To consider this breed, as ours, we have the full moral right. Firstly, it was developed at the Zagorsk Institute of Poultry (Moscow region), and secondly, it is most adapted to Russian conditions - both climatic and everyday, in general.
Such chickens differ enviable simplicity, including, and to feed. You can feed them with anything, using as delicacy for chickens the scraps from the table - they eat with pleasure. Thanks to this "omnivorous", Zagorsky chickens are a very popular breed in the village courtyards.
Origin
The current Sergiev Posad, the former Zagorsk, is still proud of its institute of poultry farming, which once had all-union significance. Scientists and breeders of this scientific center did not wrestle at all over the perennial question: “What came first: an egg or a chicken?”, But they themselves gave birth to a new unique hardy meat and egg breed, for which they do not get tired to thank all of Russia and its adjacent country. Very much chicken turned out great!
Compared to other important and ancient breeds of chickens, Zagorskaya salmon has a very modest history.: If we take 1955 as the starting point for its birth (and some sources indicate 1950 and 1959), then in 2015 this young breed will celebrate its 60th anniversary. Only 60 years old, and these chickens have already been adequately evaluated both in small private farms and in large agrofirms specializing in breeding poultry.
Features
At the age of one day, among the round fluffy "babies" you can easily distinguish between cockerels and chickens: male individuals are light yellow, without any blotches, and "girls" have a "sex sign" on their backs - pink-gray pigmentation in the form of speck or stripes.
On the third or fifth day, chickens acquire their purebred color: pink (cream) feathers begin to form in the chickens, and black and gray in the males. And on the tenth day of life, you can already safely distinguish between chickens and cockerels by color.
By the way, the color that corresponds to the name of the breed has only chicken - the feathers on their breasts have a characteristic color that resembles the pinkish hue of a high-quality salmon fillet. The plumage of Zagorsky salmon roosters, usually black or red.
Another feature of Zagorsky chickens - they very quickly gain weight and grow. Especially diligent in this regard are cockerels, in 90 days they weigh about two kilograms (the average is 1.7 kilograms).
The live weight of an adult chicken is 2.2-2.7 kg, the rooster - 3.0-3.7 kg.
The Wyandot breed appeared in Russia about a century ago and continues to exist to this day.But about the features of the Dutch white-winged chicken, you can always read here: //selo.guru/ptitsa/kury/porody/sportivno-dekorativnye/gollandskaya-hohlatka.html.
Zagorsky salmon hens and their title of hens justify: 220 to 260 large eggs per year - not a record, but an ordinary indicator of one chicken. Eggs of chicken begin at the age of 3.5-4 months.
Choosing eggs in a store or on the market, you can easily identify eggs from Zagorsk salmon chickens - they are huge compared to others (the average egg weight is 60-65g) and is distinguished by its light brown (like cocoa) color.
Breed description Zagorsky Salmon
Zagorian chicken is valued not for beauty, although, of course, it has its own charm, but for its value in agriculture, and classified as ordinary. Unusual razvodchiki consider only its color. He is identified as a key factor in determining the breed.
Ordinary Zagorskaya chicken has a small round head, yellow, slightly curved, beak, the crest of a rooster is not very large, leafy, the hen is very tiny, not high. Earrings - medium length, not very distinguished by brightness. The body of the representatives of this breed is long, the back is straight. Zagorsky chickens are rather wide-chested, the tail even has small cocks. Legs strong, not plumed; skin is an attractive yellow color.
A photo
In the first photo you see chickens of the Zagorsky salmon breed, whose representatives sit on a comfortable stick in the hen house:
This is the same chicken coop, just removed the right part. You see, they like to sit on a stick:
In this case, the house was filmed, where chickens walk on the ground with sawdust:
Small room for birds:
And in this photo you see individuals on a production scale:
Of course, it will not do without the beloved chickens' cause - searching for food in the ground:
Content
We hurry to please amateur breeders: There are no subtleties in the content of this breed. That is - absolutely! Chickens are very unpretentious, they withstand hard frost perfectly, can sit quietly in the snow and feel at the same time as on a spring lawn.
Any grain is used as feed for such chickens, including corn - a large breed and it swallows corn easily. In the village farmsteads of the Zagorsky chickens they feed on boiled potato husks and soup residues — these chickens gladly absorb the whole proposed diet.
However, we would not advise you to give up on the conditions of the Zagorsk salmonids. More or less cozy chicken coop, roost and feeders they should have. Even such a hardened rock responds to lack of care with reduced productivity.
