Descriptions of the 11 best breeds of broiler chickens for breeding at home

Chicken is a delicious, nutritious meat that is popular in Russia and all over the world. In the past, raising chickens was a labor-intensive and costly endeavor, as it required a lot of time and money (for feed) to produce meat. Therefore, chicken used to be quite expensive, and people with good incomes could afford it.

However, much has changed since breeders developed broiler chickens, which are an interspecific hybrid of several chicken breeds. But why do we need broilers at all? What to feed them and what characteristics do they have? What breeds of broilers are there for industrial or home breeding? These issues will be discussed in the article.

Maintenance and care

French scientists have managed to make the almost impossible a reality.
Their hybrid gained the ability to adapt to any climatic conditions - from moderate to the most extreme. Thanks to this, birds can live in any corner of the planet and still feel good. Even the line of bare-necked chickens does not suffer from cold and frost. The winged Sasso family breed of chickens needs a spacious walking yard. There is no need to install high fences - this is of no use, because black whales are not capable of making high flights. The main thing is that the walk should be equipped with a small canopy, under which the whole family could gather in case of rain.

All other care requirements are exactly the same as for other breeds. Kvochkas need cleanliness, timely replacement of bedding and disinfection. The family needs the opportunity to take ash baths, which will protect them from parasites.

Molting and break in egg laying

Broilers from France do not lay eggs very actively without molting, but during this period they completely stop laying eggs. The molting speed of representatives of different lines is different. Some people quickly recover their feather cover, while others have problems with fouling. But, the partial absence of feathers does not negatively affect the health of the hens.

Planned herd replacement

Raising young animals solely for the purpose of producing meat carcasses is the most profitable option. Young animals are sent for slaughter at an early age - starting from 2 months.

Theoretically, birds can be kept for longer - there are Sasso lines that gain weight at a moderate pace and compensate for the cost of their maintenance with testicles. But, the maximum period of their productivity is 2 years, no more.

Frequent illnesses

Unlike traditional broilers, feathered Frenchies practically do not get sick. But this is only possible if the farmer is scrupulous about preventive measures.

Families living on poultry farms are forced to periodically take antibiotics, because when a large number of birds accumulate, the risk of outbreaks of infectious diseases increases tenfold.

There is no such need for a domestic family, but it is still important to protect from contact with rodents and wild birds, vaccinate in a timely manner and maintain cleanliness. https://www.youtube.com/embed/GPy7oeKEfLg

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Breeding farms | Broiler hatching egg I Broiler chickens

Breeding farms maintain genetic collections of bird breeds and provide products to poultry farms and the public.

Breeding farms sell hatching eggs, day-old and grown-up chicks, as well as adult crosses and purebred birds.

Breeding farms in Russia

There are two main breeding industries in Russia.

1. LLC "Genofond"

, contacts: 141315, Sergiev Posad, st. Maslieva, 44 Telephone/fax; Email

2. LLC "VNIIGRZH"

— genetic collection of rare and endangered chicken breeds.

Actual address: 196634 St. Petersburg, Shushary village, Detskoselsky state farm, territory of VNIIGRZH.

Postal address: 196601 St. Petersburg, Pushkin, Moskovskoe highway, 55a, tel/fax, mob. tel. + 7 (911) 82-85-161.

In addition, in each region there are breeding farms that support and nurture certain breeds of chickens. You can also buy eggs for incubation from them, as well as day-old and grown-up chicks.

Breeding farms abroad

The main supplier of hatching eggs to Russia is the Czech Republic. This company has many branches in the Czech Republic and Slovenia and produces such a quantity of eggs that it has practically no competitors in the field of sales to small farms in Europe and Russia.

releases egg Koob-500 and Ross-308 too.

Russian poultry farms, in my opinion, are trying to get away from the dominance of this company and hatch their own eggs or buy from Russian producers.

But there is little information about this. Perhaps where the eggs are purchased and the price are a trade secret of the enterprise.

