Dominant chickens are well known to farmers and villagers. These poultry are highly resistant to disease, undemanding to the conditions of detention. They are attracted not only by their external characteristics, but also by their good productivity. Chickens are bred for selling meat carcasses and eggs.
Dominant chickens are a hybrid of several breeds (the so-called "cross"), bred by Czech breeders. Offspring from such chickens will never have the same excellent characteristics as their parents. Crosses are not intended for further breeding, as the dominant chicks will have almost the same characteristics as ordinary domestic hens.
Cross Description
Chickens are distinguished by a massive body and short paws. The hen’s head is elegant and small, with a scallop and scarlet earrings dazzling with it. Often this bird is bred not only for output, but also for the sake of beauty.
A feature of these chickens is a high egg production, due to which the Dominant birds are considered to be real champions. Thanks to this, the breeders get a good profit, and the birds are unpretentious in food and can feed themselves on a free walk.
The convenience of cross-country is that even at a young age it is easy to distinguish between females and males. Chickens have darker plumage, and roosters have light plumage.
Another advantage of the Dominants is the calm nature. Birds are hardly aggressive. This is great luck for farmers. Birds feel great both indoors and outdoors. But keeping them in a limited living space is undesirable, as the hens should go for a walk. If it is impossible to give them territory for walking, placement in low enclosures is permissible.
Due to the fact that sunlight contributes to the synthesis of vitamin D, it is preferable that the bird had free access to the street - this allows it to improve health.
The table shows the main indicators of the productivity of Dominant chickens:
Index | Characteristic |
Type of productivity | crosses, broilers, egg |
Male weight | average weight 2.1-3.5 kg |
Female weight | average weight 2.1-3.5 kg |
Egg production | high - more than 250 eggs per year |
Egg size and weight | large weighing more than 60 g |
Beginning of oviposition | fast - 4-5 months |
Availability | average |
Features | unpretentiousness to conditions, resistance to diseases, adaptation to any climate |
Origin
The appearance of Dominant chickens was due to the selection work of Czech specialists. They decided to develop a hybrid that, at high rates of productivity, will be distinguished by increased resistance to many diseases, while adapting perfectly to the conditions of detention.
During the breeding work, such breeds of chickens as Plymouthrock, Sussex, Rhode Island, Leghorn, Cornish were taken as the initial species. In addition to the listed characteristics, the obtained Dominant crosses pleased with high egg productivity with excellent taste characteristics and nutritional value of the resulting meat.
Cross appointment
Breeders are involved in the breeding of Dominant chickens, in particular due to the fact that birds are not only highly productive, but also have high immunity and unpretentiousness. In addition, laying hens and roosters of this variety provide farmers with excellent replenishment of meat, which has a delicate taste and pleasant aroma.
Chicken lovers can use meat dominants. This is especially true when hens have reduced egg production. But, despite the fact that the birds are distinguished by impressive body weight, they are mostly grown exclusively for eggs.
These chickens have high egg production rates. Already at the age of one year, laying hens bring up to 300 eggs per year. But to obtain such indicators, balanced nutrition and quality care are important. Chickens rush well up to 3-4 years, after which the number of eggs is significantly reduced.
Advantages and disadvantages of cross-country
Dominant chickens have their pros and cons. Before you start breeding this bird, it is very important to first familiarize yourself with its positive and negative sides in order to know what awaits the breeder in the future.
The benefits of poultry:
- Early ripening. Hens begin to lay eggs early, while they are large and have excellent taste, which is especially attractive to buyers. Dominants rush almost every day, subject to proper feeding and favorable conditions.
- Fast growth. At the age of 3.5-4 months, birds can already be sent for slaughter. Their meat is tasty, tender, dietary.
- High rate of egg fertility. The hatchability of chicks is close to 90%.
- Calm nature. Birds are calm, balanced, non-aggressive. Not prone to panic attacks, easily adapt, quickly get used to the owner.
But the cross has quite a few flaws:
- Demanding for feed. In the absence of complete feed containing proteins and calcium supplements, hen's egg production is sharply reduced. This also affects the onset of oviposition.