It is obligatory to adhere to sanitary and hygienic norms, at least in order to get a clean egg. Well, walking the chickens is an important aspect for their physical form, enhancing the metabolism, developing immunity to diseases. Yes, and experienced distributors reasonably argue that chickens that regularly walk in the open air and in the sun, give better quality products.
Usually for chicken meat and egg breeds and use the floor method of maintenance, that is, with a range. Keeping such a hen in a cage is meaningless, although there is an opinion among the owners that it is sometimes useful to punish the Zagorsk salmon by restriction of freedom — the hen is very naughty and always finds a loophole to get to the beds.
Growing broilers
The breed of Zagorsky salmon, which appeared once as a result of crossing, is now actively used to create another hybrid - large meat broilers.
- If Zagorskaya is taken as the maternal form, then the father must choose a representative of the breed Cornish or Kuchinsky anniversary.
- If the father is from Zagorsky, then the mother will be either Plymouthka, or from New Hampshire.
- There is another variant of crossing Zagorsky salmon with Adler silver hens. The result pleases with an impressive carcass and excellent taste.
The benefit of this work is that it gives offspring, already at 80 days of age reaching a weight of 1.5 kg.
Analogs
Of course, all of them - Zagorskaya salmon, Yurlovskaya vociferous, Russian white chicken, chicken New Hampshire, Rhode Island and, even, to some extent, Poltava clay for the company with Pushkinskaya - can perfectly replace each other, because they perform the one assigned to their nature of the function: provide people with egg and meat products.
However, one should not measure these breeds with one measure. Each of them has its own distinctive features, although they all share a very calm and livable nature.
But nevertheless ... The chicken of the New Hampshire breed develops egg production at the age of six months, and from Poltava more useful, if they are used as layers or hens, their live weight, compared to the same Zagorsky, is not too impressive: only 2.6 kg the rooster and 2.0 -2.2 in the chicken.
Rooster Dakan - is one of the most powerful and aggressive cock in Central Asia. There are legends about his cocky temper.Instructions on how to do a two-pipe heating system of a two-story house is located on our website. You can read it here.
Pushkin's breed is closest to Zagorskaya in terms of endurance, adaptability to cold and the ability to independently find food. These breeds were dubbed the ideal village ones, since there is little trouble with them, and good (meat and eggs) is quite enough even for a large family.
Roy Island, one of the Zagorsky salmon chickens, lags behind in terms of egg production. Roy Island’s hens begin to run even later than New Hampshire - at seven months, so the average annual rate per hen is much smaller - 200 eggs. But they take weight. These giants and giants increase their live weight from 3.5 to 3.8 kg of roosters and 2.4-2.7 kg of chicken.
True, in the weight category of smokers Roy Island easily won Yurlovskaya vociferous. At this point, chicken heavyweights in the full sense of the word - the “average” rooster weighs from 3.6 to 5.5 kg, the smaller chickens will be “only” from 3 to 4 kg. Well, and eggs, respectively, eighty-gram. Sometimes up to 95 grams.
Where can I buy in Russia?
Where the Zagorsk breed was bred, it is being realized. Successfully. And, in general, not for individuals, although the details need to be clarified. After so many decades, the Institute was reorganized into LLC "Genofund", and its employees continue to do the same (favorite!) business: selection and cultivation of domestic animals, in particular, chickens.
For those interested in posting contact information:
Address: Russia, Moscow region, Sergiev Posad, ul. Maslieva, 44. Contact phones (faxes): +7 (496) 546-13-36;
+7 (496) 546-19-20.
The Federal State Unitary Enterprise Genofund Russian Agricultural Academy located in St. Petersburg is engaged in breeding improvement of the breed.
Address: 196625, St. Petersburg, RP Shushary, SVH Detskoselsky, VNIIGRZh territory. Contact phone: +7 (812) 476-85-56.
Chickens like business
And nevertheless good fellows were our ancestors, having accustomed chickens to the court! In any agricultural region, in an ordinary village courtyard, they will prove to you that it is so profitable to keep chickens. Chickens, at a minimum, are always fresh eggs and non-GMO meat to the table, and, as a maximum, a stable income year-round.
But if you start this business, it is better from the chickens of the Zagorsk salmon breed:
- hardy;
- not picky about food, can, if necessary, find it under their feet;
- tenacious;
- with strong immunity;
- good-natured and calm.
Zagorskaya salmon for the entire period of its existence has never failed the hosts, either in terms of character or in terms of productivity.