For the household, we buy those hatching eggs or those chickens that are sold geographically closer, because long trips to buy goods for a small farmstead will not pay off.

Naked breed of chickens: description

The bare-necked breed of chickens, as mentioned earlier, is more reminiscent of turkeys than chickens. The key point in describing the representatives of the breed is the absence of feathers on the bird’s crop and neck. This feature is characterized by the fact that on these parts of the bird’s body the feather follicles are undeveloped. A so-called feather cap is formed on the back of the bird’s head, and in front of the neck the feathers are arranged so that they resemble a bow.

Bare-necked chickens also lack plumage under the wings; these areas are called apteria. When a bird has a lot of such hairless areas on its body, this means that it corresponds to the description of the standard of its breed. There are also no feathers on the small triangles on the inside of the lower leg.

The nakedness of these birds is formed in the embryonic period, when the feather papillae begin to develop. This trait then passes on to adults.

The bare red neck is the result of the work of breeders. It goes very nicely with a bright red “cap” on the head of hens or a voluminous bright crest of roosters. If we are talking about a bare-necked hen, then she has beautiful earrings of the same bright color.

As for other points describing the appearance of these birds, they are as follows:

• the beak of bare-necked chickens is slightly curved and has a scarlet or yellow color;
• eyes have a red-orange tint;
• Birds molt every year, during which time they completely change the outer layer of their skin;
• the head is small but wide, the crest is rose-shaped or leaf-shaped;
• growth is small;
• the body has the shape of a rectangle, the body is elongated and slightly elevated;
• the chest is rounded, this is achieved due to well-developed pectoral muscles;
• the wings are loosely adjacent to the body, slightly lowered down;
• short and strong legs, they have four toes, they are gray or yellow-orange in color;
• a small and fluffy ponytail is located at an angle of 15 degrees to the body, large and formed braids.

The feather cover of bare-necked chickens can have the following shades:

• cuckoo;
• white with black edges;
• motley;
• black;
• brown;
• red;
• blue with border.

The weight of an adult chicken is about 2-3 kg, but a rooster can weigh four kilograms.

What is not allowed in the appearance of bare-necked chickens:

• when the eyes are very dark;
• on bare areas the skin turns yellow;
• the tail is steep;
• the body is weak;
• earrings are white;
• head black;
• the neck and inner part of the lower leg are feathered.

Fayumi

These birds are quite voracious. They prefer warm climates and are generally wild birds in nature. They very rarely show aggression and have very good immunity, protecting against most diseases.

The peculiarity of these chickens is early puberty. Before they get to the dinner table, they will lay a large number of eggs.

Weight (rooster) – 2.2 kg

Weight (chicken) – 2.0 kg

Growth period – 14-18 weeks

Advantages: rapid puberty, good taste of meat

Description

Colored broiler is rightfully recognized as one of the most common types of poultry. This chicken belongs to the most popular meat and egg category. It grows quickly and has remarkable productivity indicators.

Colored broiler chickens are distinguished by a rather strong structure of an elongated body. They have a wide back and chest. The birds' heads are not very large in size. The growth of colored broilers is usually not very large, but the backbone is quite strong and the muscles are well developed.

Colored broilers are birds with good decorative qualities.

Their plumage is usually very bright and attracts attention. The skin of these individuals is lighter, which also gives them additional attractiveness.

These beautiful and practical birds are distinguished by their high productivity. Therefore, many farmers try to breed colored broilers on their farms. Of course, good performance indicators of birds largely depend on the conditions in which they are kept. Colored broilers need to be fed properly and a high-quality poultry house should be provided for them.

As for the remaining characteristics of these domestic birds, there are a number of features.

