BELARUSIAN CHICKENS: A DESCRIPTION OF THE BEST BREEDS

Belarus has always been famous for its highly developed agriculture, the importance of which is elevated in the country to a national character, while poultry farming plays one of the leading roles. Despite the fact that there are not many breeds of chickens in the country, local poultry farmers willingly breed and improve the species of bird species that have been known and loved all over the world. This contributed to the emergence of a whole group of rocks that are actively used to produce high-quality products. Next, we take a detailed look at the main features of the Belarusian line of chickens, as well as get acquainted with the most popular breeds.

Egg Hens

Egg breed chickens are very important to humans. Their products are used in many business areas and are invaluable for cooking. That is why the selection of egg breeds has become one of the most popular areas in modern agriculture, as well as the main tool for the development of poultry farming around the world. This global concept is also reflected in the Belarusian poultry industry, which has been actively producing eggs for many years.

Check out the best breeds of layers.

Belarus-9

Bird breed Belarus-9 can rightfully be considered one of the most popular varieties of chickens. This bird is a real asset of the modern Belarusian breeding school, which for decades has been bred both at large poultry farms and in a small household.

The breed was bred based on a California Sulfur and Leggorn cross. The resulting hybrid has almost completely acquired the qualities of traditional Leggorn, but received more favorable performance and productivity. Therefore, these chickens can be quite successfully cultivated in any climatic regions, regardless of the complexity of production.

The main features of the bird:

head: small, rounded shape;
crest: leaf-shaped, red hues, upright or lying on its side;
earrings: rounded, bright red hues;
neck: proportional, long and subtle;
eyes: small, yellow or pale yellow shades;
body: proportional, small, slightly elevated and wedge-shaped, while the breed has a wide and deep chest, as well as a deep belly;
tail: medium sized, wide at the base and thinner at the edge, set at the back at an angle of about 40 °;
paws: not long, slightly yellowish;
plumage: dense, snow-white shades;
average weight: about 2 kg;
character: Affectionate, calm and friendly.

Main production qualities:

precocity: high, chickens mature about 160 days after birth;
active egg production duration: no more than 1 year;
egg production: high, about 260 eggs per year;
egg fertilization: 90-95;
egg shell color: snow white;
average egg weight: about 65 g;
hatching instinct: missing.

Did you know? Chickens domesticated in the VI-VIII millennium BC. er in the territory of Southeast Asia and modern China.

Dominant

Dominant chickens were bred by Czech breeders a few decades ago, after which their active expansion around the world began. The main task, which was set during the breeding of the breed, is to get a hardy and productive bird that is resistant to a sharp decrease in temperature.

Dominants are derived from repeated interbreeding of Cornish, Leggorn, Plymouthrock, Rhode Island, and Sussex hens. Despite the fact that the bird has been improved for a long time, today it has persistent signs, therefore it is actively bred in more than 30 countries around the world, including in Belarus.

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The main features of the bird:

head: medium size, round shape;
crest: leafy and erect, scarlet or adjacent shades;
earrings: rounded, bright red tint;
neck: medium length, massive;
eyes: small, mostly orange tint;
body: massive, squat, with a wide chest and back, as well as with fleshy thighs and ankles;
tail: medium, wide at the base and thinner at the edge, set in the direction of the back at an angle of about 30-40 °;
paws: short, light yellow color with a characteristic plumage;
plumage: dense, but magnificent, with a gold, gray and even a blue color, but hens of saturated black color are considered reference;
average weight: 2.5-3.2 kg;
character: calm, aggressiveness absent.

Main production qualities:

precocity: high, maturity in chickens occurs approximately 150-160 days after birth;
active egg production duration: no more than 1.5 years;
egg production: high, about 310 eggs per year;

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egg fertilization: 97%;
egg shell color: mostly dark shades, from brown to dark brown;
average egg weight: about 70 g;
hatching instinct: practically undeveloped.

Leggorn

Breed is one of the most common, its official homeland is the Mediterranean, the coast of modern Italy. The animal was bred in the 19th century in the port town of Livorno based on outbred hybrids.

