Earlier in the villages, the hostesses did not really think about what breed their chickens have and how many eggs they lay. Poultry was more often outbred. Individual amateurs who kept purebred chickens were considered eccentrics. Everything has changed today. There was information, feed in the public domain and the demand for village products. And people began to be interested in the best breeds of laying hens. When calculating expenses and income, it is more convenient to use a bird that lays a known number of eggs than to rely on chance.

Characteristics of the breeds of laying hens

The basis for choosing laying hens for semi-commercial use should be the ratio of feed consumed to the number of eggs produced. The size of the eggs is also taken into account, since the buyer prefers to take large ones.

For such purposes, industrial egg crosses are best suited, giving the maximum amount of production per year. But the minus of crosses is that they also eat a lot compared to less productive breeds. If the chicken does not consume food, it will have nowhere to get materials for creating eggs. Also crosses are capricious in content and require special conditions.

If the hen chooses laying hens in order to get eggs for himself, then he can pay attention to less whimsical thoroughbred laying hens, bred through selection. Today, productive breeds of laying hens, which are not inferior to industrial crosses, have already been bred. If the laying hens are taken only for the family, and the consumption of eggs in the house is not high, you can pay attention to the beautiful breeds of laying hens. Their productivity may be lower, but the birds will delight the eye with an unusual appearance.

General requirement for all thoroughbred laying hens, including crosses:

• small body weight (up to 2 kg);
• well-developed abdominal cavity.

The general law for all chickens is either meat or eggs. Laying hens do not have good meat qualities and do not gain significant muscle mass. A slaughtered one-year-old laying hen evokes the thought “skin and bones”. You should not expect high egg production from chickens that give a beautiful meat carcass.

Important! Meat breeds of chickens are more often distinguished by their beauty.

When buying a brahma or cochinquin, you should not expect a large number of eggs from them. But you can hope to get a large meat carcass.

Laying hen breeds with photos

The best breed of laying hens is the one that ideally suits the needs of the owner and the climatic conditions of the region. An industrial cross with high productivity may not be in the yard of a private owner due to its exactingness to the conditions of detention. In case of violation of the temperature regime, the duration of daylight hours or the prescribed diet, industrial egg crosses sharply reduce productivity and become unprofitable.

At home, laying hens breeds bred by selection and, preferably, in the surrounding area are beneficial. Such breeds may have lower productivity, but they are able to supplement the diet with pasture and easily tolerate weather conditions. The local poultry has another plus: the breeds of laying hens in the photo are easily recognizable. Industrial crosses often look like two peas in a pod. For comparison, you can consider 3 crosses: Loman Brown, Tetra-SL and Hisex Brown.

Lohman Brown

One of the 2 most famous egg crosses in Russia. The cross was developed in Germany by Lohmann Tierzucht GmbH and is available in two color variations: white and brown.

Important! The situation is the same for all industrial egg crosses: they are all bred in “2 versions”.

The versions of crosses differ from each other only in plumage and eggshell colors.

Loman Brown was bred from 4 lines of egg-laying chickens. But what breeds were used to produce crosses, the company keeps a secret. Hatching eggs are imported to Russia from Germany and Hungary.

Description

Laying hens weigh 2 kg, adult males about 3 kg. The case is compact, firmly knocked down, located horizontally. The head is small with a powerful light beak. A small leaf-shaped crest, like the catkins, is pink-red in color. The neck is short with a plumage darker than on the body.

The back and loin are wide. The short tail is almost horizontal. The chest is developed. The belly is voluminous, full. The wings are small. Metatarsus are unfeathered, pink in color. The legs are short.

Loman Brown is an autosex cross. Laying hens are brown, roosters are white.

Important! The breed is peaceful, but with too crowded content cannibalism is possible.

From 18 weeks of age, laying hens lay the first egg. In the first year of life from a chicken, you can get 300-320 eggs with a brown-colored shell and weighing up to 65g.

When breeding Loman Brown, experts tried to get an unpretentious chicken with a high egg production. They did the second thing. The first came out with big reservations.

Loman Brown is relatively undemanding in content. They rush equally well into the nest and free-range. But to obtain the declared number of eggs, laying hens need a special diet.

Another disadvantage of the cross is the need to purchase new eggs every year. It is impossible to breed a complex cross of 4 lines at home.

Hisex Brown

The second most common cross in Russia is the cross of the egg direction. These laying hens are bred in Holland and also have white and brown varieties. Brown chickens are more common as they are considered to be more productive.

Description

The weight of laying hens is 2 kg, the roosters are of a decent weight for egg-laying hens - 2.5-3 kg. The physique is strong. The head is medium in size with a small leaf-shaped scallop. The beak is long, light. The earrings are poorly developed. Lobes, comb and earrings are pink. The length of the neck is medium.

The body is wide, with a horizontal set. The back and loin are long and wide. The tail is at an angle of 45 ° to the horizon. The chest is poorly developed. The wings are small, tightly attached to the body. The belly is well filled. Metatarsus yellow, unfeathered. Legs are of medium length.

The plumage is loose, which makes the chickens seem very voluminous. The color of the laying hens is brown, and of the roosters it is white.

Maturation occurs at 20 weeks. Egg production of brown laying hens 320 pcs. in year. Eggs have a brown shell. Weigh 65 g.

Of the minuses, exactingness to feed.

Tetra-SL

Meat and egg cross obtained by the Hungarian company Babolna TETRA. Outwardly, the chicken is similar to other industrial crosses of the same color. The main difference lies in its performance indicators:

• puberty at 4.5 months;
• reaching slaughter weight at 20 weeks;
• productivity - 300 pcs. eggs with brown shells;
• egg weight 65 g.