• The largest weight of adult roosters with proper care can reach 7 kg, and hens - 4 kg.
• During the day, chickens of this species are able to gain up to 50-60 grams of weight. When broilers are a month old, they can weigh 800-1000 grams - these are very good indicators.
• Most often, colored broilers are sent for slaughter when they reach two months. At this point, birds can weigh from 2 to 2.5 kg.
• Broiler colored layers are distinguished by excellent egg production ability. One female can bring up to 300 eggs to a poultry farmer per year. Not every poultry can boast of such abilities, which makes colored broilers even more in demand and useful on the farm.
• These birds are also characterized by good survival rates of young individuals. This figure is 98%. Of course, this level occurs provided that the birds are properly cared for.
• Color boilers are famous for the highest quality of the resulting products. The meat of these poultry contains a large percentage of animal protein.

Peculiarities

Compared to other breeds of chickens, broilers have a number of features:

• Male broilers are larger in size than females. The weight of an adult male is 4-5 kg, while the female is 3-4 kg.
• To breed broilers, it is recommended to buy eggs from breeders. Breeding on your own can lead to degeneration of the breed (the amount of meat decreases and health deteriorates).
• You can feed broilers with plant foods or ready-made feed. The second option is more preferable, since the food contains the necessary vitamins and microelements.
• Chickens can be raised in isolated cages or on fenced plots of land. The animals tolerate captivity well and behave calmly in the presence of food and water.

Attention! Broilers can be fed grain seeds. But in this case, you need to add mineral/vitamin bait to the diet to compensate for the low content of these substances in grains.

Feeding

Young animals

Newly born bare-necked chickens are very sensitive to conditions, so the following rules must be followed:

1. Good ventilation of the room, but without strong drafts.
2. Maximum density - 25 pcs. per 1 m2 during the first month, the next month and a half - 17 heads, and then - no more than 10 individuals per 1 m2.
3. The floor must be covered with bedding, preferably peat. Or you can use regular sheets of paper and pour well-sifted feed with corn grits directly onto them.
4. The temperature in the room for the first 5 days must be about 29-30 degrees, then until the end of the second week of the brood’s life it can be reduced to 26 degrees. Subsequently, every week the temperature is reduced by 3 degrees so that by the end of the first month of life the chickens feel comfortable at 18 C.

Important! When a brood appears in the cold season, it is necessary to additionally use infrared lamps indoors for the first month of the chicks’ life. As for the diet of young animals, follow these recommendations:

As for the diet of young animals, follow these recommendations:

Feeding during the first 1.5 weeks at least every 2 hours. Feeders and drinking bowls are attached to the wall at such a distance that the chicks can reach on their own, but do not climb inside with their feet, since the ingress of bird droppings can cause illness in the young. After feeding, it is important to check the crops - if there are chicks whose crops are empty, they are fed individually. The remaining food is removed immediately after finishing the meal.

Menu for chickens in the first month of life:

1. During the first days of life, food is made from hard-boiled eggs, crushed and mixed with 50 g of cottage cheese and 50 g of semolina or corn flour. This is the proportion for 1 chicken egg.
2. As an alternative, you can also feed a mixture of chicken feed, to which crushed oatmeal and milk powder are added in equal proportions.
3. On the 5th day of life, you can introduce greens into the diet, and a week later they make mash with yogurt or meat broth.
4. From day 10, chickens can be given boiled grated potatoes, pumpkin and zucchini.

Important! During the first month of life, be sure to use crushed chalk or egg shells as a supplement, which will become a much-needed source of calcium.

Feeding and keeping adult chickens

Despite the fact that the naked-necked chicken breed is considered hardy, it is still necessary to provide them with comfortable conditions.

First of all, this concerns the temperature regime, so that the energy received from the feed is not wasted by the birds on body thermoregulation.

Conditions:

1. The optimal temperature is 12-16 degrees with a humidity of 60-70%.
2. At temperatures from +1 to +4, laying hens continue to lay eggs, but productivity drops by 20 percent.
3. At temperatures ranging from minus 5 degrees, adult individuals survive, but stop laying eggs.