Important! Chickens of the Leghorn breed are recommended to be kept in wide cages with a large amount of free space, otherwise their productivity may sharply decrease.

By the end of the century, the breed received official signs, spread almost throughout the world and by the middle of the XX century appeared on the territory of the USSR. At the same time, the bird was successfully cultivated in the territory of Belarus, while receiving its own characteristics. First of all, they include resistance to cold climates, as well as increased egg production.

The main features of the bird:

head: medium size, round shape;
crest: leaf-shaped, upright or hanging down on its side, a pronounced red hue;
earrings: rounded, red tint;
neck: thin and elongated;
eyes: small, orange or pale yellow shades;
body: wedge-shaped, elevated, light, forms a regular triangle, while the breed is distinguished by a broad chest and deep abdomen;
tail: small, wide at the base and thinner at the edge, set in the direction of the back at an angle of 35-40 °;
paws: small, yellow or pale yellow tint;
plumage: dense, there are hybrids of various shades, but predominantly white, black, brown, blue, golden and others. The reference is considered Leggorn exclusively snow-white color;
average weight: 1.6-2.4 kg;
character: calm, balanced, friendly.

Main production qualities:

precocity: high egg production in chickens occurs approximately 140-150 days after birth;
active egg production duration: no more than 12 months;
egg production: very high, about 300-320 eggs per year;

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egg fertilization: about 95%;
egg shell color: white or snow white;
average egg weight: 55 g;
hatching instinct: practically absent.

Lohman Brown

Chickens Lohman Brown were bred in the second half of the twentieth century thanks to a targeted, multi-year production selection by German breeders from Lohmann Tierzucht GmbH. Their goal was the breeding of a completely new early breed with improved egg production and resistance to harsh climate. Therefore, to obtain a new variety of productive birds, the best parents that existed in Europe at that time were selected.

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The basis of the bird became the first generation hybrids of Plymouthrock and Rhode Island breeds. For the initial crossing, individuals of the first generation were selected exclusively, after which the breeding of a new bird was carried out inside the hybrids obtained. Today, Lohman Brown chickens are among the five most productive and unpretentious birds of the modern poultry industry, so they are often cultivated as large farms, and there are small private farms.

The main features of the bird:

head: medium or less than medium size, round shape;
crest: leafy, upright, saturated, red tones;
earrings: roundish, small, bright saturated shades;
neck: thin and short;
eyes: orange or red-orange;
body: dense, with fleshy and developed wings, a broad broad chest and a dense belly;
tail: small, set in the direction of the back at an angle of about 35 °;
paws: medium length, pale yellow or gray-yellow;
plumage: thick, roosters are often white or slightly cream-colored, and the hens have white plumage or a color of red-brown tones;
average weight: in hens no more than 2 kg, in roosters up to 3 kg;
character: calm and docile, aggressiveness in behavior is not observed.

Main production qualities:

precocity: high egg production in chickens occurs approximately 145 days after birth;
active egg production duration: about 12-18 months;
egg production: high, about 320 eggs per year;

Did you know? In Russia, domestic chickens first appeared on the Black Sea coast about 2 thousand years ago.

egg fertilization: 80%;
egg shell color: light brown;
average egg weight: 60-70 g;
hatching instinct: practically absent.

Kuchinsky anniversary

The bird of the Kuchinskaya jubilee breed was born thanks to the long-term efforts of the Soviet breeders. The breed was bred in the walls of the most famous in the post-Soviet space "Kuchinsky Poultry Farm" in the late 80s - early 90s of the XX century. Many breeds of both local and overseas breeding were used as parents for chickens of Kuchinsky (Livensky Chickens, New Hampshire, Russian White, Rhode Island, White Plymouthrocks, Australorps).

In the end result, scientists managed to get productive, unpretentious egg rock that is resistant to rapid temperature changes and other climatic manifestations.

