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One of the almost forgotten Soviet breeds, bred in the southern region of the USSR, the Kotlyarev breed of chickens, is increasingly beginning to interest owners of private farmsteads. The breed was bred in the Caucasus, at the Kotlyarevsky breeding farm, which gave the new meat and egg chickens their name.
Kotlyarev chickens were bred by crossing five breeds:
- bare-necked;
- New Hampshire;
- Zagorsk salmon;
- Russian white;
- Cuckoo Plymouth Rock.
Thanks to this cocktail, the color of boiler chickens is very variable. The offspring are still split according to color.
Further selection with the new breed was aimed at increasing egg productivity. Today, according to reviews from owners, Kotlyarev chickens are more of the egg type than the meat type.
Description of Kotlyarev chickens with photos
The general impression of the bird: a slender, graceful body of an egg type. The head is small, with a single leaf-shaped crest. The teeth on the comb should be clearly visible, especially the middle ones. The face, earrings and earlobes are red. Combination earlobes are allowed: white and red. The eyes are orange-red. The neck is of medium length, set high, with a graceful curve at the top. The rooster has a medium sized mane.
The body is tightly built.Placed horizontally. The back and lower back are long, level, and wide. The shoulders are wide, the wings are tightly pressed to the body. The rooster's tail is set horizontally and triangular in shape. The braids are relatively short. The chest is wide, convex, well filled. The legs are of medium length, with unfeathered metatarsals. The color of the metatarsus is yellow.
Any colors characteristic of the original breeds are allowed: salmon, cuckoo, silver, fawn, partridge and others.
Perhaps this culling is due to the fact that the gene responsible for the brown color of feathers is linked to the gene responsible for the production of testosterone in roosters. There is a known case when a “brown” rooster attacked everything that moved. At the same time, his brother from the same herd, but without brown feathers, behaved calmly.
In this case, the genes responsible for color are always linked to genes that provoke diseases.
Correct rooster color. And also one of the correct color options for chickens of the Kotlyarev breed in the photo below.
Productive characteristics
Description of Kotlyarevskaya chicken breeds indicates that these are early maturing and rather heavy birds. The weight of a six-month-old Kotlyarev rooster reached 3 kg. An adult rooster reached 3.8 kg. The chicken weighed between 2.5 and 3 kg. But it was the old meat and egg type. Perhaps it can still be found in some farmsteads.
Today, priorities have shifted towards egg production and the weight of Kotlyarev chickens has decreased. A modern description of the Kotlyarev chicken indicates that the weight of the laying hen is up to 2300 g, the weight of the rooster is up to 2800 g.
But egg productivity has increased significantly. Today you can get up to 240 eggs from a Kotlyarev hen. During molting, Kotlyarev chickens do not stop laying eggs, although productivity decreases somewhat.
In terms of the size of the eggs laid, the Kotlyarevskaya chicken is not inferior to industrial egg crosses. The eggs of an adult chicken reach up to 65 g. In a young chicken, the very first testicle can weigh about 50 g.
Pros of the breed
Like any Soviet chicken, seasoned by socialism, Kotlyarevskaya is unpretentious to the conditions of keeping and feeding. It can fly regardless of weather conditions. It is distinguished by a long productive period (5 years) and meat precocity. And undemanding to feed.
Kotlyarevsky chickens can consume any food, but for high productivity they will have to be fed with good feed, allowing the chicken’s body to receive everything it needs to lay eggs.
Cons of the breed
Chickens fly well and can visit their neighbors in search of something tasty. The visit is unlikely to please the neighbors.
Until now, splitting in the offspring is observed in the breed. Because of this, the productivity of young birds even from the same clutch may differ.
The main disadvantage of the breed is its small number. The Kotlyarevskaya breed of chickens has not become widespread and is very difficult to get today. To the point that residents of the Leningrad region complain about the impossibility of renewing their herd. Although otherwise they have only positive reviews about the Kotlyarev breed of chickens.
Conditions of detention
Although these chickens are very unpretentious, it is necessary to provide minimum conditions for their comfortable existence.The chicken coop may not be heated, especially in the southern region. The main thing is that the birds have a roof over their heads from the rain and enough food in the feeder to generate energy to warm them.
It is necessary to lay straw, sawdust or peat on the floor. For the winter, they make a thick bedding that will rot underneath and generate heat. In this case, peat is preferable. The top layer must be turned up and fresh bedding added.
To spend the night, Kotlyarev chickens need to be equipped with roosts. The ideal option would be simply thick branches from trees, as in the photo above. Somewhat worse, but acceptable - perches made of boards not high above the floor.
Nest boxes for laying eggs are equipped at the rate of no less than 1 box per 5 laying hens. If you can do more, it's better to do more. Straw or hay is placed in the boxes. It is not advisable to leave them completely empty. This is not comfortable for the chickens and can lead to the chicken crushing the eggs.
To produce eggs in winter, chickens need long daylight hours. For maximum egg production they need at least 12 hours.
To protect birds from skin parasites when keeping livestock in winter, sand and ash baths should be placed in the chicken coop, not forgetting to change their contents as often as possible.
Diet for Kotlyarev chickens
The breed has an interesting feature: it can survive on pasture alone. But then you shouldn’t expect large eggs from her in large quantities. With proper feeding, this chicken can lay eggs weighing up to 70 g. Moreover, he responds very quickly to improved nutrition, immediately thanks to the owner.
All the food they eat goes towards increasing the size of the egg. Roosters can become fat from heavy feeding. Therefore, if a rooster is planned for slaughter in the future and you want to get a fatty carcass, he is “planted” on grain feed.
Laying hens are provided not only with grain mixture, but also with herbs, vegetables, meat and bone meal, and vitamin and mineral premixes. With high-quality, balanced nutrition, laying hens get the maximum benefit.
Breeding Kotlyarevskaya breed of chickens
Puberty in Kotlyarev pullets usually occurs at 6 months. When fed with industrial feed containing increased amounts of vitamins, maturation can occur at 4 months. But such early production will later negatively affect the hen and the quality of her offspring. If the chickens are planned to be left for self-repair, then the puberty of the future laying hen should not be accelerated.
Families are formed at the rate of 7 - 12 hens per rooster. The fertility rate of Kotlyarev chickens is very high. The safety of hatched chicks reaches 95%.
For breeding, it is preferable to use an incubator. The degree of development of the brooding instinct in the Kotlyarev breed is questionable. Taking into account further selection towards egg production, we can conclude that this instinct will fade away.
Later, the young growth blossoms into “pieds”. Safety of young birds is 85%.
Reviews from owners of Kotlyarev chickens
Conclusion
The Kotlyarevskaya breed of chickens is perfect for those private owners who can buy it. For now, guarantees for the purchase of purebred Kotlyarev chickens can only be provided by the gene pool, where these chickens are preserved for the sake of genetic diversity and as a reserve for breeding other breeds.