Regarding other indoor conditions:

1. There must be a peat bedding on the floor, and it must be loosened from time to time.
2. A good ventilation system must be installed in the poultry house to prevent air contamination from excrement.
3. In the cold season, it would be a good idea to take care of additional lighting to ensure full daylight from 6 am to 8 pm. Lamps are suitable with a glow of 60 W, 1 pc. for every 6 m2 of area with a ceiling height of 2 meters. It makes no sense to provide more intense lighting, as this will provoke depletion of the nervous system of chickens. But the deficiency will also affect low productivity and insufficient gain of meat mass.
4. Chickens are fed 2 times a day - in the first hour after waking up in the morning and in the evening 1.5-2 hours before turning off the lights.

The menu should include:

1. Cereals.
2. Wet mash.
3. Boiled vegetables - zucchini, beets, pumpkin, potatoes.
4. Vitamin supplements - bone meal, chalk.

Important! Feed consumption is calculated at the rate of 130 g per day per 1 adult chicken weighing up to 2 kg. Above this weight, another 10 g is added for every additional 250 g of bird weight

Features of cultivation

In order for birds to grow up healthy and strong, you need to remember the rules of rearing:

• To breed chickens, it is recommended to buy broiler eggs from large factories. This will ensure that you get healthy, high-quality broilers that will produce a lot of meat. When breeding with the help of its eggs, the breed may lose its characteristics (weight, size).
• Another breeding option would be to use born chicks. Factories often sell “day-old” chicks, but experienced breeders recommend taking chicks that are at least 1 week old. The reason is that “day-olders” have weak immunity.
• It is recommended to give antibiotics to young and adult birds, which improve the health of the bird and minimize the risk of disease. If the dosage rules are followed, antibiotics are safe for the animal and do not remain in the meat. A few days before slaughter, antibiotics should be excluded from food.

Attention! For young animals, the light in the chicken coop should be constantly on for the first 2 weeks. In the future, the lights should be turned off at night.

External characteristics

Scientists have worked hard to create several lines with different external characteristics. But, birds generally differ only in color. There are many varieties. Due to this feature, chickens are often also called “colored broilers”. Here are some of the most common varieties.

Some birds have bare necks, but most are fully feathered. The plumage is rigid, quite dense and voluminous. Birds have a powerful physique. They have a wide body, squat, low-slung.

Pronounced belly and chest, as well as a flat back. The body is horizontal, on low paws widely spaced from each other.

The head is small and not unique in any way - with a regular, leaf-shaped crest that is slightly larger than many other varieties. The face, earrings and beak are red. The eyes are red-orange or amber.

The maximum weight that can be expected from roosters is about 5 kg, and hens usually weigh 800-900 grams less. But, it should be borne in mind that weight indicators also differ among different lines of this breed.

Work on the variety continues to this day. The company that deals with it continues to improve the birds. We can definitely say that their character is quite calm - the winged flock is not prone to aggression, is peaceful, but often suffers from stress.

Due to excessive timidity, the quality of the masonry may deteriorate. But they are raised mainly for their carcasses, so there are no problems due to timidity.

conclusions

1. Now you know which breeds of broilers are best to grow at home. This activity is considered quite profitable and productive. Poultry produces meat in quantities exceeding the minimum cost of feed.
2. If you have chosen the best breed that successfully combines endurance and early maturity, do not forget to provide young chickens with proper care and nutrition.
3. Like other types of poultry, broilers are capable of laying eggs. But growing them for this purpose is not always profitable, because on average the yield of egg products is from 100 to 120 pieces per year.
4. If you follow all the rules for raising poultry and the specifics of the breed, you can easily achieve rapid weight gain in chicks and provide yourself with a high-quality meat product in large quantities.

Feeding ration

Modesty in feed consumption is another undeniable advantage of the breed, which makes its cultivation economically viable and very profitable. But, despite the small amount of food consumed, the diet of chickens should be complete and balanced, especially at an early age.

Ready-made combined feeds are an excellent solution for feeding small broilers - they consist of several lines (starter, fattening, finishing), created for different ages of birds, and, accordingly, contain the optimal amount of nutrients depending on the needs of the bird.