The main features of the bird:

head: small, medium or smaller, rounded;
crest: small, leafy, erect, bright red;
earrings: medium sized, rounded, saturated red hues;
neck: thin, elongated, slightly arched;
eyes: large and convex, of a reddish hue;
body: strong and dense, the back is dense, long and wide, slightly inclined towards the tail, the chest is also wide, strongly rounded and deep;
tail: small, small swing, set at a slight angle towards the back;
paws: shortened, dense, yellowish tint;
plumage: dense, golden brown or light brown shades, lonely black plumage in the tail area is allowed;
average weight: 2.5-3.5 kg;
character: violent, the breed often shows open aggression.

Main production qualities:

precocity: high egg production in chickens occurs in 120-150 days;
active egg production duration: about 1-2 years, but after 12 months the egg production gradually decreases;
egg production: average, about 180 eggs per year;

Important! Chickens Kuchinsky jubilee prone to obesity, so their diet should be adjusted, otherwise obesity can lead to a complete loss of bird productivity.

egg fertilization: more than 90%;
egg shell color: cream or brown;
average egg weight: about 60 g;
hatching instinct: well developed, chickens are among the best hens.

Hisex

Breed Hisex exists for only a few decades, but during this time she managed to conquer small and large poultry farmers around the world. The basis of this hybrid became parent breeds Leggorn and New Hampshire, from which the Haysex chickens received not only the best production qualities, but also high viability of the young.

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As a result, breeders managed to get a highly profitable production bird capable of active egg production over a long period. The work on the breeding of these chickens was carried out by Dutch breeders in the early 70s of the twentieth century, and today the official rights to the breed belong to Hendrix poultry breeders b.v. The breed entered the USSR in the mid-70s of the 20th century, at the same time it successfully migrated to the territory of Belarus, where it is actively divorced to this day.

The main features of the bird:

head: small, rounded shape;
crest: large, leafy, saturated red shades, lies on its side or upright;
earrings: rounded, rich red;
neck: medium size, thin;
eyes: small, orange or red-orange;
body: elegant, but powerful and muscular, with a broad back and rounded chest;
tail: small, set in the direction of the back at an angle of about 35%;
paws: medium length, yellow or gray-yellow;
plumage: dense, feather color is snow-white or light brown, uniform shade;
average weight: no more than 2-2.5 kg;
character: calm and soft, almost all individuals are hypersensitive to stress.

Main production qualities:

precocity: high egg production in chickens occurs in 130-140 days;
active egg production duration: 2-3 years, but after the first 12 months it decreases slowly;
egg production: high, about 320 eggs per year;

Important! Chickens Hisex love open space, so they should be kept in small groups of no more than 4 individuals per 1 square meter.

egg fertilization: about 95%;
egg shell color: white or brown (correlates with plumage color);
average egg weight: 60-65 g;
hatching instinct: completely absent.

Video review of hesex chickens

Meat Chickens

Meat breeding chickens is one of the most rapidly developing and major areas in modern agriculture. Chicken meat has a whole range of nutrients, as well as since ancient times known for its delicate taste and diet. Therefore, this product over the past decades has been rapidly popularized among many countries. That is why meat breeding of poultry today is one of the largest segments of animal husbandry around the world, including in the CIS.

Brama

Brama is one of the most numerous and widespread poultry meat species. This breed was bred by direct interspecific crossing of the Kokhinsky and Malay hens in 1874 on the territory of North America. Breeders were faced with the task of bringing a massive and dense bird, distinguished by high-quality products, as well as resistance to all sorts of ailments.

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Hens Brama became so successful that several decades later spread throughout the world, including the territory of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. Today this bird is a traditional representative of meat breeds on the territory of these states both on large farms and in private farms.

