg weight is 56 g. The shell can be white or cream.
Advantages
According to the reviews of the owners, the crested breed of chickens fully meets the expectations placed on it:
- excellent frost resistance (even chickens wanted to live);
- original and unusual today appearance;
- variety and decorativeness of colors;
- stable “issuance” of 1 egg every 2 days (and no one expects more from them);
- good fertility of eggs;
- high hatchability and safety of chickens;
- minimum content requirements;
- human orientation;
- calm character.
The last item is missing from the roosters. They are pugnacious and it is pugnacity that is attributed to the shortcomings of crested.
In this case, the feathers have to be trimmed, because due to the thick plumage, the chicken cannot even see the feeder. A sheared crest will look ugly, but chicken health is more expensive.
Content and diet
Like a classic “village” chicken, Corydalis does not require special conditions. There would be shelter from the weather, a high perch, dry bedding and a full feeder. In summer, chickens feel great in an open aviary, in winter they prefer to hide from snow and wind in a barn.
In feeding, crested ones are also not picky. In summer, they can even feed themselves on their own. But if it is impossible to walk in freedom, Corydalis need grain, calcium, animal proteins and succulent feed. Like any chicken, Corydalis is omnivorous and will gladly eat kitchen waste left during the preparation of dinner.
Reviews
Conclusion
There is a great genetic diversity in the breed of crested chickens. Work with crested chickens has not been carried out for a long time, and only now they are beginning to collect data on the number of crested chickens kept in private farmsteads. To date, only 2 thousand individuals corresponding to the description have been recorded, although many corydalis are kept in the yard. But with a high degree of probability, this is either not a purebred bird, or chickens of a different breed. There are a lot of crested breeds of chickens in the world. In this regard, you cannot fully trust the description and photo of the crested breed of chickens on the Internet or when buying from an ad. To purchase a truly purebred bird, it is better to contact the Gene Pool.