Kotlyarevskaya breed of chickens is chosen for breeding by poultry farmers and farmers who appreciate the simplicity and breed qualities in chickens. In this article we will talk about the description and characteristics of these birds, the proper care for them, as well as how productive this breed is for the farm.
Inference history
This meat-egg breed was bred in the central part of the mountainous Caucasus at the Kotlyarevsky breeding plant, due to which it got its name. When crossing Kotlyarevsky chickens, Russian white, new Hampshire, striped Plymouth, Naked salmon and Zagorskaya salmon were involved. 
Now Kotlyarevsky chickens are not very common, but many poultry farmers grow them on their farm. In addition, representatives of this breed are saved in the gene pool in order to support the population and cross them with other breeds of chickens.
Read also about the meat and egg breeds of chickens: Legbar, Maran, Amroks, Lakenfelder, Australorp, Velzumer, Kyrgyz Gray, Pushkin, Russian Crested, Kuban Red, Moscow (black, white).
Description and Features
Representatives of this breed have their own distinctive features, which are worth discussing in more detail. 
Appearance and physique
Nestlings are born with different plumage, they are dark gray, brown with light or black stripes, can be dark with light wings. It is believed that chicks with stripes are chickens, however, it is only possible to figure out the sex of a chicken with precision starting from the third week.
Did you know? Chickens are carried only in the light. Even if it is time to go, it will wait for a day or turn on the lights.
Adult representatives of this breed have a small head, orange-red eyes, a comb has a leaf-like shape and a rich scarlet color. A distinctive feature of Kotlyarevsky chickens can be called white-red lobes on the ears, having an average size. 
In birds, a proportional body of medium size, the back is wide, slightly raised. The feather cover is developed perfectly both on the tail and on the wings, but the representatives of this breed are not lovers of flights. The color of feathers is varied, it is light brown, silver, salmon. Roosters have a black tail with a blue or green tinge; in chickens, tails are less pronounced.
The legs of the Kotlyarevskaya chickens are widely set, they are short and lacking plumage. In this regard, females have a squat appearance, but still differ in grace. 
Character
These birds are different calm character and quick addiction to hands. They are slightly phlegmatic, almost do not fly and do not differ in noise and clarify the relationship with each other.
The hens are peace-loving and inactive, they are not inherent in the tendency to escape.
Important! Roosters peacefully relate to young animals, however, they differ in aggression to other breeds, therefore it is necessary to keep Kotlyarevsky chickens separately from other birds.
Hatching instinct
Lack of maternal instinct is a frequent side effect during selection. Kotlyarevskaya breed of chickens nasi instinct is not fully lostbut it can be difficult to calculate a good hen.
Almost all females sit on the eggs, but only a third of the chickens incubate them to the end. 
Productivity
Kotlyarevsky chickens have good productivity, as evidenced by indicators of body weight and egg production.
Live weight chicken and rooster
This breed of chickens belongs to the early maturity, after six months the weight of young males is 3 kilograms, adult roosters have an average weight of 3.8 kilograms. Chickens usually weigh 2.5-3 kilograms.
These birds do not have a tendency to obesity, their meat is low in calories, good taste and softness.
Average annual egg production
Sexual maturity in representatives of this breed comes at the age of 6 months. Layers give eggs every day, they carry a year 160-240 eggs. Break in chickens occurs during molting and during severe frosts. The eggs themselves are large, pink-beige in color with a weight of 60-63 grams. They are not watery, differ in nutritional value, rich taste and bright yolk.
It is interesting to read about the benefits and use of chicken eggs.
With age, the number of eggs from one chicken is reduced. A two-year-old representative of the breed gives a third less eggs than a young one. It is better to change four-year-old chickens for new hens, and to use the former for meat. 
What to feed
Proper nutrition is of considerable importance in matters of care for Kotlyarevsky chickens. So, what to feed.
Chickens
Little chickens get their first food 14-15 hours after their birth. It is necessary to take into account that in babies muscular tissue is actively growing, therefore they need protein feed.
Learn more about feeding chickens from the first days of life.
The first 10 days of the diet of chicks should consist of cottage cheese, eggs, cereals and greens. After you need to give them the combined feed finely ground, which contains a large amount of protein. Chickens are usually fed 6-7 times a day.