In addition, industrial feeds often already contain preventive substances. However, the cost of the finished product is rather high, so for many poultry farmers the best option is to independently prepare dry feed and mash.

In the first days from birth, chickens are fed crushed hard-boiled eggs mixed with millet. Starting from the third day, the diet can be expanded by adding chopped grass and sprouts. From the fifth day, cottage cheese and fermented milk products are introduced. After another couple of days, you can introduce chopped or grated vegetables.

At three weeks of age, the diet is expanded by adding whole grains, eggshells, shell rock, meat and bone meal and fish meal. At one month of age, the diet of small broilers will be the same as that of adult chickens.

The feeding frequency at the initial stage is 8 times a day, two-week-old birds are fed 6 times a day, the next week 4 times a day, then reduced to morning and evening feeding

It is important to ensure that the chickens always eat their fill.

Adult chickens

In most cases, broilers do not survive to adulthood, since starting from 60–80 days, when they are fully formed and their weight reaches its peak, the birds are sent for slaughter. If, for some reason, you keep broilers for more than this period, you need to correctly prepare the birds’ diet.

You can prepare your own feeding mixture using the following ingredients:

• 400 g chopped corn;
• 200 g crushed wheat;
• 100 g chopped barley;
• 50 g chopped oats;
• 150 g sunflower cake;
• 200 g low-fat cottage cheese;
• 60 g fish/meat and bone meal;
• 1/2 tsp. baker's yeast.
• 150–200 g yogurt or whey.

Take care of the drinking bowls, as for both small broilers and adult chickens, the constant availability of fresh drinking water is mandatory.

Possible diseases

Despite the resistance of most broiler varieties to various diseases, the risk of their development cannot be excluded.

Most often, broilers suffer from chicken diseases such as:

Coccidiosis

With this disease, damage to the gastrointestinal tract occurs. When coccidiosis occurs, chicks experience diarrhea and feces that are yellow or green in color. The birds' weight is rapidly decreasing. The disease is characterized by a high mortality rate.

For treatment and prevention, the drugs Coccidiovit and Baykoks are used, which are added to drinking water or mixed feed. To prevent the development of coccidiosis, it is necessary to maintain sanitary and hygienic standards.

Bronchopneumonia

This disease is one of the most dangerous deviations that pose a threat to the life of birds. Bronchopneumonia usually occurs against the background of severe hypothermia. Characteristic signs of the disease: difficulty breathing with wheezing, cough, rhinitis, lack of appetite, poor condition of feathers.

The disease is treated with antibiotics. The drugs Gentamicin, Tetracycline, Levomycetin are prescribed. Treatment should be started immediately when the first symptoms appear. At an advanced stage, it is very difficult to cure birds.

Dyspepsia

This deviation is more often observed in chickens under 2-3 weeks of age. It is associated with the underdevelopment of the digestive system and lack of enzymes. Dyspepsia develops due to eating moldy, sour food and drinking stale water.

Prevention of the disease is the constant replacement of food and water. Treatment is carried out with a solution containing glucose and ascorbic acid. The weakest chickens are given mineral and vitamin supplements (Forte Universal).

Colibacillosis

This disease causes purulent-necrotic changes in the internal organs of broilers. The causative agent is E. coli, which enters the bird’s body along with food and water, as well as the feces of infected birds and animals.

Symptoms: blue beak, loss of appetite, severe thirst, liquid green stool, sometimes mixed with blood. The pathological process can spread to the eyes; in such cases, the bird loses its vision.

Treatment is possible only in the case of a subacute or chronic course, since in the acute form of colibacillosis the bird quickly dies. The basis of treatment is the antibiotic Levofloxacin.

Maintaining cleanliness in the chicken coop, a nutritious diet, clean water, and the absence of drafts in the room - all this significantly reduces the risk of developing diseases in broiler chickens.

External differences between a broiler and a regular chicken

Hybrids have a number of visual and physiological differences from their egg relatives. We will consider them further.