The onset of egg production occurs earlier than that of the Hisex Brown cross.

Description

Autosexual cross: brown chickens, white roosters. This makes it possible to separate rations for chickens and raise them on different feeds. Roosters can be fed early.

The head is small. Leafy crest. Face, earrings, scallop, red lobes. The beak is small, light. Orange eyes, short neck. The skeleton is wide, oval in shape. The back and loin are well developed. The tail is short, set horizontally or at a slight angle to the horizontal.

The shoulders are weak. Wing length is average. Wide chest, well-developed belly. Average leg length. Metatarsus yellow, without plumage.

Cons of the cross are typical for all hybrid birds:

• exactingness to feed;
• impossibility of independent reproduction of livestock;
• the risk of misgrading when buying due to the external similarity of the crosses.

Considering that any egg crosses "get sick" with all these problems, this cannot be called minuses. The advantages include the productive characteristics of Tetra-SL.

One can try to find major differences between industrial crosses. And you can turn to egg and meat-egg breeds of chickens. A significant advantage of thoroughbred poultry is that it can be bred independently, replacing old individuals with self-repairing young animals.

Important! All crosses lack the incubation instinct.

Leghorn

The most productive breed of laying hens, bred in the 19th century in Italy. She first came to the USSR in 1925, for some time she was the only egg breed bred on poultry farms. Due to the wide geography of breeding and a long stay on the territory of Russia, the breed managed to adapt to various climatic conditions. In fact, for almost 100 years, a completely separate breed line has already appeared, which is more Italian adapted to Russian conditions.

Description

The head is medium. The comb is very large even in laying hens. Moreover, in females, it can fall to the side, in roosters it should stand straight. The color of the comb and earrings is red, the lobes are blue or white. The eyes are light yellow; in pullets, they are dark orange. The neck is long.

The body is lightweight, wedge-shaped. Raised. The back is wide. The wings are long and well developed. Set wide at the base of the tail 35-40 °. The chest is wide, the belly is voluminous. Legs are medium. Metatarsus are unfeathered, white. In young animals, the color of the metatarsus is yellow. The most common color is white, but there are black, brown, variegated, fawn, lavender and others.

The weight of laying hens is 1.5-2 kg, adult roosters are almost the same: 2.3-2.5 kg. Laying hens of this breed mature relatively late: 4.5-5 months. In the first year of life, they receive up to 300 pieces. eggs weighing 57 g. Later, egg production decreases, and old laying hens are replaced with new ones.

Important! The Leghorns have no hatching instinct.

The level of development of the reproductive instinct directly depends on the productivity of laying hens. The higher the productivity, the less the chicken tends to nest.

Chickens of the Leghorn breed have a high level of egg fertilization - 95%. The hatchability is up to 92%.

Pros of the Leghorn breed:

• endurance;
• high productivity;
• good adaptive abilities;
• early maturity.

These qualities of the breed are used to create new and improve old industrial crosses. Earlier, with the participation of the Leghorns, new breeds of laying hens were bred in the USSR. One of them is Russian White.

Russian white

The breed was bred by crossing Leghorn roosters with local chickens. The work was carried out until the middle of the last century, when breeders presented a new Soviet breed, the Russian White. When breeding the breed, the goal was to breed laying hens with high productivity, but more adapted to the cold climate and the then realities of the country. Laying hens of the Russian White breed are less productive than the Leggorns, but in those years they became the best breed of laying hens for private farms in Russia.

Description

The weight of laying hens is 1.8 kg, the weight of adult roosters is not much different - 2 kg. The head is medium. The crest is large, leaf-shaped, with 5 teeth. Due to its size, it may hang to one side. The crest and well-developed earrings are bright red. The lobes are medium, white. The eyes are red. The beak is long, curved, yellow. The neck is long, erect, with a graceful curve. Roosters have no mane.

The body is relatively strong, stronger than that of the Leghorns. Set horizontally. The rooster has a well-developed convex chest. The back is straight. Roosters have short but powerful tail. Laying hens have a long tail in comparison with the body. The wings are well developed, close to the body. The shoulders are powerful. Legs are medium. Metatarsus are yellow.

Important! The breed's business card is white.

Individuals with any color spots are discarded from breeding.

The productivity of Russian white laying hens is 200 white eggs per year. Egg weight 55 g. Egg-laying starts from 5 months.

The Russian White has a strong nervous system, which distinguishes it for the better from the Leghorns. White Russians are slow-witted and calmer in stressful situations.

Kuchinskaya jubilee

The breed belongs to meat and egg, but the indicators of egg production are such that these chickens can be safely included in the egg. Kuchin laying hens produce an average of 200 eggs per year with an egg weighing 60 g.

Kuchinskaya Jubilee was bred by a complex crossing of several foreign and local breeds of meat, meat-egg and egg directions. As a result of selection, a strong, heavy breed of meat and egg direction was obtained.

Description

The weight of adult laying hens is 2.7-3 kg, adult roosters weigh 3.4-4 kg. The head is medium with a small leaf-like crest. The ridge blade is short; the base follows the upper line of the skull. Placement of the comb straight. The beak is powerful, of medium length, yellow-brown in color. Lobes, crest, face and earrings are red. Long curved neck. The cock's mane is well developed.

The body is wide and long. In roosters it is slightly raised, in laying hens it is located horizontally. Wide back, fluffy tail. Roosters have developed braids. The chest is well muscled. The wings are short, pressed to the body.