If there are chicks among the chickens that stand aside and do not eat, it is advisable to sow them for 2-3 days from the rest and feed them with a pipette of boiled egg yolk, pounded with milk. When the chicks taste the taste of food and will be happy to eat, they can be returned to the rest. 
Adult chickens
It is not difficult to organize the nutrition of adult chickens, because they eat well voluminous food containing the necessary amount of protein. You can feed them with feed, small potatoes, grains, fresh greens.
Healthy chickens eat a lot, they usually eat the food offered in half an hour. The remaining food should be removed from the feeders, so that it does not spoil and then was not eaten by hens.
Important! To compensate for the lack of vitamins in the winter, it is recommended to add fish oil and multivitamins to the diet of Kotlyarevsky chickens during this period.
In the summer, you need to add a large amount of chopped greens to the food, and in the winter there should be grass meal. Per day the birds are fed 2-3 times. In winter, you need to give food three times, and in summer, given that the birds are grazed, feeding is carried out twice. 
What else to take care
Although the Kotlyarevskaya breed of chickens is considered to be unpretentious in nursing, they still need to ensure the minimum comfort.
Did you know? To chickens raced, they do not need a cock. A rooster is needed so that they carry fertilized eggs, from which chickens will later hatch.
Chicken coop
The coop does not have to be heated, especially when growing birds in regions with a warm climate. It is important to provide the birds with a roof that is able to protect from the rain and the necessary amount of food in order to generate warming energy.
The floor in the chicken coop is covered with straw, sawdust or peat. In winter time is necessary thick beddingwhich due to the debate will generate heat. The upper layer periodically stir and sprinkle fresh litter.
Fermentation bedding (sawdust treated with bacteria) has many advantages: decomposition of waste, heat generation, and ease of labor during room maintenance.
In the chicken coop you need to make roosting for the night. It is optimal to make roosts from thick, sturdy branches; you can also equip them from boards by setting them a short distance above the floor. 
Nests
In order for the hens to lay eggs, it is necessary to equip the nest boxes. Their number depends on the number of hens; 5 boxes should have at least 1 box, if possible, you can increase the number of boxes.
Leaving the boxes empty is not recommended, it can be uncomfortable for birds and can lead to crush of eggs. Must be placed in boxes of hay or straw.
Familiarize yourself with tips for making and setting up a chicken coop on your own, as well as buying a ready-made poultry house.
Walking yard
In warm times, representatives of this breed willingly walk, so you need to equip them with a walking yard. It must be covered with greens (alfalfa or clover), which will be used by birds for food. 
Feeders and drinkers
Feeders need to be equipped not only roomy, but also safe and easy to maintain, in order to make them easy to clean and disinfect.
Feeders are installed in the hen house and walking yard, their size depends on the number of birds. On one individual should fall 10 centimeters trough. 
Bird feeder should be comfortable and sustainable. Enameled or galvanized buckets and pots or plastic bowls are used as the simplest drinkers.
Learn more about making drinking bowls and feeders for chickens with your own hands.
If the number of chickens is no more than twelve, you can apply siphon drinkerwhich is a glass with a siphon system and a drip pan for water. 
Siphon Drinker
Advantages and disadvantages
Representatives of the Kotlyarevskaya breed have a number of advantages:
- good survival rate Even chicks have a high immunity; up to adulthood, an average of 85% of chickens survive;
- saving on food. Birds of this breed eat well during walking;
- a variety of plumage;
- large eggs;
- high-quality meat with excellent taste.
But even with all its positive qualities, chickens of this breed have some disadvantages:
- underdeveloped maternal instinct;
- the need for rejection of birds with dark brown spots. Such persons are considered tribal marriage. This is due to the close connection of the gene responsible for the brown color with the gene, due to which testosterone is produced in roosters, as a result of which they have an increased aggressiveness.
Video: Kotlyarevskaya breed of chickens
Reviews about breed Kotlyarevskaya
Kotlyarevsky chickens are unpretentious in content and are distinguished by good survival. Providing the right care, you can grow healthy chickens that will provide the farm, both meat and eggs.