- The crowding in the house. If you keep the birds in a cramped room, they may begin to bite. As a rule, if chickens go on a walk, they have no problems with cannibalism.
- Stealth. Farmers often cannot determine whether chickens are rushing or not, as laying hens can hide eggs in secluded places. This behavior indicates that the bird has little room for laying eggs. The clowing is a sign that the laying hen is preparing to incubate.
Productivity
Dominant chickens are quite large in size. The mass of chickens can reach 1.8-2.3 kg, the weight of roosters - up to 3 kg. Laying hens begin to fly as early as 4-5 months, and the very first egg pleases with an impressive size - 65-75 g. Often laying hens give eggs weighing up to 118 g, but most often they have two yolks, therefore they cannot be used for incubation.
Roosters gain weight faster. One dozen chickens per dozen chickens in a private compound. Birds are allowed to meat after culling in appearance: a disproportionately developed body (sunken chest, sagging back). Decrease in egg production often happens due to several laying hens during the year. Such hybrids are best sent for slaughter.
Dominant Productivity by Age
Growing group | Productivity |
4-5 months | 85-90% |
2-3 years | 99-100% |
4-5 years old | 80-85% |
over 5 years old | 65-70% |
Varieties of chickens
The most famous varieties of Dominant chickens today are the following species, which have their own characteristics and differences from each other. Before breeding, it is important to know which bird is what is special:
Brown (D102)
A distinctive characteristic of layers is brown color with white spots. In roosters, the color is white with the addition of yellow or brown shades.
Sussex (D104)
Such birds have a snow-white torso. Black feathers with a speckled pattern in the tail and collar areas are visible. The advantage of breeding this cross is considered good chick survival in the first months. The weight of adults reaches up to 1.8 kg. The most productive age is considered to be 1.5 years.
Partridge (D959)
Also these birds are called speckled Dominants. They are characterized by golden brown feathers and a color similar to that of the Leggorn variety. Partridge chickens adapt perfectly in the conditions of Russian winters. Egg weight reaches up to 60 g, color - white or cream.
Red (D853)
These birds have a bright saturated color, which they obtained when they were crossed with the Rhode Island breed. Already from the age of 5 months, laying hens begin to rush, giving eggs, as a rule, once every two days. They differ in average productivity with undemanding care.
Red striped (D159)
From the paternal line, they come from egg crosses, predominantly striped. Maternal line - from white Rhode Island. The advantage of cross-country is high immunity and excellent productivity. They have a red plumage with a black edging that creates a spectacular banded pattern.
Blue (D107)
A distinctive feature of the blue Dominant is the plumage of the body with a bluish tint. The layers have a black neck, and the roosters have a black and white strip on the neck, back and tail. The Blue Dominant is considered a decorative bird that can be kept in both small and large farms. For this, chickens are most valuable.
Black (D109)
Layers have a high desire to hatch eggs. Eggs are small in size, but in a good amount. Differ in uniform color throughout the body, a feather with a blue tint. Roosters have interspersed with contrasting shades.
Speckled (D959)
The speckled Dominant has gray-white or golden-brown feathers. Outwardly, the bird is very attractive. Layers lay white or light brown eggs. Breeders appreciate these chickens for being able to adapt to any climate, both cold and hot. Even in very cold winters, the egg production rate does not decrease in birds. Due to the striped color, it has a similar resemblance to the famous, fabulous chicken-pockmarked.
Leghorn (D229)
Hens that are completely white. Adult cocks and hens are distinguished by a darker and more powerful comb. This variety of Dominant is most popular in Poland, is actively sold in the market of Belarus, and not so long ago appeared in Russia. Leghorn is considered the record holder for egg production - a year, a laying hen gives up to 310 eggs. Closer to three years, the minimum weight of the bird reaches up to 2 kg.
Painted D723
An amazing variety of Dominant, characterized by high egg production: per year, a laying hen gives up to 315 cream eggs, the average weight of which is 62 g. At the same time, 115 g of feed is produced per bird. These are small birds whose gender is distinguished by the length of the feather on the wings: in roosters it is longer.