The main features of the bird:

head: medium size, round shape;
crest: small, pod-like, pronounced teeth practically absent. The color of the comb is predominantly red or pale red;
earrings: small, round, red or pale red tint;
neck: medium length, wide, dense and fleshy, with a slight bend;
eyes: medium sized, orange-red or adjacent shades;
body: dense, fleshy, set high, back wide, chest and abdomen flat but dense;
tail: long, has abundant plumage, slightly curved towards the back;
paws: tall, massive, yellow or pale yellow hue, with abundant plumage;
plumage: soft, has various options of colors (black, partridge, brown, gray, gray-white shades);
average weight: 3-5,5 kg (depending on the gender of individuals);
character: calm and gentle, aggressiveness of the bird is not typical.

Main production qualities:

precocity: low egg production in young animals occurs in 250-270 days;
active egg production duration: up to 2 years, after which it drops sharply;
egg production: low, no more than 120 eggs per year;

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egg fertilization: about 90%;
egg shell color: cream or light brown;
average egg weight: 55-60 g;
hatching instinct: highly developed.

Cornish

Today, the Cornish breed can only be described as the ancestor of modern high-yielding broilers. But, despite the fact that these birds were bred at the end of the XIX century, their popularity does not fall to this day. Cornish was bred randomly due to breeding experiments by Englishman William R. Gilbert in breeding fighting chickens.

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As a result of numerous crossings, Gilbert did not manage to get brave "fighters", but the resulting hybrids were distinguished by a dense and muscular body.By the end of the century, its improvement continued, and soon an active breeding of Cornish began in many English farms, from where it rapidly spread throughout Eurasia, as well as America. The breed came to the CIS countries and Belarus during the mass expansion of highly productive animal breeds from 1959 to 1973.

The main features of the bird:

head: wide and large, round shape;
crest: pod-like, rich red color;
earrings: small, round, bright red;
neck: medium length, powerful and muscular;
eyes: deep-set, red or orange shades;
body: pith shape, powerful, dense and muscular, but small height. The chest is wide and deep; the back is even and wide;
tail: short, slightly hanging down;
paws: strong, widely set, yellow or pale yellow shades;
plumage: smooth and dense, the color can be varied, but the reference individuals have exclusively white or black plumage;
average weight: 3-5 kg (depending on gender);
character: Fight, moderately aggressive, open friendliness of the bird does not show.

Main production qualities:

precocity: low egg production in young animals occurs no earlier than 270 days;
active egg production duration: 1.5-3 years, after which the productivity of chickens is sharply reduced;
egg production: low, about 120-150 eggs per year;

Important! Representatives of the Cornish breed are distinguished by an excessively low metabolism, therefore, to improve their digestion, a small amount of purified and sterilized sand should be added to the feed (1-5% of the total feed mass).

egg fertilization: more than 90%;
egg shell color: varied, from white to brown (correlates with the color of plumage);
average egg weight: 55-60 g;
hatching instinct: developed at a high level.

Orpington

The breed was bred at the turn of the XIX and XX centuries in the town of Orpingtov (England) by William Cook. The breeder set himself the task of creating a universal breed of poultry that meets not only high production needs, but also aesthetic requirements. As a result of numerous experiments, it was possible to get an excellent meat and egg breed, surpassing all the poultry species known at that time, as well as being particularly unpretentious, after which the active migration of birds through Europe and America began.

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Today, breeding does not stop breeding, therefore, in each of the regions of active distribution, Orpingtons have their own characteristics.

The main features of the bird:

head: small, round shape;
crest: straight, leafy, upright, saturated red;
earrings: medium sized, rounded, predominantly red;
neck: slightly short, but thick, powerful and muscular, with a characteristic mane;
eyes: medium size, their color can be varied (correlates with the color of plumage);
body: cubic, massive and powerful, the chickens have a well-set posture;
tail: elongated, slightly curved toward the back;
paws: powerful, with light plumage, their color can be varied (correlates with the color of plumage);
plumage: loose and stiff, its color is diverse (black, white, yellow, porcelain, black and white, blue, striped, red, partridge, birch, yellow with black border, etc.);
average weight: 4.5-6.5 kg;
character: calm and peaceful, aggression in chickens does not manifest itself.