The legs are powerful, muscled. Metatarsus yellow-brown, dense plumage.

Oviposition begins at 6 months of age. Fertility of eggs is 95%, in the incubator the hatchability of chickens is up to 87%.

Adler silver

Meat and egg breed, bred in 1965. Adler silvers are well suited for keeping in private backyards. They easily adapt to the cold and new living conditions. Unpretentious in food. Disease resistant.

Description

The weight of adult laying hens is up to 2.5 kg, adult roosters weigh up to 4 kg. Laying hens give up to 190 eggs weighing 58 g per year. Pullets begin to rush from 6 months. Able to fly at low temperatures. Egg production is maintained in the range from 0 to 20 ° C.

The head of the Adler laying hens is round. Medium-sized leaf-shaped crest, lobes, face and red earrings. The beak is light. Orange eyes. The neck is of medium length. The roosters have a mane, but it is poorly developed.

The structure of the body of a hen and a rooster is very similar, but laying hens are smaller than males. The wings are well developed, but pressed against the body so tightly that the lower black flight feathers are not visible. The tail is short. Legs are medium with non-feathered white metatarsals.

Colombian color: neck, tail and inner flight feathers are black. Chicks hatch yellow. Dark areas appear later as they grow older.

Important! The Adler silver has no maternal instinct.

Pushkin striped-motley

A relatively new breed, which is just over 20 years old. Chickens were named after the city in which they were bred. In the city of Pushkin, Leningrad Region, there is an institute engaged in the development of new breeds of farm animals. At this institute, by crossing black-and-white australorpes and white leghorns, one of the best universal laying hens breeds for the Moscow region and more northern regions was obtained.

It was planned to get a chicken with good egg production and a fairly large body. But the first copies turned out to be "purely egg": with a miniature body and low weight. In an attempt to increase body weight, the Pushkin chickens received the blood of broilers. But the hens "refused" to seriously increase in size. But broilers have influenced the quality of the meat, which has become much better. Today there are 2 lines of the Pushkin breed of chickens:

• Leningrad with high egg production;
• Moscow region with more delicious meat.

But the line can only be determined by the assurances of the breeder or documents. Outwardly, chickens of different lines do not differ from each other. The breed was recognized only in 2007.

Description

The chicken has a typical laying hen build. The weight of adult males is 2.5-3 kg, laying hens 2 kg. The color of the laying hens is variegated, the roosters are white with rare black spots. While the breed is still being formed, and there is no single type of bird.

General features of the standard that can be changed:

1. The head is medium-sized, slightly elongated. The eyes are orange. The comb is pinkish red. The beak is long and light.
2. The neck is long. The mane is moderately developed. The neck plumage does not differ in color from the feather on the body.
3. The body is trapezoidal. In a rooster, it tapers towards the back. Located almost parallel to the ground.
4. The chest is wide. Chickens have a well-developed belly.
5. The tail is set high.
6. Long wings are tightly pressed to the sides.
7. The pink metatarsus are long, non-feathered.
8. The plumage is tight to the body. The down is only white.

Temperament is calm. In case of danger, they do not run away, but try to cuddle to the ground.

But there are exterior defects that lead to the culling of birds from breeding:

• black plumage;
• humpbacked back;
• too narrow body;
• squirrel tail;
• gray or yellow fluff.

Pushkin breed of chickens rushes from 22 weeks. The pullet lays up to 220 eggs in the first season. Further, egg production falls. Pushkin's laying hens produce white eggs weighing 60 g.

Fertilization of eggs reaches 90%. The hatching of chickens in an incubator is 90%, the survival rate of adult chickens is 85%.

The Pushkin breed is cold-resistant. This allows you to receive products from them in the winter.

Zagorsk salmon

The breed is recorded as meat and egg, but the laying hens are not very large. Laying hens weigh about 2.5 kg, adult roosters 3.5 kg. The breed was bred in the city of Zagorsk, which gave it its name. The Zagorsk salmon was bred by crossing several egg and meat-egg breeds. Today, Zagorsk laying hens are popular in private farmsteads because of their ability to quickly gain weight and lay a significant number of eggs.

The egg production of the Zagorskaya salmon is 220 pieces of 60-gram eggs per season.

The advantage of the breed is in its unpretentiousness to keeping conditions and the ability to assimilate almost any feed, except for spoiled one.

Description

The body is powerful, tightly knocked down, in chickens it is placed horizontally. The breed is autosexual. Due to the difference in color, chicks can be distinguished by sex even at the age of several days.

The head of the Zagorsk salmon is small with red lobes, catkins and a leaf-like crest. The beak is yellow, powerful. The eyes are orange. The neck is of medium length.

The back is wide. The tail is fluffy, short. The chest is full and wide. The belly is well developed. The wings are medium, pressed to the body. Legs are short with unfeathered yellow metatarsals.

Orlovskaya

Orlovskaya calico is an old breed of chickens, which is more than 200 years old. It is perfectly adapted to the Russian frosts and does not suffer from frostbite on the ridges. It tolerates heat well. Unpretentious in food. It is able to rush in winter, which previously made it indispensable in the household.

High egg production by the standards of the 19th century is not impressive today. The development of technology and the emergence of productive crosses have made the ability of Oryol laying hens to lay eggs on cold winter days irrelevant. The breed has declined sharply in number, but has been preserved as a genetic reserve.

