Description of Lakenfelder chickens, breeding and conditions of detention
The Lackenfelder breed of chickens with an unusual bright appearance has been known in the poultry industry since the beginning of the 18th century, and is popular in Germany and Holland. Currently, these beautiful birds are raised on private farms for the purpose of obtaining eggs. For industrial purposes, Lackenfelder is not used, since on the basis of this breed, more productive hybrids of chickens with higher egg production were bred.
History of the breed
Lackenfelder is a breed of chickens of Dutch-German origin. The first mention of this poultry dates back to the early 18th century. The British began raising black and white layers in the late 19th century. The breed standard was created by the Americans in 1937.
Description and characteristics
Lakenfelder chickens are striking in their unusual appearance. The classic version of the color is black blotches on a white background. The American breed standard only allows for this color of Lackenfelder. Europeans distinguish two more types - silver and golden.
Bird appearance
The constitution of Dutch hens is compact, they are classified as small egg breeds of poultry. Description of appearance:
- small head with a bright red crest and earrings;
- dark beak;
- thin elongated neck;
- compact body with horizontal body;
- plumage lush, decorative;
- wide, long wings;
- the eyes are expressive, red;
- black spots are located on the head and neck, the tail should be painted the same color as the neck.
When choosing a breeding rooster, you should pay attention to the condition of the comb, it should be large, bright in color, and should not fall on its side.
Character of chickens
It is difficult to find a more mobile and curious bird among the various breeds of chickens. Lackenfelders should not be kept in cramped chicken coops without enclosures and the possibility of walking. At the same time, black and white chickens, at every opportunity, will try to fly out of the chicken coop into the garden, the wings must be clipped or aviaries with a closed roof made.
Breed productivity
According to modern standards for egg production, Lakenfelder productivity is below average and averages 170-180 eggs per year. The average lifespan of 1 individual is 7 years, while high productivity indicators are recorded in the first 3 years of life.
Due to low egg production rates, the Dutch breed of chickens is not used in industrial rearing and use of layers.
On a note! Lakenfelder eggs are decorative thanks to the presence of a strong white porcelain shell.
Advantages and disadvantages
The main advantages of the breed include:
- Winter hardiness of birds - layers and small chickens tolerate frosts and temperature fluctuations.
- Lakenfelder hens are considered to be good brood hens and hens.
- Decorative appearance of the bird.
- Strong, durable shell.
- Persistent immunity to various diseases of chickens.
- Cheerful but flexible disposition.
The disadvantages of the breed include:
- Egg production is below average.
- Without "mixing new blood" the bird in the herd becomes smaller.
- The high cost of breeding birds.
If you want to diversify the chicken community in a private farm with new beautiful species or teach young chickens of other breeds to incubate and care for young animals, Lakenfelders are a good choice. These chickens calmly join the collective of poultry, quickly find a common language with the inhabitants of the chicken coop.
Maintenance and care
Like any poultry, Lackenfelder chickens have special requirements for keeping and caring. In order for the bird to rush steadily and not to get sick, it is necessary to properly organize walking, build a comfortable poultry house with convenient feeders and sippy cups.
House requirements
Lakenfelders are not suitable for cages and cramped poultry houses. The chicken house should be spacious and well ventilated. House requirements:
- The number of individuals for a chicken coop is calculated based on the ratio: 1 square meter for 1 chicken.
- It is not recommended to raise and live Lackenfelders together with aggressive breeds of chickens.
- The house should be free of drafts and moisture.
- In winter, the indoor temperature should not fall below +5 FROM.
- Be sure to have a walking area, an aviary.
It is recommended to use straw or sawdust as bedding in the house.
Preparing a place for walking
Dutch white and black chickens have a cheerful and inquisitive character, they love to walk and often fly over fences.
Farmers often feel sorry for clipping beautiful wings, chickens lose their decorative appearance, therefore it is recommended to keep Lakenfelders in an open-air cage with a closed roof.
On hot sunny days, it is recommended to shade part of the walking space. Chickens walk even in winter, the optimal daylight hours are 12 hours. Additional nests can be installed in the spacious aviary.
Drinking bowls and feeders
Chickens are birds with a fast metabolism, the availability of water in layers should be constant. Change the water twice a day. Drinking bowls are installed away from feeders to avoid rapid contamination of the liquid.
Poultry feed should be balanced and varied. A box with a mixture of coarse sand and ash must be placed in the poultry house, the remains of the shell are also processed by adding to the sand mixture.
If the farmer does not have the opportunity to feed the bird twice a day, bunker feeders are installed in the house. These devices provide the birds with constant access to feed. But this system has a significant drawback - the risk of overfeeding the bird, which will quickly affect the decrease in egg production.
Feeding chicks and adults
The diet of poultry is selected according to age. Young animals should not be fed the same as adult chickens. Small chickens should have constant access to food, from three weeks of age the young are fed 4 times a day, they switch to two meals a day from 2 months of age.
One-week-old chicks are fed a mixture of boiled potatoes, carrots and boiled yolk. In this case, the consistency of the dish should be soft and crumbly.As soon as the chick is 2 weeks old, the yolk is removed from the menu, and the bran and rice flour are replaced.
From the age of one month, the chicks switch to independent walking, grass is added to the diet. From the age of two months, young animals move to a common table.
To increase egg production, the bird is fed with chopped nettles and calcined shells.
Breeding the breed
Breeding poultry is quite troublesome. Lakenfelders breed easily enough on their own, it is important to choose the right breeding rooster.
Laying hens of this breed are wonderful hens and caring mothers, capable of teaching young chickens of other breeds to care for offspring. An important condition for breeding is the need to “rejuvenate the blood” of the chicken herd every 3 years by acquiring a female or male Lakenfelder from another tribe.
Possible growing problems
Chickens of the old Dutch breed firmly endure temperature changes in the hen house, rarely get sick and do not impose difficult requirements on the conditions of detention.
To maintain the health of the bird, it is necessary to provide chickens with a balanced diet, increased daylight hours and the possibility of extended walking.
Frequent illnesses
In conditions of high humidity, irregular ventilation, the immunity of birds to infectious diseases decreases. Young hens and chickens are susceptible to pasteurellosis, adults can be infected with typhoid or coccidiosis.
When chickens are kept clean with a balanced diet and the ability to walk, Lakenfelders practically do not get sick.
Disease prevention
To avoid outbreaks of diseases in the chicken coop, it is necessary to observe a number of conditions of detention and take preventive measures to combat infections. Prevention of chicken diseases includes:
- Balanced fortified nutrition without hormones.
- Regular cleaning of the chicken coop and feeders.
- Litter change.
- No drafts or dampness in the house.
- Prophylactic vaccinations.
- Application of quarantine for birds with signs of disease.
The advantage of the Lakenfelder breed is the stable immunity of the breeding bird. Under the right conditions, laying hens do not get sick, they give healthy offspring, which they take care of on their own.