Color

Broiler chicken is completely white, but at a younger age it is completely yellow. During plumage development, white feathers appear first at the tips of the wings. If the chicken has colored pigment spots on its body - black, red or brown, especially on the head, the scallop is most likely a representative of the egg breeds, which include the Black Moravian, Russian White and Minorca.

Meanwhile, it is impossible to accurately determine whether a chicken is a broiler type just by color, since chicks of other breeds can also be completely yellow, and as they develop, they become completely white. In this regard, it is necessary to continue further examination of the individual in order to accurately establish its species.

Body structure

By this characteristic, a broiler can be distinguished from the age of 5-7 days from birth:

• The body shape of broilers is wide and rectangular, while that of laying hens is more oval and smooth;
• broilers have a wide chest and well-developed muscles, which are especially visible on the thighs of older chickens;
• The paws of broilers are shorter than those of other breeds, but they are thicker and more stable, since they must easily withstand considerable weight;
• broiler wings are shorter than those of their relatives;
• The head of a week-old broiler looks awkwardly large relative to the proportions of the body, but over time it will become normal in shape, so the bird’s shape will become proportional.

Sexual characteristics

In broiler chickens, sexual differences have been poorly visible for quite a long time, which is due to two factors:

• cockerels and hens have poorly developed combs and beards;
• Birds do not have beautiful decorative earrings.

The fact is that hybrids are not intended for further reproduction, therefore, during selection, sexual differences were taken into account little. In chickens of egg breeds, it is much easier to establish sexual differences, since their combs and beards are well developed.

Weight

Broilers are focused on rapid weight gain, so they weigh more than laying hens, and starting from the first days of life:

• The weight of a day-old broiler is 45-50 g, and a chicken of egg breeds is 30-35 g. Some laying hens may weigh more than the standard. Most likely, they will grow up to be quite large individuals.
• On the 5th day of life, boilers significantly gain weight - their weight can exceed 100-115 g. At the same time, ordinary chickens are already significantly behind them in weight - their average weight is up to 75 g.
• On the 10th day, the weight of a broiler approaches 180-200 g, and that of a regular chick approaches 110 g.
• A month-old broiler weighs about 1 kg, and a regular individual weighs about 280 g.

You can clearly see how a broiler chicken differs from a simple chick in the following video:

Chanticleer

These birds do not like heat and do very well in cool climates.

In general, to put it briefly, the breed is docile and matures early. They begin to lay eggs very early, and also mature early to produce meat. This breed loves to be outdoors.

Weight (rooster) – 4 kg

Weight (chicken) – 3.6 kg

Growth period – 11-16 weeks

Advantages: fast maturation

Bare-necked breed of chickens - description

This type of chicken is excellent not only for producing eggs, but also for breeding for meat. The peculiarity of this breed is that bare-necked chickens have much fewer feathers than their relatives, which greatly simplifies the process of plucking them. Despite the lack of feathers on the neck, this breed tolerates sub-zero temperatures well. Even in the winter months, egg production does not decrease. Also, bare necks go well together in a chicken coop with chickens of other breeds.

Characteristics:

• egg weight – 60g;
• lay up to 160 eggs per year;
• chicken weight 2-2.5 kg; cockerels 3-3.5 kg.

Distinctive characteristics of naked necks:

• big belly;
• short legs;
• long back;
• rounded breast;
• yellow beak;
• earlobes are red or white;
• wide head with a leaf-shaped crest;
• lack of feathers on the neck;
• characterized by a wide range of colors from black to cuckoo.

Naked chickens have many advantages, including: high survival rate of young animals (about 95%), very tasty meat, early egg laying, presentable appearance of eggs. But this breed also has disadvantages: rather low productivity (160 eggs per year), unattractive appearance.

Although the last minus is considered quite subjective, since many poultry farmers raise naked necks with great pleasure, it still exists.

Description of the chick hatching process

Bare-necked chickens are bred exclusively at home. A huge plus is that the breed does not require special conditions and skills to grow them. Barnacles do well in both closed and open chicken coops.

