Hercules chickens. Contents and breeding of chickens

Modern breeders produced a large number of breeds of hens, both egg and meat directions. One of the best for today is the Hercules. It is very productive and also quite unpretentious in caring hybrid.

Chickens Hercules: description

The color of the bird of this breed can be either colored or pure white. The main distinctive features of chickens are:

• Good body musculature;
• Broad chest;
• Three-dimensional abdomen;
• Strong thick yellow legs;
• Bright red comb and earrings;
• Neat, raised tail up.

Experienced farmers advise buying chickens to pay attention to their head. If the realizable daily chicks are really Hercules, they should completely lack a scallop.

According to breeders, these chickens have their own merits. To them it is possible to attribute first of all unpretentiousness, and also the quiet, benevolent character. The cockerels of the Hercules fight very rarely, including those of other breeds. With geese, ducks, turkeys and so on, this bird is getting along very well.

Productivity

Eggs of chickens, oat-flakes, are deposited almost as much as ordinary laying hens. With good care of one individual, you can get 210-220 pieces. Eggs are quite large in size. They have very good taste qualities. Praise their farmers and for a very large yolk saturated bright color. The weight of one egg is usually 64-66 grams.

The weight of a bird of this breed is also very good. Chickens can reach a mass of 3.3-3.5 kg, males - from 4.3 to 4.5 kg. At the same time, their juicy and tender meat is considered more delicious than in laying hens. Cooking from it can not only soup. From meat of broilers it differs more natural aroma.

Features of feeding

Hercules chickens, the characteristics of which were given above, are in fact very productive and quite rightly deserve excellent reviews of the owners of household plots. In the first months of life, the bird of this breed is usually kept on balanced mixed fodders. In this case, the chickens develop well, grow rapidly and do not get sick. Later the bird begins to give natural food. Judging by the opinions of the owners of household plots, they carry the herkules long enough - from 2 to 3 years. Calcium- and nitrogen-containing mineral supplements are given to them without fail, otherwise the hens start pecking eggs. If you keep meat, this condition can be ignored.

From natural forages give grain (mainly wheat). You can also feed bran and vegetable mash in boiled water, broth or inverted. Be sure to give these chickens and vitamin supplements, meat-and-bone meal, chalk and yeast in small quantities. Otherwise, like broilers, they can "fall to their feet". Of course, they place it in a shed and containers with small pebbles. Chickens peck them for better grinding feed.

What you need to know about

Metabolism in meat-egg hens is somewhat worse than in the same layers. The ration of breeds of these directions of productivity is similar. The only difference is that flesh-eating chicken feeds are 15-20% more. At the same time, it is very important to ensure that hens do not overeat. If they receive too many vegetables and grains, their body weight may increase too much. But not at the expense of meat, but because of the fat growing on the internal organs, which depresses the hormonal system. Such chickens begin to bear much worse, and their eggs lose their biological value.

Therefore, it is important to ensure that the grain and mash in the feeding troughs do not lie. Eat everything that is offered to them, chickens should a maximum of 30-40 minutes.

Sometimes the owners decide to breed such a bird as the Hercules chickens themselves. In this case, in the breeding period, males usually are fed separately. The peculiarity of the behavior of this poultry is that "cavaliers" usually let "ladies" to feeders first. Therefore, males often remain hungry, which, of course, can not but affect the quality of offspring. To prevent this from happening, in the barn it is necessary to fill the walls with separate feeding troughs. They must be positioned at such a height that they can only be eaten by males.

Vitamin supplements for the winter

Hercules chickens, reviews of which are very good, can be carried and in the cold season, of course, only under the condition of proper nutrition. Take care of a full-fledged diet of chickens in winter is from the summer. It is necessary to prepare vitamin supplements. It can be:

• Herbal flour ;
• Fruit pulp;
• Dried duckweed or elodea;
• silage.

In summer, a cut dandelion, plantain, soybean and spurge should be added to the mashrooms.

What should be the house

To the conditions of the chickens content, the Hercules are not too demanding. Birds usually build a frame-panel board. Inside, they set up feeding troughs and drinkers, and also fill in roosts and nests. The window in the henhouse should be required. Heating in the house does not usually suit you. However, a thick litter (at least 40 cm) from the straw is worth putting. In the winter period, various biological processes begin to occur, accompanied by the release of heat. That is, such a litter begins to act as a "soft" heater.

Nases are set at a height of 80-100 cm. Nests of standard sizes are nailed next to them. Feeders are equipped with a pole-vane. If this is not done, the hens will climb up and scatter the food in them.

When flooring in front of the barn, arrange for a paddock. From the chicken coop it should be sufficiently wide-lazed. Hercules - calm chickens, however it is worthwhile to put a reliable fence around the paddock. Otherwise, the bird can go into the garden and poklevat, for example, tomatoes.

With the content in the cages, it is possible to slightly reduce the costs of growing such a bird, such as the Hercules chickens. Feeding them, however, in this case has some peculiarity: the vitamin D group is necessarily introduced into the diet. This can be D ₂ or D ₃ . Their use helps to strengthen the body of the bird and increase resistance to diseases. In cells, the chickens of meat-egg production direction grow a little faster.

Price for Hercules

The bird of this breed stands a little more expensive than the laying hens. The price of daily chicks, for example, can fluctuate within 40-50 rubles. Teen chickens cost about 60-100 rubles. In Russia, the oats of the Hercules breed are quite difficult to buy. They sell and bred them mainly in Ukraine.

The laying hens (the price for these chickens is about 35 rubles) are cheaper, they give a little more eggs, but meat in quantities such as from Hercules, of course, is impossible to obtain from them.

Features of breeding

Hercules chickens were bred in Ukraine by crossing four different breeds. Since they are related to crosses, it is impossible to breed them "in themselves". However, some summer residents who have already managed to assess the dignity of this breed, believe that in the first and even the second generation of these chickens can get a very good, fairly productive offspring. But it's better not to take risks and get a hatching egg on a poultry farm.

Care for chickens

Hercules chickens, which characterize them as very unpretentious, should receive a sufficient amount of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Especially it concerns small chickens. They take care of them about the same way as for the hens. Only feed them in the early days give a little more. It is best to use the "Start" for laying hens or broilers (you can mix). It is allowed to feed and traditional delicacies - boiled egg, millet and cottage cheese. Five-day-old chickens can already be given finely grated carrots. A little later - thoroughly washed greens.

Lighting in the nursery for chicks of this breed in the early days should be round the clock. Later, the artificial light day is gradually reduced.

Chickens meat-egg breeds are more resistant to diseases than broilers. However, they are inferior to the laying hens in this respect. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor the health of such chicks. Of course, you should observe the temperature regime in the manger. In the early days, the air in the box should be warmed to at least 29-30 degrees. Six-day-old chickens are already enough and 26 ° C. Next, the temperature should be reduced by three degrees every week until it reaches 16-18 ° C.

Drinkers for chickens should use drip or nipple. You can not allow chicks to get wet. If this happens, the chicken must be dried as soon as possible and placed in a very warm place. Manganese is added to small amounts of water.

Thus, the Hercules chickens are very productive. It is easier to care for them than for broilers. At the same time they gain weight very well and are also quite good. This explains their immense popularity with farmers and owners of small household plots.