Description

The breed originates from fighting cocks. These are large birds with a high body set. In height, the roosters grow up to 60 cm, and weigh 5 kg. The color of chickens is motley, similar to the color that chintz fabrics once had. Hence the name chintz. Distinctive features of the breed:

1. Small pink comb. Thanks to this shape of the scallop, chickens do not suffer from frostbite.
2. Beard.

Egg production of Oryol laying hens is 145 eggs weighing 60 g. Egg production is not impressive, but these laying hens willingly sit on eggs. The breed is suitable for a private backyard, if the owner wants not only to receive products, but also to have beautiful birds.

Pavlovskaya

Not the most common old Russian breed today. The Pavlovsk breed is ideally adapted to the Russian climate and undemanding to feed. Plus, it is decorative. Today they contain it as decorative.

But for all the beauty and originality of the appearance, laying hens are distinguished by good productivity: 150 eggs per year with an average weight of 49 g. The live weight of laying hens is about 1.5 kg, roosters - up to 2.5 kg.

Ukrainian ushanka

A very unpretentious meat and egg breed with a relatively high egg production. Laying hens weigh 2.3 kg, roosters 2.8 kg. The productivity of the earflaps is 160 eggs per year.

Ukrainian earflaps have existed since the 17th century. The tufts of feathers growing near the ear holes give the bird a specific look.

Earflaps have 3 types of crest: leaf-shaped, rose-shaped and nut-shaped. The main color is brown, but due to the combination of genes that determine this color, the offspring can also be light brown or black. It all depends on who, what genes a particular embryo will receive.

Naked chickens

Naked chickens are classified as meat and egg. But there is no approved breed standard, since the gene that determines the absence of feathers on the neck is dominant. This means that birds can be of different sizes, colors and even egg production. On average, bare-necked laying hens produce 160 eggs per season. Eggs usually weigh 58-60 g.

Australorp

Meat and egg breed from Australia. Laying hens are distinguished by high productivity (more than 300 eggs per season), but the breed is not included in the number of industrial ones and is used only for breeding other breeds and crosses. In the private economy, the breed also did not find use. This is explained by the exactingness of chickens to the conditions of detention and the problem with the selection of producers. At the same time, in its homeland, Avsrolorp is considered a very unpretentious breed.

Rhode Island

Heavy meat and egg breed, which is used for broiler production. Live weight of laying hens is up to 3 kg, adult cocks - 3.8 kg. The production of laying hens reaches 160-170 eggs. The breed is late maturing. Puberty occurs at 7 months.

What breeds of laying hens are best to breed

The best breeds of laying hens for a private house and without claims to earn money are Zagorskaya salmon, Orlovskaya calico and Adler silvery. In addition, since laying hens of these breeds do not tend to sit on eggs, you can get a Chinese silk, Pavlovsk or Ukrainian earflaps. Under the Chinese, you can safely lay eggs of more productive layers. These chickens are distinguished by good maternal instinct, but low egg production.

Important! When buying Chinese silk for the purpose of using them as brood hens, you do not need to pursue purebred and elite.

According to the standard, Chinese silk should have a densely feathered metatarsus and a well-developed crest on the head. Both are inconvenient when keeping birds in a regular chicken coop. A brood hen can be "barefoot" and with a poorly developed tuft, if only to incubate eggs.

What breed of chickens is better to refuse

When choosing an egg breed for a personal backyard, it is easier to abandon foreign laying hens that are poorly adapted to Russian conditions. It is not necessary to take industrial egg laying hens if it is not possible to provide them with the necessary conditions. They all drastically reduce productivity when technological conditions are violated and take a long time to recover.

Conclusion

The best breeds of laying hens are those that will thrive in a particular poultry yard. The breeds for the production of eggs today are bred in sufficient quantities and for every taste. Choosing your own laying hens, you need to achieve the optimal combination of your capabilities and needs. And the breed for this combination is sure to be found.

Do you want to collect fresh eggs or even dozens of them every day? Laying hens of the Loman Brown or Kuchinskaya Yubileynaya breed will help you achieve this goal. In our article, you will learn about the productivity of these and many other species. Check out the descriptions of the most popular breeds to make the exact decision which one to choose and which one is right for you!

Lohman Brown

This is one of the most common laying hen breeds. It was bred by a German company of the same name and has earned its popularity due to its good productivity and low cost of ownership. Such characteristics make it possible to successfully use it both in large farms and for household maintenance. It should be noted that this breed is calm and fearless. The survival rate of chickens is at least 98%, which allows them to successfully breed them.

Productivity

Loman Brown layers are considered to be among the best in the world in terms of egg production. The first eggs from them can be expected already at the age of 5 months. By the thirtieth week of life, they reach their maximum productivity, producing 280-290 eggs per year. The eggs have a hard brown shell and weigh 64 grams on average.

Leghorn

This breed is rightfully considered the most productive. Chickens of this species are bred exclusively for the egg direction. As you can see in the photo, most of the birds of this breed are white, but there are other colors as well. Their main disadvantage is increased fearfulness. For example, in too noisy environments, they can succumb to noise hysteria.

Noise hysteria will lead to aggression and a drop in egg production. Therefore, it is recommended to start such chickens in quiet places that are away from roads and other sources of noise.

Productivity

Leghorn layers are the best in the world for egg production. On average, they can produce about 300 eggs per year, however, under optimal conditions, this number can be increased. Their eggs are not too large, they are white, and the average weight is 56 grams. But at the same time, they are very high quality and have a strong shell.

