Russian Crested breed of chickens: description, photos, reviews

Content

1 What is she like these days?
2 Contents and diet
3 Reviews
4 Conclusion

An original-looking old Russian breed of chickens, bred by folk selection, was very common in the Russian Empire in the 19th century. The exact time of its origin is not known, but it is believed that the ancestors of these funny birds were Asian chickens. The opinion is supported by the fact that the Russian Crested breed of chickens is suspiciously similar to another old and original-looking, but Ukrainian breed. By and large, they have the same names. Only the region of origin and “crest” were replaced with “forelock”.

For fun, you can compare the photo of the Russian crested chicken breed (on the left) and the Ukrainian chubby breed (on the right).

And try to find 10 differences.

This situation is not surprising. Most likely, the division into different breeds occurred not according to productive and exterior characteristics, but along administrative boundaries and more recently in a historical perspective. Given the widespread prevalence of the Russian crested breed in Tsarist Russia, it is unlikely that peasants who moved with their families to Little Russia would have left their chickens in their old place on principle.

After the revolution in the Soviet Union, there was a policy that each republic should have “its own” republican breed of farm animals. Moreover, in all areas of agriculture: from poultry to cattle.Apparently, it was then that the Russian Crested came under division along the administrative border.

What is she like these days?

Today, the crested chicken is considered an original Russian breed. When breeding the breed, it is unlikely that the peasants “set a goal” to make the chickens resistant to Russian frosts. It’s just that “folk selection”, by today’s urban standards, is very cruel to animals. If an animal does not meet the necessary requirements and is not able to withstand the conditions of detention offered to it, it is sent under the knife. If they succeed, it won’t fall first. But let’s be honest, such strict selection gives excellent results.

In the description of the Russian crested chicken breed, its high frost resistance is especially noted. Here it’s time to remember the catchphrase from the film: “If you want to live, you won’t get so excited.” In the situation with crested chickens, this statement is more than appropriate. If a farmer does not have an insulated chicken coop, then either adapt to survival in a cold barn or freeze. There were no electric heaters then.

Modern standard

The Russian Corydalis is a medium-sized, universal bird.

The head is elongated, proportional. The face is red. The comb is red, usually leaf-shaped, but pink-shaped and regular in shape without extra shoots is also allowed. The face, earlobes and earrings are red. There may be white spots on the lobes. The eyes are orange, red or light yellow.

On a note! The Russian Crested is a colorful breed that has many colors, but there is no strict division of lines by color.

Birds with dark plumage may have brown eyes. The beak of the corydalis is strong, the color of the beak depends on the color and can vary from yellow to dark gray.

The crests of Russian crested chickens are better developed than those of roosters due to the worse development of the comb. The feathers on the crest are directed back. The shape of the crest can be:

helmet-shaped;
spreading;
sticking out;
sheaf-like.

The neck is relatively short. The Russian crested rooster has a poorly developed mane, and the crest is smaller than that of a chicken. In the photo below, the chicken has a helmet-shaped crest.

The back and lower back of Russian crested chickens, as seen in the photo, are wide and smooth. The rooster's tail is lush and long. Moreover, not only the braids are long, but also the cover feather. The chicken's tail is somewhat less developed, although it is also distinguished by the richness of its plumage.

On a note! Other sources provide different data.

In particular, it is indicated that the tail of Russian Cresteds is poorly developed. Roosters have exposed tail feathers because the outer feathers and braids are not long enough.

The wings are large and slightly drooping. The chest is wide and well filled. The belly is well developed in chickens and matched in roosters. Legs of medium length with unfeathered metatarsals.

The plumage is well developed, rich, but not loose. According to the standard description, the color of the Russian Crested has at least 10 options:

white;
black;
red;
lavender;
grey;
black and silver;
black and gold;
calico;
cuckoo;
salmon.

The most common color in the Russian Crested breed is white.

Varieties of colors

What types of colors are there in the Russian Crested breed of chickens is shown in the photo below.

White.

With pure white feathers, chickens should have a yellow beak and metatarsals.

Black.

With a black color, chickens have brown eyes, a dark gray beak and gray metatarsals.

Red.

I would be a boring red hen if it weren’t for the tuft.

Lavender.

In chickens, mutations often occur in the genes responsible for color.This results in "blue" or "lavender" colors. Variations in lavender color can range from almost gray to truly blue-like.

