May Day chickens are very popular with our farmers. Pervomayki quickly gain weight and rush well at any time of the year. This highly productive breed is a success with small and large farmers. We learn what else the Pervomaysky chickens are of interest to, and how to breed and grow them?
Breed history
They created the breed of May Day chickens in Kharkov, even before the Great Patriotic War. The breed is already about 80 years old, but it does not lose popularity - the characteristics of its productivity are too high. The breed was bred on the basis of the Yurlovsky-voiced chickens and two American breeds - White Wyandotte and Rhode Island.
The formation of the breed was begun in 1935, and completed in 1941. During the war years, the livestock was almost destroyed. Only a few dozen individuals remained. But our poultry farmers not only managed to restore the breed, but also increased its number so much that the May Day chickens spread to all poultry farms in the country.
Characteristics of the bird and standards of the May Day breed
During the selection, Pervomaisky chickens acquired external data that they got from the “parent” breeds. These powerful and short-legged chickens look modest, but impressive.
Color and plumage
Colombian color is the main difference between the breed. With this color, the feathers of the chickens are white, and the black fringing on the neck. There are also dark feathers at the ends of the tail and fly feathers. Silver-white chickens with a lush white-and-black “collar” on the neck look strict but elegant.
The color of the May Day chickens:
- body - white;
- head - white;
- feathers on the neck - black, feather stems - white;
- wings - white on the outside, black feathers on the inside;
- tail - black, black feathers often have a white border.
Feathers of the “May Day” are hard, densely spaced. Due to the increased density of feathers, these chickens are reliably protected from adverse natural influences - wind, cold, rainfall.
Torso
Both hens and roosters of the May Day breed are quite large - they have a powerful body, strong physique and muscles. Chest rounded, protruding forward. The legs are short compared to the body. The tail is small, a little fluffy. Bones and muscles are well developed. The body is wide and slightly elongated. Small wings are firmly pressed to the sides.
Neck and head
The head of May Day chickens is small but wide, and the neck is short. Features and characteristics of the head:
- Crest - pinkish. Crests of this type are characteristic of frost-resistant rocks - they are less exposed to frostbite.
- Earrings and earlobes - red, elongated, oval.
- Beak - black and yellow. The edges of the beak have a yellow border.
Character
The main character trait of May Day chickens is calm behavior. This breed is not foolish and pugnacious, these hens are not afraid of people and easily get along with chickens of other breeds. They differ in stiffness and stubbornness only in the period of growth, when there is an excess of energy.
An overview of the Pervomaisky breed of chickens is presented in the video below:
Features of the character of hens and roosters of the May Day breed:
- phlegmatic;
- stress resistant;
- docile;
- recognize the leader’s power.
Puberty and egg production
This old proven breed, unlike new crosses that give eggs at the 4th month of life, ripens much later. The first clutch appears around the 7th month. Late ripening, these chickens are characterized by long and high egg productivity.
A distinctive feature of the breed is a close relationship between egg production and the quality and quantity of feed in the cold season. If you do not create good conditions for the chickens, they can stop rushing at all. But as soon as the normal diet is restored, egg production returns to its previous level.
After 1.5-2 years, chickens show a natural decrease in productivity. Therefore, it is during this period that young laying hens should be launched into the house.
When is the egg laying break?
In autumn, in order not to stimulate molting artificially, poultry farmers gradually reduce the duration of daylight hours. At the beginning of molting, the appearance of the laying hens worsens - they lose part of the feathers. Then a new feather grows in their place. During molting, masonry ceases. After 2-2.5 months, the masonry is restored and lasts all winter.
Instinct of incubation
Pervomayki are distinguished by a well-developed instinct of incubation. This breed should be bred for those who do not have time to take care of chickens - hens will sit them themselves and take care of them.
Mature chickens themselves lay on their eggs to breed. During incubation, they show patience and self-denial, as a result, the offspring are strong and healthy. From May Day, calm and responsible mothers are obtained.
Productivity
The breed is characterized by high productivity in all respects:
- 98-100% of the eggs are fertilized, and are suitable for breeding healthy chickens.
- The average annual egg production per hen is 160-200 eggs. The eggs are tasty, small (weigh about 58-60 g), brown shell.
- The weight of the chicken is 2.5-3 kg, the weight of the rooster is 3.8-4 kg.
Although the maternal instinct is developed in chickens of this breed, there are no problems with the selection of eggs - a person can collect them without problems. Laying hens regularly, in one place, not trying to hide the eggs.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages of May Day breed:
- high productivity;
- good health, disease resistance;
- resistance to cold;
- well-developed maternal instinct;
- balanced temper;
- high chick survival;
- good adaptive abilities;
- fast weight gain during normal feeding.
There are almost no shortcomings in the first beings, except that the young growth has a somewhat absurd and timid temper.
Conditions of detention
May Day - medium heavy birds and easily tolerate crowding. But the struggle for territory is not excluded. To achieve high egg production, it is necessary to provide the birds with good living conditions - a warm barn and a spacious walk.