Kuchinskaya jubilee

This breed can be called truly versatile, because it is suitable for both egg and meat directions. These hens have average egg production and are characterized by unpretentiousness to the diet and keeping conditions. They thrive equally well both in cages and free-range, so you can choose any type of housing.

Kuchinskaya Jubilee is perfect for farmers who do not have much experience in breeding chickens. As you can see in the photo, most of this species are brown in color.

Productivity

On average, you can get about 220 eggs from the Kuchinsky Jubilee per year. Of course, this is far from a record figure, but given the extremely low cost of keeping, as well as the high quality of meat, this breed can be called one of the optimal ones. The eggs are beige in color and have a hard shell, and their weight is about 60 g.

Minorca

These birds have beautiful black plumage and are rather large in size, which is noticeable in the photo. If you are interested in egg breeds of chickens that lay the largest eggs, then be sure to pay attention to Minorca. This type is not suitable for the meat sector, because despite its large size, its meat does not have a good taste. When buying these birds, you should pay attention to the appearance. The closer it is to the standard, the better the performance will be.

Productivity

These laying hens have an average egg production, producing about 250-260 eggs per year. But at the same time, the average weight of each egg is about 90 g. And sometimes you can find real giants that weigh 115-120 grams. By the age of 3, the number of eggs produced decreases, but their size and quality increase.

Hamburg

The main distinguishing feature of this breed is its excellent appearance. Often these beautiful birds are bred exclusively for decorative purposes. This is not surprising, because looking at the photos and videos, one cannot fail to notice their exquisite beauty. But this species has many other positive qualities as well. They are unpretentious in terms of maintenance and have good egg production rates. Due to their small size, these chickens do not require a lot of food, which means that their maintenance will be financially beneficial.

Productivity

Eggs from Hamburg hens are medium in size and weigh about 60 grams. You can get about 170 pieces per year. The shell is usually brown and quite hard. The product has a high taste and nutritional value.

Italian partridge

This species is one of the most ancient, its age is more than two thousand years. However, this breed of laying hens became widespread only in the 19th century. An important advantage of the breed is its resistance to disease and temperature extremes. Roosters of the Italian partridge are rather large and significantly exceed the size of hens, as can be seen in the photo. This breed can be considered versatile, as it is excellent for both egg and meat production.

Productivity

Like many other egg breeds, the Italian partridge produces about 220 eggs per year. Their average weight is 60 g, while white and brown come across in approximately equal quantities. When well kept, laying hens gain weight quickly and can improve egg production.

Russian white

These laying hens were bred in the USSR and got their name from their color. In the process of selection, local egg breeds of chickens were crossed with white Leghorn. The result is small white and egg-laying birds with good resistance to temperature extremes. This species is very easy to keep, since Russian whites get along well both in cages and on free grazing.

Productivity

The eggs of this breed are white, weighing about 56 grams. For a year, you can get about 260 pieces, but some layers are capable of bringing up to 300. Due to the good performance and unpretentiousness of the birds, they can be kept both for industrial production and in a small farm.

Photo gallery

Video "Different types of hens on the farm"

In this video, you can see what breeds are the best layers, as well as learn about the conditions for keeping them on a large farm.

It is not always possible to create ideal conditions for chickens in chicken coops. The maintenance of certain breeds may be limited by local climatic conditions or the financial side, when it is unprofitable or impossible to create special conditions for poultry for technical reasons. In these cases, you can breed those breeds of chickens that are unpretentious.

Unpretentious chicken breeds

Breeds that are distinguished by unpretentiousness in keeping conditions are available in all categories of this poultry:, universal (). Let us examine in more detail the advantages of these breeds in each of the categories.

Laying hens

The main characteristic of egg chickens is their egg production... There are extremely many breeds of this orientation, among them there are many, and those whose representatives do not suffer from effeminacy.

Did you know? Layers of the South American breed produce eggs with blue or greenish shells. The color of the shell does not affect the value of the eggs, and this color does not impart any additional qualities to them.

Leghorn white

Leghorn can be called a reference egg breed, it has been known since the 19th century and is of Italian origin. Of all the varieties of Leghorns, they are rightfully considered the most unpretentious.
They have the following advantages:

• high productivity (300 eggs per year and more);
• the ability to acclimatize to various climatic conditions, they are kept without problems both in the southern and northern regions;
• begin to rush from about 5 months of age;
• this bird can be kept in a not too spacious or even cramped chicken coop;
• The performance of white leghorns is not as dependent on the quality of the feed as, for example, in dwarf leghorns.

This cross is bred by Dutch breeders. The efforts of breeders were aimed at securing high productivity in the bird while reducing its weight. These tasks were completed, and in the process of selection, 2 types of highsex: .

The white variety is distinguished by its lower mass and greater vitality and unpretentiousness. These chickens adapt better to the peculiarities of the climate, their young animals survive almost completely.

Of the advantages of highsex white, we note the following:

• excellent egg production (320 eggs per year);
• high resistance to infections, helminths, fungal diseases;
• needs less feed than larger birds.

Representatives of the brown variety of highsex have a greater mass than white relatives. In addition, their egg productivity is higher, although they need more feed. The survival rate of youngsters among brown highsex is slightly lower than that of whites.
The advantages of this variety are as follows:

Loman brown chickens were bred by German breeders in the 70s of the last century. In the process of breeding Loman Brown, the requirement was laid to preserve the high productivity of poultry, regardless of the conditions of detention.
Lohman Brown boasts the following advantages:

• high productivity (320 eggs per year);
• rapid maturation of young animals - chickens begin to rush at about the 130th day of life;
• less feed consumption compared to many other breeds;
• good adaptability to the peculiarities of the climate (it can also live at subzero temperatures), although to ensure the best egg production, it is advisable to avoid drafts, and insulate the chicken coop.