Main production qualities:

precocity: low egg production in young animals occurs no earlier than 210-240 days;
duration of active egg production: 1-2.5 years, but after 12 months the number of eggs gradually decreases;
egg production: low, no more than 160 eggs per year;

Did you know? Orpington chickens are one of the few species of poultry that are capable of independently obtaining food under natural conditions.

egg fertilization: about 93%;
egg shell color: yellowish brown;
average egg weight: 65-70 g;
hatching instinct: highly developed.

Video: Orpington Hens

Rhode Island

The first specimens of the Rhode Island breed were obtained in the United States in the middle of the 19th century by directly crossing the Malayan hens and Cochinchins with a small admixture of the best traits of the Leggorn, Cornish and Viandot breeds.

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As a result of years of experimentation, breeders managed to get universal chickens of meat and egg type, unpretentious to food and living conditions. Chickens came to the territory of the Russian Empire, as well as Belarus, at the beginning of the 20th century, after which they became one of the typical representatives of poultry.

The main features of the bird:

head: small, rounded shape;
crest: leaf-shaped, erect, medium size, saturated red color;
earrings: small, round, saturated red tint;
neck: powerful, muscular, not long, with a characteristic curvature;
eyes: small, bright orange tint;
body: massive, wide, rectangular, with a wide chest and a horizontal camp. The back is long; the chest is arched;
tail: small, pointing towards the back at an angle of 35 °;
paws: short and powerful, yellow or pale yellow;
plumage: dense, dense and brilliant, with a characteristic red-brown shade;
average weight: 2.8-3.7 kg;
character: calm and friendly, the chickens are characterized by an increased affection for the person.

Main production qualities:

precocity: low egg production in young animals occurs no earlier than 210 days later;
active egg production duration: no more than 1-2 years;
egg production: low, about 180 eggs per year;

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egg fertilization: 90-95%;
egg shell color: light brown or brown;
average egg weight: 55-65 g;
hatching instinct: poorly developed.

Rhode Island Hens: video

Fireball

The hens of the Fireol breed were bred in France in the 18th century near the French town of Fireol. The bird is created on the basis of local breeds by interspecific crossing of the most productive individuals with Cochinchins. Over the years, breeders have instilled in the breed and additional genes from chickens Dorking, Brama, Goudan and others. As a result of breeding, it was possible to obtain a highly productive poultry meat, characterized by unpretentiousness to feed and living conditions.

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On the territory of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine the bird came at the end of the XIX century, after which it turned into one of the favorite breeds of the region. Today Firello is actively used in animal husbandry, and also due to its uncharacteristic appearance, it is bred for decorative purposes.

The main features of the bird:

head: large, slightly flattened, sometimes with a small tuft;
crest: leaf-shaped, upright, low set, red;
earrings: small, rounded red hues;
neck: medium length, dense, with a small mane that goes into the back;
eyes: small, orange-red shades;
body: trapezoidal shape, slightly elongated, with massive chest and back, as well as developed muscles;
tail: short, raised and slightly curved towards the back;
paws: medium length, yellow, sometimes feathering can occur on the legs;
plumage: soft but dense. In laying hens, feathers are red-pink or salmon in color with light patches in the abdomen area, in cocks mostly black or dark brown, with small patches of yellow or white spots;
average weight: 3-4 kg;
character: calm, the birds are peaceful and friendly.

Main production qualities:

precocity: low egg production in young animals occurs no earlier than 220 days;
active egg production duration: 1-2 years, after which the number of eggs gradually decreases;
egg production: low, about 150-160 eggs per year;

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egg fertilization: 90%;
egg shell color: shades of pink, yellow or brown;
average egg weight: 50-55 g;
hatching instinct: practically absent.

Poultry farming throughout the world, including on the territory of Belarus, is one of the leading directions in modern agriculture. This industry supplies thousands of tons of various high-quality products to the market every day. Today in animal husbandry for the active breeding of birds use a lot of productive breeds. Among them there are time-tested varieties of birds used for many decades, as well as completely new local breeds, featuring improved production characteristics.