Chickens Dominant of various colors
All subspecies have different appearance characteristics. At the same time, birds possess a squat body, due to the wide chest and short legs. Roosters have larger earrings than chickens.
Conditions of detention
The conditions that are created in the house affect the meat quality and the egg laying rate of chickens. That is why experienced breeders, when keeping Dominant birds, recommend that they be provided with proper conditions.
Room and temperature
Despite the fact that birds are able to adapt even to low sub-zero temperatures in order to ensure high egg production rates, it is better to insulate the house and ensure that it maintains a temperature of at least -5 degrees.
For 1 square meter should be no more than 4-5 layers. For bedding, it is best to use peat or straw, pre-mixed with a layer of lime - this prevents the appearance and reproduction of pathogenic microflora.
A distinctive characteristic of birds is that females do not always stop laying eggs during a change of feather cover, which leads to poor quality of laying. Therefore, taking into account the high degree of depletion of the hen's organism, during this period the farmer can facilitate the process of shell formation by introducing mineral additives into the diet.
Equip the house so that the birds have access to the exit to the street. It is imperative to ensure the absence of drafts, regularly monitor that there is water in the drinkers. Clean regularly in the chicken coop to prevent bird diseases.
For an overnight stay, birds need a house where comfortable bedding is required for complete comfort. Dry litter, hay, leaves, etc. are used as litter. Dominant chickens can be bred in private households or in industrial conditions.
Feeding
An important point in breeding birds of the Dominant is feeding. The daily amount of grain that is needed for one individual is about 150 g. In the summer period, this figure decreases, since the birds independently get their own food during the walk. Approximately a bag of feed is consumed per chicken per year.
Young animals also must receive their portion of feed, but in a period of intensive growth. Then you can replace it with mixers and grain. Also, premixes, boiled vegetables (potatoes, fresh herbs, carrots, pumpkin), crushed egg shells, meat and bone meal, chalk can be present in the chicken diet.
You can read about the features of feeding laying hens here.
Breeding
Dominant chickens have a high degree of survival, they rarely encounter any infections. But disease prevention should be carried out from an early age. Most of the eggs laid by chickens are fertilized if there are enough roosters.
Chicks are hatched or incubated. But it is generally accepted that chickens that incubate in a laying hen are more viable and less prone to the appearance of various pathologies, including congenital ones.
It is necessary to keep the nests for birds clean, to change the fillers in them every 2 days. 3-4 nests account for one nest. At the same time, it is very important that each of them be in a warm, but accessible room. When hatching eggs, chickens need rest. They must have a place inaccessible to other birds.
Care and maintenance of young and adult birds
The basis for the survival of birds and their further normal development is care and proper maintenance. Caring for chicks and adult birds is significantly different. The breeder should know what vitamins to give the birds, what to do for their best convenience, and also what methods to protect them from diseases.
How to care for chicks?
When buying young animals from a reliable, trusted supplier, you don’t have to deal with problems, because the birds have already received the necessary vaccinations. Because animals develop, grow and rarely get sick. And buying chicks on the market or removing them from the eggs bought may cause the farmer to have some problems.
At the very beginning, experienced specialists recommend drinking chickens for three days with one of the drugs:
- Levomycetinum - 1 tab. on 1 liter of water.
- ASD-2 - 1 ml per 3 l of water.
- Startonikom or Chiktonikom - follow the instructions.
This will help increase their immunity, prevent problems with gastrointestinal infections. Over time, it is advisable to add ascorbic acid, vitamin D. to drinking water. You can use trivit.
When the chicks grow older, they are given Farmazin or Trisulfone for prevention. Before sending the birds to the chicken coop, the room is disinfected, the floor is treated with quicklime.
For bedding use chopped straw or small shavings and sawdust mixed with peat (removes excess moisture and protects against the spread of pathogenic infections). Be sure to change the litter as it becomes dirty.