This breed was bred in the United States back in the 19th century and is now one of the most widespread.
possesses the following positive qualities:

• good egg production (180 eggs per year or more), and productivity in the cold season almost does not fall;
• very good endurance, the ability to acclimatize to different types of climate - this bird can also live in an unheated barn, but it feels better in an insulated chicken coop without drafts;
• the possibility of cellular maintenance.

Breeding work on the creation was carried out in the USSR, starting from the 20s of the last century. The breed was finally formed in 1953. When it was created, in addition to high egg production and an increase in live weight, increased viability was laid.
The virtues of the Russian White include:

• good productivity (on average 220-230 eggs per year);
• excellent tolerance to low temperatures and not very comfortable conditions of detention;
• unpretentiousness to the composition of feed;
• high resistance to various diseases, including cancer and benign formations.

This breed was bred in the North Caucasus in the 90s of the last century at the breeding plant of the same name.
Its advantages include the following features:

• good and long-lasting, for up to 5 years, egg production (240 eggs per year);
• unpretentiousness to nutrition - you can also feed boiled potatoes with vegetables and herbs;
• good resistance to low temperatures (although at temperatures below -5 ° C, the bird may still develop health problems);
• high resistance to various diseases.

Pushkin striped motley

This breed was registered quite recently, in the register of the State Breeding Commission it has been listed since 2007. Bred by St. Petersburg breeders.
Pushkin chickens have the following positive features:

• high productivity (270 eggs per year or more);
• resistance to low temperatures - in principle, these birds can be kept in an unheated chicken coop (but it is still undesirable to allow the temperature to drop below -5 ° C there);
• unpretentiousness to nutrition (but to ensure maximum productivity, special feed should be used);
• resistance to infectious and colds.

It is the fruit of the efforts of Czech breeders. One of the breeding tasks was to breed poultry with increased resistance to unfavorable conditions, which was quite successful.
The dominant has the following useful features:

• excellent egg production (310 eggs per year);
• undemanding to food;
• increased resistance to disease.

Meat and egg breeds of chickens

Among meat and egg chickens, there are also those that are unpretentious and suitable for keeping in relatively harsh conditions. Let's take a closer look at the advantages of some of these breeds.

It was bred by Kuban breeders in the 60s of the last century.
Its advantages are:

• good productivity (190 eggs per year), almost independent of the season;
• good quality meat, coupled with a fairly significant weight of poultry (up to 2.7 kg - chicken, up to 4 kg - rooster);
• good tolerance to both cold and heat;
• the possibility of keeping both in the courtyard and in cages;
• disease resistance.

• excellent egg production (up to 240 eggs per year);
• the weight of females reaches 3 kg, and males - 4 kg;
• resistance to cold, at temperatures not lower than +4 ° С egg production does not decrease;
• the possibility of growing both on the run and in cages.

Meat breeds

There are also breeds that are unpretentious in terms of keeping conditions. Let's take a closer look at the features of some of them.

Cornish

These are the most popular meat chickens in the world. The second name is. They were bred at the end of the 19th century, but the improvement of the breed continued for many decades.
Of the advantages of the Cornish people, breeders note the following:

• very fast weight gain (gain up to 2 kg in 6–8 weeks);
• due to the peculiarities of the structure of the body, they give a lot of white meat;
• can be grown both in cages and on the run;
• undemanding to the diet.

Did you know? The first broilers were obtained by crossing the Cornish breed (Cornish) and the white Plymouth Rock in the 30s of the last century. Subsequently, other chickens began to be used in breeding programs.

American White Plymouth Rocks

The history of the breed stretches back to the 19th century. The final standard was set at the beginning of the 20th century.
Let's list their advantages:

• fast weight gain and significant weight (up to 3.5 kg in chickens and up to 5 kg in males);
• because of the wide powerful chest, a lot of white dietary meat is obtained from this bird;
• good adaptability to various climatic conditions;
• disease resistance.

Those who intend to breed chickens to obtain eggs should choose the best and most productive breed in this direction. It will not be difficult to choose what you need in a particular region of Russia - there are a lot of egg breeds. These are both domestic and foreign breeds, which have been bred for several years, and the necessary qualities are inherent in them at the genetic level.

Characteristic differences between egg chickens

As a rule, when breeding chickens of egg breeds, much attention is not paid to their meat indicators, because in chickens there is an inverse relationship between weight and egg production. The smaller the hen, the more it can lay eggs, and vice versa.

The representatives of the breeds of the egg direction have a number of common features. And one of them is early maturity. Chickens begin to lay at the age of 4-5 months. In this case, laying hens weigh 1.5-2.2 kg, and males - no more than 3 kg.

Egg-laying chickens also differ in exterior - they have a light skeleton, dense and well-developed plumage, and an elongated tail. They are also very active, they have a fast metabolism, so they can lay eggs every 25 hours.

By the age of three months, the laying hen should have well-developed earrings and a bright scarlet comb - this is one of the signs by which it is determined whether the laying hen will be productive. If the scallop is pale pink, this indicates an illness or malnutrition in the laying hen.

Egg-laying chickens have an excellent appetite, and their feed must have a lot of calcium to form a strong shell. In fact, many representatives of this area of ​​productivity are hybrids of various breeds, therefore, they do not have the instinct to incubate, therefore, an incubator is needed to obtain chickens.