May Day breed is productive in any climate, it is bred throughout Russia - from the southern regions to the Far East.
Bird house
A barn or poultry house for chickens of May Day breeds is built of wood - beams, sleepers, boards are suitable. House Requirements:
- insulated building;
- the room is dry, warm, well ventilated;
- lack of drafts;
- the presence of a window - for the arrival of sunlight;
- dry litter on the floor - from hay, straw, sawdust;
- in an unheated house, the thickness of the litter in winter is up to 40 cm, then the temperature in the room will always be above zero;
- if there is no heating in the houses, a safe electric heater can be switched on.
The litter needs to be changed as it becomes soiled, otherwise the quality of egg laying will decrease in chickens.
House equipment
The barn, which contains May Day chickens, is equipped with:
- Perches. They are made of beams or poles of 40x40 mm. They are placed at a height of 60-100 cm from the floor. They are attached to the walls or rest on a bar of a similar section.
- Feeding troughs. They are made of boards, arranged at an angle - like the letter V. Having beaten two beams below, they get legs. To prevent chickens from climbing into the feeder, along the entire length - in the center, a freely rotating pole is attached. It is fixed on metal pins, which are attached to the bars, nailed to the end boards. The pole prevents chickens from climbing into the feeder. Read about how to make a chicken feeder yourself.
- Nests. They are made of plywood or boards. The dimensions of the "houses" are 30x30x25 cm. The width of the entrance to the nest is 20 cm. A small threshold is made at the entrance so that the eggs do not roll out. The bottom of the nest is lined with straw. They have nests on the same level with perches.
You will also need a place for feed and a table for the preparation of mash.
Walking
May Day people are inactive, but to maintain high immunity, they need walks in the air. And on the street they need to be released in the winter. For walking, fencing off the territory on the young side of the barn. Given the mobility of chickens, walking should be spacious enough. When determining its area, they are guided by the norm: for 1 bird - 2-3 square meters. m. Fencing walk with a metal mesh.
If the paddock is built separately from the chicken coop, it is necessary to make a canopy - so that the birds can hide under it from the scorching sun and rainfall.
Feeding Features
May Day breed is unpretentious in food - they eat everything they give. But if the diet is not thought out thoughtfully, health problems and egg production cannot be avoided.
Principles of feeding adult birds:
- The basis of the diet is whole grains.
- The daily norm of grain is 40-50 g.
- In winter, the grain rate is slightly increased, in the summer - reduced.
- As part of the mash, crushed grain is produced.
- Lobsters are given in the morning or at lunch.
- Greens in the summer give 40-50 g per individual.
- In winter, instead of greens, give 10-15 g of dry concentrate.
- Every day - mineral supplements (bone and meat and bone meal, chalk - 3-4 g, salt - up to 1 g).
- During active baggage, the chalk norm is increased.
- From time to time, chickens are given animal proteins. 3-4 times a week, chickens are fed back, broths, meat waste.
- In winter, they give 30-50 g of root crops per day.
- Moderately use supplements. Give up to 10 g of yeast, 3-4 drops of fish oil.
The diet of chickens of Pervomaisky breed is influenced by the purpose for which they are raised - for eggs, meat or for breeding.
On the tribe
Chickens grown on a tribe, give 120-180 g of feed per individual, taking into account the season and nutritional value. Feeding Features:
- necessarily fed with vegetables;
- fatty and starchy foods give in limited quantities - up to 20% of the total diet;
- access to greenery must be provided.
For meat
Poultry fattened for meat, give a lot of feed and mash. They are fed protein products - fishmeal, meat waste, milk-containing products, vitamins and minerals. Young animals up to 1.5 months old are fed with compound feed.
Layers
Vitamins are given to laying hens, feed is rationed. If the chickens turned pale during laying, the birds need carotene. Premix with carotene is urgently introduced into the diet, or products containing this vitamin - pumpkin, carrots.
Breeding
To create the first herd, it is recommended to purchase hatching eggs at poultry farms that breed pedigree birds. With the reproduction of the herd hens will cope, who willingly sit on their eggs. You can also use the incubator.
Breeding Options
There are several breeding methods:
- They buy hatching eggs at different poultry farms - to create two unrelated families. Each family has two roosters - the main and the spare. From them receive young animals of the 1st generation. Males are slaughtered, and young females are left. Next year will receive the 2nd generation. Further, family ties are undesirable and a rooster is taken from another family for replacement. Youngsters are mixed - 1/2 of their own, 1/2 aliens. This option allows you to breed chickens up to 10 years without buying birds.
- With a large house, five chicken groups can be formed. Of the 4 groups of chickens, two lines are made, planting cocks to the neighbors. The 5th group is propagated without the intervention of strangers, and use as a backup.
