Description and characteristics of Breckel chickens, conditions of detention
Diet chicken meat, eggs are necessary for humans, but of high quality. It is not for nothing that breeders and farmers choose such breeds of chickens that would give products with excellent taste. But the decorativeness of Breckel chickens also plays an important role in the popularity of the breed among farmers.
History of appearance
The origin of the breed is rooted in the distant past. The first specimens of bird hybrids appeared more than fifty years ago. The breed was bred by crossing native chickens by Belgian peasants.
But already in the 19th century, breed lovers even founded their own club. So the official standard for purebred poultry was derived. Production fell into decay in the first decade of the 20th century, which almost led to the destruction of the elite bird. But the hybrid was revived, which led to an increase in the number of individuals.
Due to the fact that the basis of the bred chickens is the aboriginal chicken of Belgium, then the breed is classified as a Belgian species. They appreciate her for eggs with snow-white and even shells.
Breckel breed description
Although other types of crosses have replaced the Belgian Breckel, the breed remains at the peak of popularity. And the point is not only in excellent egg production, but also in the decorative appearance of poultry.
Exterior birds
A feature of chickens is that, despite their small stature, they can boast:
- well-developed wings that fit tightly to the body;
- a squat, horizontally set torso, where the chest is convex and the belly is developed;
- a raised tail, under which the ends of the flight feathers are hidden;
- short, densely feathered neck;
- gray paws, underdeveloped shins;
- a small head with a scallop and a wide forehead;
- strong and sharp beak, which has a gray-blue color with a transition to light colors to the tip.
The color of the bird is interesting. Chicks are born with black plumage and golden downs on top. In adults, feathers are silvery or golden.
The silver Breckel has snow-white feathers on its head, neck, and upper back. There are rare blotches of black on white. But on the sides, chest, stripes of black and white resemble a sailor suit.
Golden Breckels are dominated by dark and light stripes of red color.
Among other colors of the breed, lemon, blue, white gold are distinguished.
The difference between a rooster and a chicken
You can distinguish a female from a male in a thoroughbred bird, as in all chicken breeds, by:
- Comb. In cockerels, it is larger, with 5-6 petals and stands upright. In addition, long earrings adorn the head.In females, the rounded comb is inclined to the side.
- The size and shape of the tail. Males boast an abundant tail that hangs beautifully in braids. It is enough for hens to have a small fan of feathers behind.
- Mass. Roosters are larger, more muscular than graceful, fragile hens.
- Plumage on the neck. The "collar" of males is fuller, more voluminous. In females, the neck is smooth, with feathers pressed to the skin.
Even with an inexperienced eye, it is possible to determine in the Breckel breed where the cock is and where the chicken is.
Incubation instinct
Chicken hybrids do not have maternal feelings, therefore, after laying eggs, they do not seek to sit on them to breed offspring. The Belgian Breckel lacks instinct, so it is necessary to put on the eggs a hen of another purebred breed. An incubator is used to obtain offspring.
Productivity
It is worth raising thoroughbred chickens, since Breckel can be obtained from the bird:
- eggs with an even snow-white shell up to 220 pieces per year with an average weight of 50-60 grams each;
- delicious meat with tender brisket weighing 2.2-3 kilograms.
It should be noted that hens begin to lay at 5 months, reaching maturity at 4.
The bird gains maximum weight by 8-12 months of age.
Temperament
In a hen flock, roosters are calm, rarely show cocky. But they can attack the enemy if they feel a threat to their family. It is difficult for the bird to get along with other breeds of layers.
Chickens of the Belgian breed are "talkative", curious. The bird breed is prone to an active lifestyle, flying, which requires special maintenance.
Feathered individuals treat humans calmly with affectionate treatment of them.
Breed advantages and disadvantages
Before purchasing crosses for growing, you need to know all the advantages of a thoroughbred bird. Kur Breckel can be distinguished by:
- high egg production;
- gourmet meat;
- stability of egg production;
- decorative appearance;
- unpretentious care.
The disadvantages include the fact that chickens do not have the instinct to plant eggs. A bird will treat a person aggressively if the owner is rude to pets.
Conditions of detention and care
Active Breckel chickens need special living conditions. You cannot lock a bird in cages. She is contraindicated in tightness, lack of freedom.
House requirements
A chicken coop is built for keeping hybrids, taking into account the required area for 2 individuals of one square meter. For flight, active individuals need a ceiling height of 2 meters or more. Do not forget about the sloping roof with gutters.
