Content:
About 30 known breeds of chickens have red or fiery plumage. In poultry circles, laying hens are especially appreciated, representing breeds with this color. Some of them are incredibly hardy and productive. What are the names of ginger chickens, how beneficial they are for the household and what is their feature - more on this later.
Historical reference
Since ancient times, on farms and private farmsteads, the most common village chickens were most often of a reddish-red or white hue. Autochthonous breeds, or folk, were highly valued, because for many years of breeding in a certain area, they developed adaptive mechanisms and insensitivity to climatic features. The only drawback of these varieties was their low productivity.
But, with the development of breeding science, improved, productive breeds began to appear on the basis of existing local red hens. Today they are presented in 2 categories:
- breeds;
- crosses.
The best breeds of red chickens
Brown, ginger and red chickens are numerous destinations with different breeds. Which breed of red chickens is the best is difficult to determine, because everyone has their own advantages and disadvantages. The most successful options for a household are described below.
Lohman Brown
Lohman Brown is a cross bred in Germany and has become the record holder for egg production.
Description of appearance and body weight:
- brown feather color;
- thin physique;
- chicken weight 1.9-2.1 kg;
- rooster weight - 2.5-3 kg;
- thin, four-fingered metatarsals of wheat shade;
- small erect comb 5-6 teeth.
Birds can start laying at the age of 20-22 weeks. How many eggs they can lay depends on the diet and conditions of detention, but the average egg production is up to 320 pieces.
UK Kuban-7
The famous red Kuban breed of chickens, which are commercialized by many poultry farms in the country. The Tula red-headed chicken UK Kuban-7 supplied to farmers from the local poultry farm in terms of the number of livestock in this region is the leader.
Brief description of external features:
- stocky build;
- dense and stiff plumage with a high percentage of down;
- short neck;
- small head with a well-developed red ridge;
- the earrings are round, large;
- the face is red, bristly;
- earlobes of the same shade.
The average weight of Kuban chickens is up to 2.5 kg. Roosters are 500-600 g heavier. Kuban red chickens are excellent layers. Their annual egg production potential is up to 320 pieces. The duration of the peak of laying is up to 1 year.
Red white-tailed
Red White-tailed - meat and egg breed, obtained by English breeders.A relatively rare, but popular variety, capable of laying out well in egg-laying and serving as a source of tender chicken meat with high palatability.
General description:
- reddish shade of feathers;
- a white-cream tail with a red-haired border on each feather;
- wide but short body;
- convex breast;
- wide, developed shins and thighs;
- small head;
- reddish skin tone;
- leaf-shaped, overdeveloped crest;
- miniature white ears;
- round earrings.
Yerevan
Village Caucasian chickens. The progenitors were New Hampshire and Rhode Island. This breed belongs to the category of meat and egg. Work on the creation began at the beginning of the 20th century, but Yerevan chickens received official recognition in 1974.
Average indicators of mass:
- a chicken weighs 2.5-2.7 kg;
- rooster - 3-3.5 kg.
Outward signs of thoroughbred Yerevan roosters inherited from the representatives of Rhode Island.
Brief description of the exterior of the male:
- strong, triangular body;
- Long neck;
- flat chest;
- developed muscles of the legs;
- short back;
- red-brown feather color;
- black tail feathers;
- red leaf-shaped crest;
- face, earrings and earlobes of the same shade.
Red laying hens look the same as roosters, but differ in size and the absence of black feathers in the tail area. Annual egg production - 160-180 eggs.
Foxy Chick
Fox chicken - this is how the name of this variety is translated. Chickens Foxy Chik - cross meat productivity, popularly known as "colored broiler" or "Hungarian giant". The creators of the breed are Hungarian breeders. But, today France and Russia can boast of a line of colored broilers with the same parameters.
Description of the appearance of Foxy Chick:
- powerful, spherical body;
- short neck;
- widely spaced paws;
- protruding thighs and lower legs;
- red feathers with a lot of down;
- small head with a red crest;
- red face and the same ears.
Feeding is carried out using the same technology as for traditional broilers. The body weight of the Hungarian giant at 2 months is 1.9-2.2 kg. The maximum weight is reached by 9 months - up to 5-6 kg.
Other breeds with red color
In addition to the chickens described above, there are other breeds that also have a similar color.
Here are their names:
- Czech golden;
- The Red Star;
- Shumavskaya;
- Kuchinskaya jubilee;
- Zagorsk salmon;
- Rhode Island;
- Tetra;
- Redbrough.
Feather color is only an external characteristic. Ginger chickens are no better and no worse than other representatives of the bird world, but among them there are breeds that are truly worthy of attention. When choosing chickens for your farm, you should focus on productive qualities, requirements for feeding and maintenance.