When the kids turn 2 weeks old, the breeder should reduce the daylight hours to 8 hours - this helps prevent biting during plumage. During this period, birds should have enough calcium and vitamins in the feed. The best solution would be to add nettle, gum, fish oil, feather ash to the feed - they provide the necessary vitamins and minerals.
Adult Care
For the speedy development of layers of Dominant, from 16 to 24 weeks they increase daylight hours from 8 to 16 hours. In the future, to maintain this value, laying hens react sharply to changes. Keep birds as usual: in enclosures, cages, free-range. The main condition is full feeding.If it is not possible to buy industrial compound feed, mixes are made of shredded grass, grains, vegetables, and potatoes. In this case, be sure to add barley or corn.
What recommendations to follow:
- Chickens should receive a sufficient amount of calcium so that the eggs laid have a strong shell. To do this, chalk, crushed shell, meat and bone meal are added to the diet of laying hens. The best assimilation of food will provide sand or gravel in the dishes.
- For the winter, it is advisable to harvest a lot of nettles, because it is considered the best tool for high egg production. The breeder should try to maintain a constant diet and conditions. When they worsen, the egg production rate decreases, and it will take a lot of time to recover.
- The chicken coop should be dry. With excessive moisture, birds can encounter various diseases. It is necessary to stockpile prematurely with peat or straw for bedding.
- There should only be one rooster in a herd of hens. In competition, males can attack the same chicken. This can lead them to peck her.
With proper care and maintenance, the laying hens will bring large eggs with excellent palatability.
Disease and Prevention
Although these chickens have increased immunity to various diseases, but they can encounter some infectious and invasive diseases. Some of them have treatment and preventive measures are in place to help avoid serious bird health problems.
The most common diseases of chickens are:
- Pullorosis. Birds become motionless, lethargic, refuse to feed. Their breathing quickens, the body is completely exhausted. For prevention, a livestock inspection is carried out daily. Indoors, the proper conditions must be observed. Ventilate the house regularly.
- Pasteurellosis. With the disease in birds, the body temperature may rise, swollen or bent joints of the limbs. Hens refuse to feed, mucous discharge comes out of the nasal cavity. Prevention consists in taking measures to get rid of rodents that can penetrate the feed. Disinfect the eggs before laying in the incubator.
- Salmonellosis. Infectious disease, during which the birds suffer from foamy diarrhea, inflammation of the organs near the cloaca, shortness of breath. Immune serum is used to maintain health for vaccination. After treatment, disinfect the house and handle the equipment.
- Coccidiosis Coccidia enter the body, after which the disease begins. According to its symptoms, the disease is similar to an intestinal infection. Chickens may have greenish feces, sometimes with bloody clots. The bird refuses to feed, diarrhea may occur. Individuals instantly lose weight, the egg production rate decreases.
Antimicrobials are used for treatment. The most popular drug is the nitrofuran series or sulfonamides.
Breeders are convinced that if the necessary hygiene conditions are minimized and vaccination of young animals is carried out in a timely manner, there will be no problems with the maintenance of the Dominant population.
The opinion of farmers about cross
Lantana, 45 years old, poultry farmer.In early September, I went to the bazaar, where I saw the dominant blue chickens. I could not resist and bought 10 chicks. The husband was opposed, arguing that no one would buy chickens in the fall. I chose the most beautiful blue chicks. Out of 10, 9 birds survived. As they grow older, I noted that they are unpretentious, characterized by a calm character, active and quickly get used to the owner.
Svetlana, Penza, a farmer.I already have experience breeding chickens. I decided to diversify my chicken coop and bought Dominant. I can say with confidence that this is an excellent breed, it is cold resistant. But they cannot be kept in a frozen barn. The laying hens is excellent, giving large eggs.
Tatyana, 52 years old, Russia.I have 7 dominant females - pockmarked, black, white and yellow. I bought them at the end of autumn and the birds wintered without problems in a cool room. In the middle of winter, when the bird turned six months old, they began to rush. From one hen I get three eggs in four days. This is enough for me. The largest eggs can boast black laying hens. In general, I am satisfied, because the hens are unpretentious and hardy.
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