Chickens of modern egg breeds are capable of producing more than 300 eggs per year, while representatives of folk breeding carry less than 200 eggs per year. As a rule, the highest production rates in layers are observed in the first year of egg production. In subsequent years, they decrease by 15-20%, while the weight and size of the eggs grow. After the age of three, chickens begin to get sick, and they are discarded.

The best breeds of chickens for egg production

What are the best and most popular chicken breeds in Russia? There are many of them, let's name some with a detailed description.

- perhaps, today these chickens are the best among the egg breeds. The breed was developed in the 19th century in Italy, and was named after the English name of the port of Livorno.

In the United States, they were crossed with chickens of other breeds, thanks to which Leghorns increased their egg production and early maturity. Later, Leghorns began to be brought from the USA to European countries, and they also ended up in Russia.

Description of the breed: medium-sized head with a bright scarlet crest. In cockerels it is erect, in chickens it is saggy. In young chickens, the eyes are dark orange; in adults, they are pale yellow. The neck is long, flexible, the body is light, elongated upward, wedge-shaped. The chest is wide, the belly is voluminous. Legs are thin, of medium length. In young chickens, they are yellow, in adults, they are gray-white. The plumage is dense and most often white. But there are Leghorns with black, fawn, cuckoo, blue, golden and variegated plumage.

The live weight of adult males is 2.5-3 kg, females - 1.5-2 kg. Leghorns reach sexual maturity at 4-4.5 months. In a year, one laying hen can produce more than 300 eggs with a white shell. The weight of one egg is 55-58 grams. There is no instinct to incubate eggs - eggs are laid on other hens, or heated in an incubator.

In the modern world, Leghorns are the basis for breeding new highly productive egg breeds. In Russia, this work is carried out by specialists from more than 20 breeding plants.

Leghorns perfectly adapt to the conditions of detention and are distinguished by unpretentiousness in food, so even novice poultry farmers can breed them. They can be kept in a chicken coop and in cages, letting out in the summer for walking.

- was obtained by crossing Leghorns with native chickens of various breeds. The breed was officially approved in the USSR in 1953.

Description of the breed: a fairly developed head with a beautiful leaf-shaped comb. The beak is yellow, medium in size. The ears are white. The neck is thick and medium in length. The chest is convex, wide, the back and body are oblong. The belly is large. The wings, legs and tail are medium in size. The plumage is white, the skin is creamy white.

The live weight of an adult cockerel is 2.5 kg, of a hen - 1.7-1.8 kg. Russian white chickens start laying eggs at the age of 4.5-5 months, and produce about 300 eggs with white shells, weighing 58-60 grams per year.

For feeding chickens of this breed, you can use any kind of feed - chickens are almost omnivorous. However, for a herd to be truly productive, the feed must be high in vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats.

Ukrainian ushanka is a representative of the breed of national selection of chickens. The chickens received the name with earflaps for their large ears, covered with fluffy feathers, like a hat.

Description of the breed: medium-sized head, leaf-shaped crest, pink. Earlobes are red, hidden by sideburns. The beak is small, curved. The neck is of medium length, rather short. The back is broad and straight. The body is elongated and dense. The legs are small, pink in color, without feathers. The tail is large, beautiful in roosters. The plumage is lush and dense. The plumage color is red-black, red-brown, sometimes white.

An adult bird reaches a weight of 1.8-2 kg in layers, and 2.5-3.5 kg in males. The laying hen begins to lay eggs at the age of 5-6 months, and is capable of producing up to 200 eggs per year. Eggs with a light cream shell, weighing 50 grams. Like all chickens of national selection, the Ukrainian earflaps are not very productive, however, it has tasty tender meat and a well-developed hatching instinct. And the beautiful plumage makes it a real decoration of the courtyard.

- a breed of egg direction, which is distinguished by both beautiful plumage and high productivity.

Description of the breed: light, elongated body. The head is medium in size with a scarlet leaf-shaped crest, white earlobes and bright red earrings. Paws are long, plumage is well developed. The color is original. The feathers of the Andalusian chicken are bordered along the entire length of a narrow, black, greenish stripe. Breeders try to preserve this original trait, although it is not always passed on to descendants. In general, the plumage of Andalusians is most often bluish-gray.

The live weight of an adult rooster is 3.5-4.5 kg, hens - 3-3.5 kg. Layers of the Andalusian breed begin to lay at 5-6 months, and give up to 200 eggs per year, weighing 59-63 grams, with light brown or white shells.

The breed of Andalusian chickens is hardy and unpretentious to the conditions of detention. Due to their high rates of egg production, body weight and beauty of plumage, they rightfully occupy the best places in the ranking of chickens for home breeding.

The high-line chicken breed was developed in the USA. Chickens of this breed are suitable for both domestic and industrial breeding. Distinctive features of high-line chickens are unpretentiousness and high productivity.

Description of the breed: the body is light, elongated upward, of medium size. The crest of roosters is leaf-shaped, pink. Legs, neck and wings are medium in size. The plumage is white. There are several high-line crosses that differ little from each other. And one of the differences is the color of the eggshell - in some crosses it is white, in others it is brown.

An adult rooster weighs 2.5-2.7 kg, a laying hen - 1.7-1.9 kg. Egg production of chickens lasts 80 weeks, then the chickens are slaughtered for meat. During the period of highest productivity, one laying hen gives up to 350 eggs per year, weighing 60-65 grams.

High-line chickens have a calm disposition and good immunity. They are not picky about food and living conditions. At the same time, an unbalanced diet of chickens leads to a decrease in egg production and a decrease in the nutritional value of eggs. The safety of the livestock reaches 96%, thanks to which the business of breeding chickens of this breed is highly profitable.

