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Since the Paleolithic times, humanity has been worried about two main thoughts, one of which is: “who can be eaten.” With the development of science and understanding of the process of heterosis, it became possible to produce very large animals with rapid weight gain. Broiler chickens have become pioneers in the accelerated cultivation of animal protein.
Broiler is not only chicken. This is an animal that can gain weight very quickly. The meat of a young animal is softer, tastier and more convenient for frying. From English to broil - “to fry” is where the name of all broiler crosses comes from.
Today, not only broiler chickens are bred, but also rabbits, bulls, ducks, guinea fowl, geese. All broiler crosses are distinguished by their ability to quickly gain weight.
Origin
The first broilers appeared by chance as a result of English farmers crossing two meat chicken breeds that diverged far from their common ancestor. The resulting chickens suddenly grew very large. At first they were considered a new breed and called Giants. But when we tried to breed Giants “in ourselves,” the results were disappointing: the offspring lost useful qualities.
At random, they found out that broiler chickens are not a breed, but a hybrid of unrelated chicken breeds.It is desirable that the parent forms of chickens be meat-oriented, but sometimes even this is not required. After it became clear that by crossing two or more different breeds of chickens you can get a larger bird, work began on breeding broiler crosses.
Taking into account selection work aimed at gaining as much weight as possible in chickens in the shortest possible time, the size of broiler chickens has increased more than 4 times over a period of 50 years.
Such a “rapid” change in the size of broiler chickens causes almost superstitious fear among people new to biology and artificial selection, and gives rise to various myths. Those who have an idea about selection, on the contrary, are wondering “where to buy broilers and which breed of broiler chickens is better.”
It’s easier to communicate this way than constantly clarifying that this is a hybrid or cross.
Why don't they grow
The source of the myths that broiler chicken factories are stuffed with steroids is the impossibility of raising a broiler with the declared characteristics in a private backyard. More precisely, it is possible to raise a full-fledged broiler chicken, but many factors must coincide:
- air temperature;
- high-quality feed;
- absence of worms, coccidia or infections in chickens.
All factors together in a private home are almost impossible to comply with, and buyers of broiler chickens have a legitimate question: “If the description of the broiler chicken breed says that at 2 months the chicken should weigh 4 kg, but I only have 2, then why?” They're probably feeding me steroids at the factory.
No, they don't feed. But at low temperatures, the growth of broiler chickens slows down greatly.If there is a lack of nutrients in the feed (“I only have natural feed”), the broiler’s gain of muscle mass is very slow. When infected with parasites or an infection, the development of a broiler chicken is greatly slowed down or completely stopped. That's all the factory "steroids" called "compliance with the conditions for growing broiler chickens."
Antibiotics and coccidiostats are given to prevent the development of diseases in broilers. Long-acting antibiotics are eliminated from the body after a week. It is enough to stop giving antibiotics to broiler chickens a week and a half before slaughter in order to get clean meat at the end.
What to choose
There is an opinion that a broiler can only be white. The carcass of a white chicken looks more attractive to the buyer due to the absence of dark feather stumps in the skin. Industrial birds are really all white. They are also considered the best breeds of broiler chickens when it comes to raising poultry for meat:
- "Change";
- "Broiler-M";
- "Gibro-6";
- "Broiler-61";
- "Cobb-500";
- "Ross-308".
Usually these breeds of broiler chickens are presented on websites with photos and descriptions, but photographs in this case will not help even a specialist, since white broilers look almost identical in build. Industrial poultry has different productive characteristics, which distinguish one cross from another when describing a broiler.
General characteristics:
- rapid weight gain;
- wide fleshy chest;
- fleshy thighs;
- strong, widely spaced legs;
- Ready for slaughter at the age of 2 months.
Depending on the type of cross-country, the ratio between the muscle mass of the chest and legs may change.There are broiler crosses that put emphasis on dietary white meat, and there are those that put “Bush legs” first.
Productive characteristics
Broilers are intended for meat production, but private owners are also interested in the question: do broiler chickens lay eggs? Answer: yes. But their egg production is low, like any meat breed. In addition, after 2 months, broiler chicken begins to gain fat. Since puberty occurs after 4 months, although a broiler hen can produce fairly large eggs, it is difficult for her to “push” them through the oviduct through deposits of internal fat.
"Change"
The result of crossing two other broiler hybrids: “Gibro-6” and “Broiler-6”. The cross has a high growth rate, adding 40g daily. The advantage of “Smena” is the high viability of chickens, the lack of which other hybrid varieties often suffer.
The temperature in the room where chickens of this cross are kept should be 3°C higher than outside. An adult bird does not have this disadvantage. It is quite frost-resistant.
The disadvantage of Smena broilers is their tendency to obesity. Without sufficient free range, chickens will have to be put on a low-calorie diet, and this will lead to a decrease in weight gain. Accordingly, the myth about steroids will again be confirmed.
“Smena” can lay up to 140 eggs weighing 60 g each.
