Leggorn - breed of chickens, reviews of whichfarm owners and household farms are extremely positive, have been bred in our country since the 20s of the last century. This is a very unpretentious bird of the egg direction of productivity. Leggorn is grown not only in small farms, but also in large poultry farms.
In the middle of the XIX century in the USA from Italy were broughtvery unpretentious chickens with white feathers. Since they were delivered from the port of Livorno, the Americans called them in their own way - "leggorn." In addition to unpretentiousness and undemanding to the diet, these birds did not differ in any other particularly outstanding qualities. The long-term selection work carried out in the USA allowed to get chickens capable of carrying up to 300 eggs per year. Today it is one of the most common breeds in the world, which is considered to be American. In the United States, leggorny make up about 95% of the total livestock raised in the country. The picture below shows a typical modern leggorn cock.
These chickens were introduced to Russia first in 1925-27, and then in 1946. Subsequently, they were used for breeding and producing highly productive crosses.
Most often in the farms of our country are divorcedleggorny with a white feather. However, there are quite a lot of varieties of this bird's breed, so sometimes on the farms and poultry farms one can find brown, pale yellow, blue, and even black leggorn. At the moment there are about twenty variations of feather color of chickens of this breed. The main distinguishing features of all leggorn, without exception, include:
In young chickens, leggorn legs are yellow, in older individuals white.
Leggorn - breed of chickens, reviews of which allowtalking about it as very unpretentious and productive, bred mainly for eggs. Too large birds in any case do not grow. The hen weighs about 1.5-2 kg, the cockerel - 2.3-2.6 kg. In terms of egg production, this breed is significantly superior to most other, more heavy.
The leggorn hen alone can carry up to 300eggs per year. Of course, only with properly formulated ration and good conditions of detention. But in any case, less than 150-200 eggs per year, these chickens are rare. Their weight can be 56-58 grams. The color of the eggshell of the hens of this breed are white.
For meat leggornov not divorced.However, after a reduction in egg production (usually not containing them for more than two years), the bird is, of course, slaughtered. Carcases of chickens of this breed are distinguished by white skin and have a rather attractive neat appearance - without dark hemp and cyanosis. At a young age, only extra leggie cockerels are slaughtered. Their skin has a natural yellowish tint.
There is a very interesting variety of chickens.This breed is a dwarf leggorn. These are very small, but also highly productive birds. Laying dwarf leggorn weighs about 1.2-1.4 kg, cockerel - 1.4-1.7 kg. Egg production breed - 210-260 pcs. in year.
Leggorny belong to the early breed of chickens andrush start already in 4.5-5.5 months. Males are very active and fecund. Therefore, it is not necessary to keep them in the household too much. These chickens have no instinct for brooding. Fertilization of eggs - 95%. The yield of young stock - 88-92%. Chickens are born active, viable and begin to fledge by the age of two weeks.
Opinion from Russian farmers about this breedtraditionally very good. Since these chickens weigh little, respectively, and the feed they spend is not very much. At the same time, they carry more eggs than many other breeds. Many owners of household farms to the advantages of chickens leggorn include brown shell. At the moment, mostly white eggs can be found in stores and markets. Brown is considered a kind of "exotic" and sold out more than willingly.
The advantages of the breed in some cases even includelack of instinct incubation. Incubators today are very inexpensive, because chickens, if desired, can always be brought independently. At the same time, the owners of leggorn are completely free from problems with a decrease in productivity when chickens attempt to hatch eggs.
Tight plumage of these chickens allows you to breedincluding them in regions with a continental climate. Leggorny have earned good reviews from the owners of the backyards of most regions of our country - from the Caucasus to Siberia.
Куры леггорн, описание которых было дано выше, и Nowadays, they are actively used as a parent breed when breeding highly productive crosses. The most popular hybrids obtained include:
There are many other hybrids and crosses,the creation of which used chickens breed Leggorn. Each of them has its own merits and a huge number of adherents - owners of home farms and farms.
Leggorn - breed of chickens, reviews of which, soway, definitely positive. Since this bird does not differ in its large size, it is not necessary to build a spacious barn for it. The same goes for walking. It will be enough to fence a small area next to the poultry house with a wire net. As with most other breeds, perches, nests and feeders should be made for leggorn. The first ones are located at a height of about 80 cm from the floor, on the opposite side from the window. Nests can be nailed to the wall of the shed. It is best to arrange them at the level of the roosts and in close proximity to them.