Grey.

With an overall dark gray color, the neck is decorated with feathers with a white border. The beak and metatarsals are gray, the eyes are brown.

Silver-black.

The crest, neck and loin are silver. The back, belly, wings and sides are black. The eyes are brown.

Golden-black.

Genetically, chickens of this color are black, so the beak and metatarsals are also dark in color, and the eyes are brown. On the neck and crest there is a golden-colored feather, which in roosters turns into the integumentary feathers of the lower back.

Calico.

The most interesting and varied color of the Russian Crested breed of chickens is calico. Lighter-colored feathers are scattered throughout the main red or red color, creating a “shirt” pattern that is unique to each chicken.

Cuckoo.

“Uniform” variegated color, beak and metatarsals are light.

Salmon.

The delicate fawn color with dark dots on the chest and neck is called salmon because it closely resembles the “shirt” of freshly caught salmon.

On a note! In the top two photos there are black Russian Cresteds in the background.

Description and photo of the defects of Russian crested chickens that are unacceptable for breeding birds:

underdeveloped crest;
lack of crest;
white lobes;
very large comb;
rough body;
high set of wings;
yellow color;
too long metatarsals;
"squirrel" tail.

Productivity

Due to the genetic diversity among crested chickens, performance data reported for Russian crested chickens varies depending on the source. So, according to various sources, a rooster weighs 2.7 – 3.5 kg. Chicken from 1.8 kg, which does not at all fit with the declared universal direction, to 2.2 kg.The last figure is already closer to the meat and egg breed. Data on egg production, although they vary, but none of the figures resemble the egg breed: 150 - 160 pcs. per season. The average weight of an egg is 56 g. The shell can be white or cream.

Advantages

According to reviews from owners, the Russian Crested breed of chickens fully meets the expectations placed on it:

excellent frost resistance (even the chickens wanted to live);
original and unusual appearance today;
variety and decorative colors;
stable “output” of 1 egg every 2 days (and no one expects more from them);
good egg fertility;
high hatchability and safety of chickens;
minimum content requirements;
people-oriented;
calm character.

The last point is missing for roosters. They are pugnacious and it is pugnaciousness that is considered one of the shortcomings of Russian Cresteds.

Important! If a chicken's crest is well developed, it closes its eyes.

In this case, the feathers have to be trimmed, since due to the thick plumage the chicken cannot even see the feeder. A shorn crest will look ugly, but the health of the chicken is more important.

Contents and diet

Like a classic “country” chicken, the Corydalis does not require special conditions. There would be shelter from the weather, a high perch, dry bedding and a full feeder. In summer, chickens feel great in an open-air enclosure; in winter, they prefer to hide from snow and wind in a barn.

Crested animals are also not picky when it comes to feeding. In summer they can even provide themselves with food. But if it is impossible to walk freely, corydalis need grain, calcium, animal proteins and succulent food. Like any chicken, the corydalis is an omnivore and will happily eat kitchen scraps left over while preparing dinner.

Reviews

Natalya Gridneva, Arbuzikha village

I have been keeping the Russian Crested breed for 7 years now. I really like it both in appearance and in terms of productivity. Some people think that they don’t produce enough eggs, but that’s enough for me. Moreover, in the summer I only feed them in the morning. The rest of the time they look for food for themselves.

Egor Veselin, With. Askino

What's good about Russian crested chickens is that they can be kept in our area without any problems. Even in winter, they prefer to walk outside during the day rather than sit in a chicken coop. True, they take more food in cold weather. And the crested chicken coop doesn’t need to be heavily insulated either. And if you provide them with lighting, they will fly regularly even in winter. In my opinion, the best breed for the northern regions.

Conclusion

There is great genetic diversity in the Russian Crested chicken breed. Work with Russian crested chickens has not been carried out for a long time and only now they are beginning to collect data on the number of Russian crested chickens kept in private backyards. To date, only 2 thousand individuals matching the description have been recorded, although many people keep corydalis in their yard. But with a high degree of probability this is either not a purebred bird, or chickens of a different breed. There are quite a lot of crested chicken breeds in the world. In this regard, you cannot completely trust the description and photo of the Russian Crested breed of chickens on the Internet or when purchasing through an advertisement. To purchase a truly purebred bird, it is better to contact the Russian Gene Pool.