- This method is convenient for those who are unable to buy and incubate purebred eggs, but have access to purebred roosters. Outbred chickens cross with the first purebred cock. The offspring are crossed with the second rooster, the third generation with the third rooster. As a result of such selection, almost purebred chickens are obtained.
Egg incubation
Incubation is a complex process in which the immunity of future chickens is influenced by the parameters in the chamber, the frequency of turning over and ventilation.
Incubation includes the following steps:
- inspection and rejection of eggs;
- disinfection of selected eggs in potassium permanganate;
- laying eggs in an incubator;
- incubation;
- at 20-21 days - hatching.
We recommend that you familiarize yourself with all the details of the incubation of chicken eggs.
Chicken Selection
Hatched chickens are sorted by signs of deformity. Approximately the same number of chickens are born with the necessary and unnecessary signs. If the farmer expects to improve the breed, chickens must be selected strictly and repeatedly.
The first sorting is carried out immediately after hatching. The second - after 2-3 months. From among potential producers, individuals with:
- not pink scallops, too large or too red;
- white metatarsus.
The last rejection is carried out after the first molt, when the real color of the bird becomes visible. Of the remaining hens, a dozen chickens and a rooster are selected for the tribe. Less females should not be taken, since roosters are characterized by increased activity.
Chick Care
Layers not only hatch chickens on their own, but also take great care of them - protect them from birds, cats, bad weather, help find food on a walk, warm them. If the chickens are under the control of the chicken, the temperature in the house is + 22 ° C to + 24 ° C. Chickens grow very quickly and by the end of the month gain weight about 1 kg.
It is important to care for day old chickens. On the first day, they need a temperature of at least 33 ° C and an on lamp. Chickens are placed in a box, which is covered with a cloth and placed inside plastic bottles of hot water. Openings for ventilation are made in the box.
Feeding
Principles of feeding chickens:
- In the early days, chickens are fed 5-6 times a day. After about 5 days, they are transferred to 3-4 meals a day. They give boiled eggs, herbs, crushed, vitamins.
- On the 10th day, the chickens are fed with porridge, mash, dry cereal mixtures, boiled vegetables, herbs and chalk.
- At 1.5 months, the chickens are completely transferred to an adult diet - they provide protein food, chalk, lime and shell rock. Once a week give glucose with C-vitamin.
Health
The breed is generally resistant to disease. What you need to know about the health of the first team:
- Infections attack them in case of hygiene in the house and feeders.
- Improper feeding, the predominance of dry food, often leads to blockage of goiter.
- A closely related cross-breeding should not be allowed - offspring can turn out to be weak and unproductive.
- The voice of a rooster may seem hoarse to inexperienced poultry farmers, but silence and quiet sounds are a feature of the May Day breed.
- Young growth and adult chickens can suffer from digestive upset - they treat it with black tea or St. John's wort broth.
Herd replacement planned
The life span of May Day chickens is 10-12 years. Poultry farmers keep them for no more than 4 years - while laying hens are able to rush productively. Peak egg production occurs at 2 years. If chickens are kept for meat, then they are ready for slaughter at the age of one year - just then the meat is the most delicious, juicy and tender.
In a year, a brood hen can bring 2-3 broods, so replacing a herd with a new livestock is not difficult. All hatched chickens exactly repeat their parental characteristics.
How much are May Day people?
The price of one individual representative of the Pervomaisky breed depends on age, region, season, and other factors. But on average, one adult costs between 600 and 2,000 rubles.
Breed analogs
There are breeds that coincide with May Day chickens on one or more grounds. Analogue breeds are in the table:
Signs and characteristics | Breeds analogous to May Day chickens |
Egg production and carcass weight |
|
Color and Weight |
|
Useful Tips
Some useful tips for newbies:
- If we place together individuals that have the same plumage color, then there will be less conflict.Birds that look the same have no desire to find out who is better.
- It is better to keep active and passive individuals separately. Those older and more arrogant will always take food from weaker chickens, and at the same time they will peck them.
- If you feed a little less feed than required, the layers will not spread it.
- If the chickens are prepared with a wet mash - in milk or other sourdough, then give it as much as they eat at a time. The half-eaten mash has to be thrown away - it quickly turns sour.
Reviews of poultry farmers about the breed of chickens Pervomayskaya
Victoria P., Kemerovo region I bought the youngsters of the first cans, at first I was upset - they were so naughty, fearful. And as they grew up, they became calm. Layers regularly lay eggs, carcasses are attractive - they are well taken in the market, the meat is really tasty. An excellent breed, I want to breed in the future.
Roman G., Bryansk region May Day chickens we rush ourselves breed themselves. By the 5th month, young chickens weigh 2 kg. Great breed for meat and eggs. A small herd feeds the whole family, and we also carry it to the market.
Hide
Add your review
The old Soviet breed of hens has successfully passed the test of time. Its popularity continues due to its high productivity, stamina and good character. This breed will be useful in any farm or private household.
Author of the publication
12
Russia. City Novosibirsk
Publications: 276 Comments: 1