The window in the barn should be required.Light and fresh air is necessary for the chickens leggorn for good development and increased productivity. Of course, the barn should be kept clean. Leggorny - hardy bird, quite resistant to diseases. However, the lack of fresh air, the smell of ammonia, a large amount of feces, etc., can lead not only to a decrease in egg production, but also to an outbreak of an epidemic.
Normally tolerates homemade chicken leggorn andcontent in cells. In this case, you can save even more space. These chickens weigh very little, and therefore they feel great even on the mesh floor. Of course, you need to make it inclined and arrange a tray for receiving eggs outside the cage. The feeder and the drinker are usually hung on the door, and the distance between the bars is made so that the chicken can easily stick between them.
Food is given to chickens leggorn three times a day.In the mornings and evenings, you can put dry cereals (wheat, barley, etc.) in the feeders, with special commercial additives mixed with them, as well as a small amount of chalk and salt.
In the afternoon make mash.In the summer, they rub carrots, raw potatoes, beets, apples, and cut cabbage. You can also add nettles and quinoa. Carrots and beet tops are considered very useful for chickens. If desired, you can also mix grated zucchini. Be sure to add a little bran to the mash. Meat and bone meal will not be superfluous.
Especially good domestic chicken breedleggorn rushing in the first year of detention. In the second, productivity is slightly reduced. Keep these chickens for more than two years, most owners of personal plots consider impractical. Therefore, one-year-old hens need to collect eggs and lay them for incubation. It is necessary to select only equal, without cracks and growths, average size.
The most popular white leggorn shellsalmost transparent. Therefore, to identify the spoiled eggs of chickens of this breed with the help of an ovoscope will not be difficult. When radiating, first of all you should pay attention to the yolk and the air chamber. The first must be a whole. When turning a good egg, it slightly moves to the side and immediately returns to its place. The air chamber should be located at the blunt end. Those eggs in which it is strongly displaced are rejected.
Incubation is carried out in the usual manner. That is, the required temperature and humidity conditions are observed.
Leggorn chicks hatch on day 21.In the incubator they are left until their fluff dries. Then the chicks are transplanted into the nursery. As the latter, you can use, for example, a large cardboard box.
In most cases, little leggorn chicks,like the chicks of any other breed, they are fed with cottage cheese and boiled yolk. However, some poultry farmers have recently refused such a practice, considering such food for chickens, although very small, unnatural. Instead of eggs and cottage cheese, they advise feeding the chickens with the “Starting for Layers” feed specially designed for them. Since the chicks are eating very little, the purchase of a balanced meal, of course, will not cause any special expenses. You can also give chickens finely chopped corn, wheat and oatmeal.
In the first ten days, chicks are fed 5-6 times a day.day. By the month, the frequency of feedings is reduced to three times. From the age of four days, the chicks begin to give finely chopped greens, mixing it with the main feed. It is also very useful for small chickens to give small-crushed egg shells. On the fifth day, you can begin to add a little chalk to the food.
Monthly chicks can already be given potatoescarrots and beets. White leggorn chickens are not particularly capricious birds. But it’s very important to follow the rules for creating a “menu” for chicks.
In particular, this concerns the diet of dwarf leggorn chickens. If there are too many proteins in the "menu", the chicks will have their legs crooked and they will die.
When growing small chicks, it is very important to observe the correct temperature conditions. In the first five days chicks contain at t 30-35 gr. By two months of age, it is gradually reduced to 16-18 grams.
In the first 7 days of life, a nursery mustbe covered at least 20 hours a day. The following weeks - 18 hours. On the walking of chicks can be released from the age of a week, in a place protected from the sun and for a very short time. Chickens can be let out all day long, starting from the eighth week of life.
The laying hens of leggorn are contained with the obligatory observance of the following recommendations:
Leghorn feathers are quite dense, and thereforethey are not too afraid of the cold. Heating in the barn is not necessary to arrange. However, it is also impossible to allow the temperature in the house to fall too low in winter. In order for the chickens to be warm, it is necessary to pave the floor with a thick layer of straw, hay and sawdust (about 40 cm). In the cold season, this litter will act as a natural heater. In it will begin to occur all sorts of biological processes, accompanied by the release of heat. The only thing is that you should ensure that there is no crust on top.
Incubation egg or leggorn chicks canbuy from private owners or at a poultry farm that breeds this breed. These are actually very popular and common chickens. The price for them is therefore not too high. An incubation egg, for example, costs about 35 rubles. For chickens usually ask 60-70 rubles. for adult chickens - 300 p.
So, the conclusion from the above can bedo the following. Leggorn - chickens, the price of which is not too high - the breed is very good. It is beneficial to keep this bird because of high feed conversion, resilience and excellent egg production.
