The most famous decorative breeds of chickens

Breeds of decorative chickens today, there are very many, with it, among them there are very old. Naturally, people did not set themselves the goal of making chickens exclusive to admire. Such breeds were mainly the result of attempts to breed good fighting roosters, as a result of which the main productive traits were lost.

To date, those birds that belong to decorative breeds are regular participants in photo exhibitions and presentations, in their own way bringing benefit to the owners. If you are interested in such breeds, we suggest to get acquainted with the most famous and those who have earned fame.

Roosters and phoenix hens - the most magnificent of its kind

This breed is known since ancient times in China, which is its homeland, and Japan, where today the breed is considered holy. According to legends, the Phoenix bird is a source of good luck, therefore the same properties are attributed to the roosters of this breed. But even without luck, this breed simply captures with its beauty.

The most important breed trait is the tail, the length of which for some representatives can even reach 10 meters. In the year such a tail usually grows to 0.9 meters, so the older the bird - the longer it is.

However, in order to make the main decoration of the rooster beautiful and retain its appearance, the birds are kept in very harsh conditions, locked in narrow, suspended cages from which the tail just hangs out. Among other features of the breed are:

• body size is usually medium, although there are both large representatives and dwarf ones;
• the most common color is white and off-white, but there are a lot of variations;
• the plumage is smooth, tight to the body;
• the crest (also the criterion of the prod) has a pea-shaped or walnut-shaped
• legs are not long, bare.

In this aspect, the breed also has value, although not high. They have a little meat, but it is quite tasty. Chickens rush quite intensively - from 80 to 100 eggs with an average weight of 50 grams per year.

Eggs have a cream-colored shell; chickens are able to hatch them themselves and produce complete offspring. Sexual maturity in them comes at the age of 9 months, but finally finishes being formed in 2 years.

Weight characteristics of the breed

The most common Representatives of the Phoenix breed have average sizes and corresponding weight:

• roosters weigh from 1.5 to 2 kilograms;
• The average weight of chickens is 1.3 kilograms.

The small size allows you to contain several individuals in small areas of the house. Also, such sizes make chickens ideal hens.

Fortunately, genetics have done quite a bit of work on the breed, as a result of which the tail of the roosters does not shed, but only gradually reborn. Because of this, the birds always maintain a beautiful view.

However, they love to fly, require sterile clean rooms and the constant availability of fresh air, which greatly complicates the content.For those who are afraid of such a difficult task as the cultivation of ordinary Phoenixes, they can practice dwarfing.

Pavlovsk chickens: the most productive representatives of ornamental breeds

These hens attract attention with their beautiful tufts, which according to the standard can be both compressed and spreading. They are distinguished by their straight and thin beak, a light yellow color that has very noticeable slightly raised nostrils. But the comb they have a little underdeveloped, which compensates the crest. Also, when choosing a thoroughbred chickens, worth paying attention to:

• the presence of the scruff;
• characteristic body shape of a typical hen;
• fan-shaped tail;
• large wings;
• plumage on the legs.

Birds are valued not only for their external beauty, but also for their high egg-laying rates, although it largely depends on the favorable conditions of housing. So, in a year they can carry from 280 to 300 eggs weighing 55 grams. The shell of eggs of this breed has a white or beige shade.

But the meat characteristics of Pavlovsky chickens have practically no value, although they are rather large in size. But for decorative birds, this is not at all strange, but rather logical.

By the size of the hens and roosters of the Pavlovsk breed, the average indicators are distilled, but they do not reach the large ones. The weight of the rooster on average can vary from 2.1 to 2.5 kilograms, and the hens and even less - from 1.8 to 2.1 kilograms.

Of particular importance are the features of keeping and feeding individuals, which also affects their appearance and weight.

Another thing to pay attention to:

• these chickens are very tolerant of low temperatures, which is promoted by fluffy plumage;
• unpretentious to food;
• resistant to catarrhal diseases;
• manifest themselves as good layers and hens;
• have a large variation of color.

Dwarf Bentham: all the most interesting and important about the breed

Since Bentams are a dwarf subspecies of ornamental chickens, they themselves are rather small in size. The body has them all the most Chicken-specific features:

• a small head with a medium-sized beak and an obligatory beautiful and bright comb;
• small but stable legs, in some subspecies with plumage;
• a chic tail that may have a different shape, but always very beautifully painted;
• the most diverse plumage, which makes some representatives live worksart.

In addition to the unusually attractive appearance, these chickens are still able to please with their products. Firstly, they are very good layers, although they are very small in size. About 150 small eggs (average weight - 45 grams) are carried per year.

Secondly, they give very tasty and tender meat, although it is not at all promising to breed them as exceptionally meat chicken.

It is clear that the main criterion for assessing the size of chickens is an indicator of their weight, which is very small in dwarf Bantamok.

Thus, chickens, on average, weigh only 0.5 kilograms, while roosters hardly reach their maximum performance of 1 kilogram. However, such sizes have their own advantages - convenience in keeping large livestock, which will be quite small in the size of the house.