But there is one peculiarity. Only the incubation method is suitable for raising chickens, since the chicken can safely leave the nest with eggs during the planting period.

Important!

It is worth remembering that one rooster can fertilize 10 hens. When buying birds, you need to remember this proportion. For good growth, chickens need high-quality nutrition and proper care. Ideal for food: ground eggs, carrots, beets, cereals, parsley, wheat bran.

When choosing eggs to raise, focus on large, fresh eggs (no older than 5 days). You should not take small eggs, as they will hatch into weak chicks. Also, the eggs should be clean, approximately the same size and without visible defects. There is no need to wash them before storing.

If it is possible to illuminate the eggs with an ovoscope, be sure to use it.

It is best to lay the incubation material in the evening, then there is a high probability that the hatch will occur the next morning.

The room where the incubator is located must be maintained at the required temperature (not lower than 15 degrees), the most optimal being from 20 to 22 degrees.

The entire period of fetal development is divided into stages; depending on the stage, the desired temperature regime on the device is selected.

Stages:

Initial (1-11 days)

At this stage, it is important to maintain a temperature of 38-39 degrees and a humidity of 30 percent. The eggs must be turned every 2-3 hours. Also, from day 4 you need to start the ventilation process

Also, from day 4 you need to start the ventilation process.

Intermediate (12-19 days). The temperature must be reduced by half a degree and the humidity by 2 values. It is worth remembering that during ventilation the temperature can be below the permissible level for no more than half an hour.

Final (19-21 days). The temperature drops another half a degree, and the humidity rises to 31. At this stage, there is no need to turn and ventilate the eggs.

Recommendations for selection

Let's look at a few features that should be taken into account when choosing broilers:

• The breed of broiler should be selected according to personal needs. For example, if you want to get both meat and eggs, it makes sense to buy meat and meat-egg broilers (each breed has its own “function”). Another example is that for the needs of meat farms it is recommended not to purchase meat-egging breeds, since they produce less meat.
• It is recommended to buy eggs or small chicks from trusted breeders. The main breeders are large meat farms that operate on the B2B market (that is, they sell products not only to private farmers, but also to other farms). Don’t be shy to ask the breeder for a certificate that confirms the breed.
• If you buy chickens, choose calm ones. But please note that chicks should not be lethargic as this may be a sign of a hidden infection. After bringing the chickens home, it is recommended to keep them for 1 week in a separate cage for the purpose of prevention.

Attention! If many clings die after being brought home, it makes sense to send a complaint to the breeder. Many breeders do not like to lose clients, so there is a high probability that they will give out new individuals for free.

Breeding

When breeding this breed, it is important to consider the number of females and males. A male can fertilize up to 10 hens

Eggs should be placed in an incubator, since hens do not sit on them for long periods of time. But they take excellent care of their offspring. At first, the chickens should be kept in a warm and dry place, which should be ventilated periodically. Gradually, as you grow older, the temperature decreases. Chickens grow quickly and gain weight; keeping them is also easy.

The chicken diet includes the following products:

• Ground eggs;
• Crushed grains;
• Carrot;
• Beet;
• Greenery.

Wheat bran can also be added to chicken feed; it contains all the necessary elements. After 2 months, you should add corn grains and fish oil to your diet, they will help prevent obesity.

Every second hour, the chicken feeder needs to be replenished with food. Accordingly, they must be kept clean, and uneaten food must be removed. This way you can preserve the health of your chickens.

Incubation mode

You need to buy hatching eggs very carefully, carefully choosing the same size, without defects or damage, and they must also have the correct shape. In addition, the eggs must have the “ROSS-308” seal on them, and the seller must have a certificate of authenticity of the incubation material. After the eggs are purchased, they will need to be heated naturally, and the air temperature should be warmed up to 25 degrees.

Did you know? Broiler incubation material ROSS-308 has a fairly low price, acceptable even for the most economical farmers. It is considered one of the cheapest materials among all meat breeds.