"Broiler-M"
This cross produces medium-sized marketable carcasses, convenient for preparing dinner for a small family. They were created based on miniature chickens and red Yerevan chickens. The weight of an adult rooster is only 3 kg, and that of a chicken up to 2.8 kg.But this cross has good egg production: up to 160 eggs per year with one egg weighing 65 g. The hybrid gains weight well, not only being distinguished by its high productivity, but also by its tasty meat.
The main advantage of the cross is the ability to breed them yourself. But for this, Broiler-M roosters need to be replaced with Cornish roosters.
Due to their small size, the stocking density of broilers per 1 sq.m can be increased compared to ordinary chickens.
"Gibro-6"
They were bred from two lines of Plymouth Rock hens and two lines of Cornish roosters. This cross does not grow as fast as its “relatives”. At one and a half months old, Gibro-6 chickens weigh only 1.5 kg. But “Gibro-6” has quite good egg production. From them you can get 160 eggs in 13 months.
The main advantages of "Gibro-6": excellent immunity and undemanding conditions. “Gibro” can live both in cages and free-range, requiring only routine vaccination. Their calm nature allows them to get along with other inhabitants of a private yard.
"Broiler-61"
The basis was Plymouth rock hens and Cornish roosters. 61 gains weight well with low feed intake relative to body weight. At 1.5 months, the weight of this broiler is already 1.8 kg. Egg production in chickens is low.
The positive qualities of “61” are high survival rate of chickens and rapid weight gain. The latter has a downside, since from 5 weeks the chickens of this hybrid have to be limited in food, since otherwise their leg bones cannot stand it. But with food restriction, daily weight gain decreases.
"Cobb-500"
It quickly gains weight, but is more suitable for large factories, as it is very demanding on living conditions.Requires strict adherence to growing recommendations and strict health monitoring.
The second and third batches, purchased immediately after the first, of this broiler breed of chickens do not correspond to the description, growing 2 times smaller due to diseases. If they don't die entirely. But this is provided that the necessary medications are not used.
"Ross-308"
The manufacturer keeps the parent breeds of this broiler secret. We can only say that it is unlikely that its origin is fundamentally different from other broiler hybrids and it is probably based on meat and fighting breeds of chickens.
"Ross" is distinguished by good weight gain and economical feed consumption. The muscle mass of this hybrid is formed at the very beginning of the chicken’s development, thanks to which “Ross” is ready for slaughter at the age of 1.5 - 2 months. His weight at this time is already 2.5 kg. Chickens lay up to 180 eggs in the first year.
They are also characterized by a dense build with a wide body. With a massive body, chickens are short in stature.
"Not incubator"
In addition to white industrial broilers, there are also such breeds of chickens in the world as colored broilers. Colored ones are also hybrids of different breeds of chickens, but they are the “first generation of broilers.” That is, they were obtained by crossing pure breeds of chickens. The already obtained hybrids were later used in the breeding of industrial hybrids. Judging by the photo and description, all colored breeds of broiler chickens are lighter than their “descendants” - industrial hybrids.The exception is the Cornish broiler breed, which is not inferior in body mass to later hybrids.
"Cornish"
The broiler arose thanks to the desire of the British to develop a new fighting breed of chickens. For this purpose, English fighting breeds of chickens were crossed with Malayan ones. "Now! - said the hatched offspring, - you need it, you fight.” When trying to further breed these chickens, the fighting spirit faded away more and more in each subsequent generation.
The result was a peaceful, but very massive broiler breed of chicken. Broiler chickens already weigh 2 kg at two months. They reach a full weight of 4 kg by six months of life.
Obviously, out of frustration at the lack of fighting qualities, since a “gherkin” is a very small cucumber, and not a broiler chicken.
Cornishes have retained the external characteristics of fighting breeds: a powerful, well-muscled body on strong, short, widely spaced paws. In addition to prominent muscles, Cornish cats also have average egg production. They can lay up to 140 eggs weighing up to 60 g. The Cornish have retained the brooding instinct, so chickens of this breed can be bred under a broody hen. In this regard, the Cornish can be safely called not a hybrid, but already a breed.
Among the Cornish, chickens with a white color, as in the video, are widespread.
"Tricolor"
Broiler chickens of the Tricolor breed from the photo do not look like broilers at all. But this is a broiler of French origin. “Tricolor” really looks lighter than its “brothers”, but in reality these are large chickens. As adults they weigh up to 5.5 kg. At one month of age, chickens in factories gain weight up to 1.5 kg.But it’s not for nothing that the “Tricolor” broiler looks like an egg layer: its egg production capacity is up to 300 pcs. eggs per season. In addition to rapid growth and high egg production, you can also add tasty tender meat and a developed brooding instinct, which allows you to breed these broilers without outside help.
Conclusion
In Russia, the most common variants of Cobb broilers. Since most broiler chicken breeds are white in color, you will have to buy the desired hybrid from a broiler manufacturer. Otherwise, there is no guarantee that when planning to buy one breed of broiler, a person will not buy a completely different one. Or when buying, it’s enough to just be sure that these are broiler chickens, no matter what line.