The advantages that representatives of the breed can boast are:

• suitable for breeding in normal domestic conditions, since they are not demanding to the content and feeding;
• have a very calm, "cheerful" temper;
• they sing very well (mostly only roosters);
• the presence of excellent egg and meat qualities;
• extraordinary attractive appearance of absolutely all subspecies.

What attracts the attention of fans of the breed of ornamental smoking Bald Israel?

Not much is known about this breed, since it was bred not so long ago and today there is a huge amount of controversy around it. They are tied primarily to their main feature - the absence of feathers.

Many consider it genetically imperfect and non-kosher, and therefore afraid to breed. But in fact, the breed was bred for a specific purpose: the ability of birds to withstand the highest heat. Indeed, without feathers, such chickens sweat less and therefore, in Israel, it became possible to avoid a high mortality rate of chickens during hot periods.

Not having gained much popularity in farming, today these chickens began to spread as decorative ones, attracting attention with an unusual appearance. However, they have a great many other advantages.

This breed has only meat direction. Their meat is very good, it resembles the taste of chicken the best meat breeds, for which it is highly valued by impartial tasters.

But on the account of egg-laying, nothing concrete can be answered, since breeding is so far carried out exclusively due to the artificial crossing of individuals and the incubation of the incubation of eggs.

The hens and roosters of this breed have virtually no external differences, except for the genitals. By weight, they are also almost the same, since the mass of the first and second is on average 2 kilograms. But, These birds very well absorb almost any, due to which they gain weight quickly and can reach higher rates.

Chinese Silk Decorative Hens: the most exclusive and unique breed

This breed is quite large, but has dwarf subspecies. By some of their characteristics, they are simply unique:

• all representatives have five fingers, which is steadfastly passed down from generation to generation and is a characteristic criterion of the breed;
• plumage is present on the fingers and toes;
• the head is decorated with a magnificent tuft, a beard and tanks;
• the crest is small, pinkish in color, teeth absent;
• the skin of the representatives of the breed is black, and the plumage can be very different - from white to blue;
• turquoise bird lobes.

Outwardly, these chickens are really very attractive because of their chic plumage. Moreover, the plumage is not only of decorative importance: in Asian countries this breed is kept for receiving fluff, which is regularly cut like wool from sheep. The fact is that it has a good ability to grow quickly, restoring its length. On average, one chicken gets 120-130 grams of fluff, which grows in 30-40 days.

The quality of meat in Chinese Silk chicken is also very high, due to the tenderness of meat. However, outwardly it is not attractive at all due to the black color of the skin, therefore it attracts only gourmets.

Egg breed is the same as most decorative breeds - about 80 eggs per year. The weight of one egg is approximately 40 grams, the shell has a brown color.

Dwarf roosters of this breed weigh only 1.5 kilograms, and the hens and even less - within the boundaries of one kilogram. Larger representatives can boast the best indicators of weight, but they cannot be called large ones anyway.

In our latitudes, these chickens take root very well, but not always successfully reproduce. Not all chickens show the instinct of chicks, which, however, does not prevent them from successfully laying their eggs under chicks of other breeds. But having overcome this problem, the further breeding of chickens can bring only profit: both small chickens and exclusive black chicken are very highly valued in the market.

Also, the owners of Chinese Silk chicken are very actively participating in exhibitions and photo contests.

The smallest chicken breed Malaysian Serama

To find such chickens is easiest because they are just tiny. At home, they are not even kept in separate poultry houses, but are placed in separate cages, like, for example, parrots. But representatives are also famous for their very unusual look, which at first is difficult to be perceived as something living: their bodies are not only tall, but also practically vertical.

The neck is elongated while the tail is at an angle of 90º relative to the body. Among the poultry farmers, it is believed that the stronger the bend of the neck and the more upright the body, the purebred is the bird.The colors of the birds are not determined, since it is not inherited from the parents.

Because of their small size, birds do not represent any value, since the amount of meat produced by them is not significant. Their egg yields are also not high. For a year, chickens can lay about a dozen eggs, which are barely enough to reproduce new generations of the breed.

In terms of weight and size, their eggs resemble quail and are related to chicken 1 to 5. They may have a different color - from white to brown, and chicken-sisters eggs may differ.

The weight of hens and roosters of this breed is simply a record minimum, which allows them to be equated to parrots and other small birds. However, it is worth noting that within the entire population of a given breed there are three weight categories:

The first category, called A-class breed Malaysian Seram, is the most valuable and smallest. Roosters in this category can reach a maximum weight of only 350 grams, although there are individuals that are 100 grams lighter. Chickens weigh from 200 to 325 grams.

B-class hens a bit larger and their cost in the bird market is slightly lower.The average weight of roosters ranges from 351 to 500 grams, and the hens - from 326 to 425 grams. The largest representatives of the Malaysian Seram breed are Chickens of the C-class, the weight of which is over 0.5 kilograms. The mass of chickens is not so big and averages 425-525 grams.

Despite the difficulties in reproduction, these birds are quite easy to maintain, since they do not require the construction of special poultry houses. At the same time, they are rather pampered in relation to temperature conditions. If they are not stabbed from birth, then as an adult they can be very sick. Also, the birds are characterized by a very good fighting character, which, however, is not used in cockfighting.