Keep the house warm so that the indoor temperature does not drop below 15 degrees. Before the onset of cold weather, the poultry house is checked for cracks. The walls are insulated so as not to blow through the room. In floor insulation, a layer of straw is used, mixing it with sawdust or peat. To create dryness in the hen house, it is better to make the floor with a slope, then excess moisture will drain into one place where it can be easily removed.
To ensure constant ventilation, an air outlet with a restrictive valve is equipped. It is better if a canopy is attached to the main room. Then you can constantly ventilate the house.
Chickens love to sit on perches and perches, so they need to be arranged in large numbers and of different lengths.
For laying eggs, a special place is separated in the form of an open cabinet with shelves.
Constant lighting will increase the length of egg production for Belgian hens. Chickens need light for 12-14 hours, preferably infrared.
Walking janitor
With the correct arrangement of the yard for walking, you can release a Breckel bird there at temperatures below 5 degrees below zero.
Choose a place for walking on the south side of the chicken coop. In the house, they make manholes with ladders for the departure of the bird. They are opened in the summer in the morning.They enclose the courtyard with a net, and it is better to cover it with a roof on top so that the chickens can hide from the rain. Keep your yard litter dry in fall and spring. And in the summer, grass should grow on the walking area, which the bird will feast on.
Installation of feeders and drinkers
The feeding place for thoroughbred crosses is equipped with feeders and drinkers that stand on the floor. They must be washed daily. At the same time, the litter is removed as it becomes dirty, but always every 5-6 days. Bowls with pebbles and shells are placed nearby.
An ash box is needed to protect chickens from parasites. It is filled with sand mixed with wood ash.
Moulting season
Breckel chickens cease to lay during molting. When replacing old feathers with new ones, you need to make sure that the bird:
- received an abundance of vitamins and nutrients;
- not overcooled;
- not hurt;
- was fenced off from aggressive neighbors.
Human attention will allow chickens to survive a difficult period.
Replacing the herd
The advantages of the Breckel breed include the fact that chickens retain their egg production for 3-4 years. Only then do they begin to replace old crosses with young ones. Chicken is used for meat that is eaten. It is delicate and has a peculiar aftertaste.
Diet
The hybrid breed of poultry is fed 3 times a day at the same hours. It is necessary to create a menu that combines nutrients with vitamins.
Adult birds
From 1.5-2 months, chickens are transferred to an adult diet, in which, among the permitted products, they distinguish:
- wheat or bran;
- barley, oats;
- corn, peas;
- sunflower meal;
- vegetables;
- meadow grass, nettle;
- milk whey.
Prepare for every day in the morning a wet mash of grain, mixed feed in the form of granules. The lunch menu includes a mixture of boiled potatoes, carrots, peas, nettles, and clovers. Dry food is desirable in the evening. It includes grain and grass.
The daily diet of thoroughbred chickens includes shell or chalk, meat and bone meal, not forgetting about table salt. Fresh grass is given in summer.
It is desirable to prepare green brooms for the winter for feeding birds, adding chopped herbs to feed mixtures. Replace greens in cold weather with cabbage, Jerusalem artichoke.
Chicks
Brekel chicks born into the world are given semolina with a boiled egg. Low-fat cottage cheese, yeast, meat and bone meal are added to the diet. It is necessary to feed young animals 4 times a day. Be sure to add ascorbic acid to food.
Breeding features
The disadvantage of the Breckel chicken breed is that the females cannot be placed on eggs. The mutation that occurs in the hybrids has deprived the birds of the parental instinct. Therefore, to increase the livestock, you will have to use an incubator.
For the bookmark, large specimens of eggs are selected that were laid no more than 5-6 days ago.
The devices hold eggs for up to 20 days. Pecking occurs on the 21st-22nd day. For the first 5 days, the chicks are in the incubator, where they dry out. Then they are selected, leaving viable.
You can lay eggs from Breckel hens to other brood hens to breed.
Frequent illnesses
Infections such as salmonellosis, bronchitis, smallpox are manifested with improper care of the bird, non-compliance with chicken keeping standards. At 2 months of age, young animals should be vaccinated to avoid diseases.
Females of the breed suffer from salpingitis, an inflammation of the oviduct as a result of early puberty. When the egg passes through the narrow channel of a young laying hen, tissue injury occurs. The bird begins to fatten, stops laying eggs.
The prevention of poultry disease is the delay in the start of egg-laying artificially. To do this, they reduce daylight hours, give food with a low calorie content. For adult chickens, it is important to give vitamin complexes and complete food on time.Inflammation will not develop in a clean, ventilated area.