Chicken eggs are good for the body. But buying them in stores is becoming more and more expensive every year. And it is not clear what quality they are. In the markets, on the market, this product may not be the first freshness. In addition, it is also not known what the laying hen was fed on at the poultry farm, what antibiotics they were treated to. Therefore, if there is an opportunity, and this is at least a small household plot, it is better to buy replacement young animals for completing the herd. By following the recommendations for care and maintenance, you can not only provide your family with domestic eggs, but also sell the surplus. But first, you need to decide on the breed and purchase young poultry at a specialized enterprise. But without knowing the characteristic exterior signs of highly productive egg-laying chickens, you can simply spend money and not get what you want. We will tell you how to decide on the choice of laying hens in the article.

How to choose in the market: what parameters should you rely on when choosing

You can buy day old chicks and wait until they grow up to understand that there are more males in the herd than females. And you can buy young animals, relying on the characteristic exterior signs when choosing.

Signs of good egg production can be:

• Comb and its color;
• Abdominal volume and softness;
• The distance between the pubic bones (at least 3 fingers of an adult's hand);
• If the bird is closer to the egg type, then the superciliary arches are poorly developed and the front part of the head is characterized by weak overgrowth.

When buying an egg breed on the market, you should carefully look at the pigmentation of the beak. The more productive the laying hen, the faster it disappears.

Best breeds

Chickens adapt very well to different conditions and types of feeding. Therefore, they are bred in all climatic zones. However, when choosing a breed of egg direction for breeding, it is advisable to take into account not only productivity, but also local conditions. Average indicators of productivity of egg breeds of chickens:

• Live weight from 1.7 to 2 kilograms;
• Egg production from 200 to 340 eggs per year;
• The hatchability of young animals is about 80%.

Thanks to folk selection, such well-known chicken breeds in our country as Livenskaya, Yurlovskaya were bred. A feature of these breeds is not high egg production, but large eggs by weight and excellent vitality. Chickens of the egg direction for the most part have a fairly light skeleton, dense plumage and also, in comparison with other species, have a low live weight. Now among poultry farmers, breeds such as Loman Brown, Leghorn, Kuchinskaya Jubilee, Hisex, Russian White and others have proven themselves to be very productive.

An example of a good laying hen: how to choose for beginners

When choosing replacement chicks, poultry with physical defects should be discarded immediately. For example, the deformity of the beak, twisted fingers and keel.

Chickens may fall to their feet for a while due to too much or too little protein in the chicken feed. This can lead to a decrease in egg production in the future.

Plumage

To determine the productivity of a laying hen, you can simply look at its plumage. In a healthy chicken, it is shiny, dense. The low-productive one has a matte and loose feather cover. Poultry egg production is also determined by molting. High productivity chickens run longer and begin shedding their feathers in October or November.

By this time, they acquire an unpresentable appearance, and an inexperienced poultry breeder may decide to discard such individuals.

Bad layers begin to molt in mid-July-August. And this process takes almost 4 months. But by the beginning of the acquisition of the poultry population, they look more elegant and may be mistakenly preferred. It should be remembered that with changes in diet, various diseases, premature molt may begin. Therefore, when assessing a bird by the state of the feather cover, this feature should be borne in mind.

You can read about high-quality compound feed for laying hens at.

You should also pay attention to the number of flight feathers of the wing. A good laying hen has more of them than a bad one.

Beak and legs

The color of the beak, iris and legs can also tell about the egg production of chickens.

If you are buying replacement young animals, you should pay attention to the yellow pigmentation of the legs, beak and iris of the eyes. As egg production increases, pigmentation gradually disappears. And the more productive the layers are, the faster this process is. Color loss occurs in the following sequence:

• Iris;
• Beak;
• Legs.

This is why birds with good egg production in the fall have less pigmentation than bad hens that have kept it.

Young animals with crooked legs are not left on the tribe, because this trait is inherited and reduces the productivity of the bird.

Comb and earrings in chicken and chicken

Not only indicators such as plumage, pigmentation of the legs, irises, but also the distance between the pubic bones and the condition of the abdomen can tell about the productivity of the bird. You can learn about egg production and color, the shape of the comb and earrings.

To form the livestock, you should not leave chickens with either a pale crest or overdeveloped ones. Pale, wrinkled catkins and a comb are a sign that the hen is not producing very well. In highly productive ones, they are bright scarlet or reddish-pink, warm, elastic.

Egg production cannot be determined by the shape of the ridge. This is the conformation indicator of a particular breed. Only color and density can indicate the productivity of the layer.

Video

This video review will tell you about laying hens.

conclusions

In household livestock raising, egg breeds are often raised. Among the most productive are Leghorn, Russian White, Hisex, Loman Brown, Kuchinskaya Jubilee. Every 2-3 years, due to a decrease in productivity, chickens are culled, and the poultry farmer buys replacement chickens. To choose egg-laying chickens for further use, you need to pay attention (especially to a beginner) to such exterior signs of high productivity:

1. The correct distance between the pubic bones should be at least 3 fingers of an adult's hand.
2. Voluminous and soft belly.
3. Comb and earrings, bright in color and elastic.
4. Yellow pigmentation of the legs, iris, beak. In autumn, in highly productive chickens, it is paler.
5. Molting. Good layers molt in mid-fall.
6. Plumage. In a healthy and highly productive bird, it is shiny, tightly adjacent to each other.