This is followed by the hatching mode, which is the same as for ordinary chickens. The temperature for eggs in the incubator is set at 38 degrees Celsius. The first seven days it should be 37.9 °C, after which it decreases by a degree and remains at this level for the next week. Already on the 18th day, the temperature is lowered to 36.5 ° C, and by the very conclusion - 36.2 degrees Celsius.

During the incubation period, experienced breeders advise setting a high humidity regime for ROSS-308 birds, which is recommended to be maintained at a level of at least 80% until hatching. This is done to ensure that the shell does not dry out or become too hard, otherwise the chickens will not be able to hatch on their own.

Breed overview

These chickens are distinguished by their exotic appearance, reminiscent of a turkey, and their docile nature. Despite the scarcity of plumage, chickens withstand unfavorable climatic conditions. They do not require special housing conditions and get along well with other breeds, so they do not create conflicts in the poultry house.

Origin

It is not known for certain where exactly bare-necked chickens came from, but there is a hypothesis that their homeland is Transylvania. To be more precise, they were brought from Romania and Hungary, where they were first called the Semigrad Goloshaks. It should be noted, however, that Spain is also fighting for the right to be considered the birthplace of this breed. It is quite possible that bare-necked chickens were bred in distant Andalusia.

Appearance

It is not surprising that these chickens received such a name. If you look at the photo, you can note an interesting point: all birds of this breed have a red, featherless neck. This is a genetic factor, and it is laid down from birth: the chicks are already hatching with this feature. The top of the chicken’s head is “decorated” with a small “headdress” that looks like a hat, and on the front of the neck there is a crimson “bow”. According to the characteristics, hens should have bright round earrings, as well as a juicy red comb.

The bird's beak is slightly curved, its face is scarlet, and its eyes are reddish-red. Representatives of this breed have a small body, a rounded belly, a developed chest, loosely fitting wings that hang down the sides, and strong paws with four toes. The bird's tail is small, but bushy, slightly raised. Typically a chicken weighs about 2-3 kg, while a rooster can weigh up to 4 kilograms.

Judging by the description provided by experienced poultry farmers, it is unacceptable for the chicken to have too dark eyes, a black face and white earrings. The bird's plumage looks familiar to the eye, but in fact it is positioned in such a way that all bare areas of the body are covered. In addition to the neck, the triangles inside the hen's legs remain without feathers. As for the color of the plumage, in the photo you can see black, motley, brown and other shades.

Features of care

This breed is unpretentious, so caring for chickens and young animals is not very difficult. The chicks quickly develop and fledge, retaining their distinctive feature - a red neck without feathers. Despite the fact that bare-necked chickens are not considered the best hens, they take good care of the “baby”. The natural endurance of adult birds allows them to withstand frosts, even though their necks do not have feathers.

The Spanish naked cow does not sift through food, so it does not cause trouble for the poultry farmer. Like many other chickens, these birds need grain crops, potatoes, clover meal, vegetables, and dairy products. The chickens' diet should contain yeast, eggshells and corn kernels. Compound feed is considered suitable if it is well balanced - this allows the bird’s body to be replenished with all the necessary substances and microelements.

Chickens also need proper nutrition; their successful rearing directly depends on this. Their diet should include carrots, beets, greens, as well as crushed grains and ground eggs. Wheat bran is an excellent source of vitamins for the growing body of chicks, so it is advisable to add it to food to ensure proper care.

Reviews

The Ross 308 received the greatest number of positive reviews from regional representatives of the Aviagen Group in different regions of Russia, and they do not praise their product, but compare it with other crosses, 98% of which are exported annually from various countries in Europe and Asia. Broiler Ross 308 is a champion of early maturity, endurance and profitability.

Cross is no longer liked only by the owners of large poultry farms. On farm portals, poultry farmers say:

Anna: Chickens grow like dough with yeast. Adult chickens are good hens, which was very surprising.

Dmitry: Buying young animals cost a pretty penny. At first I even doubted it, but now I advise everyone: take it - you won’t regret it!