Chicken Livenskaya calico: a description of the breed

In the modern world, chicken breeding is incredibly relevant, although it is worth noting that vegetarian and vegan diets are becoming increasingly popular. It is possible that in the future these movements will be able to supersede the consumption of meat from once-lived birds and animals, but for now it is worth considering the situation as it is. Now, chickens are grown in huge quantities for both meat and egg production. The cruelty of the treatment of birds and animals of large corporations is known to everyone, but households usually refer to the same animals and birds as their own pets, fed well, cared for, loved and caressed. And this is exactly what will be discussed in the article, or rather, about one particular breed of chickens, which has recently gained increasing popularity.

Livenskaya chicken is a special breed, which fifty years ago was incredibly popular due to its large size, as well as the size of the eggs that she was carrying. And if you want to see such chickens and such eggs in your own farm, then you should take a closer look at this article. Here you will find all the necessary information, starting with the cognitive history of this breed and ending with what the Livenskaya hen eats and how it can be planted. All this data can be useful to you if you really set a goal of breeding this breed of chicken and getting famous huge chicken eggs.

Origin of the breed

How did the Livenskaya hen appear? Why does she have such a name? The fact is that now the selection of chickens is done by specialists who cross breeds in such a way as to achieve the desired goal. However, in the old days, breeders-professionals did not exist, and the withdrawal of new breeds involved peasants. They were not graduates, but they pursued, in principle, the same goal. They wanted the chickens to gain weight quickly, carry as many eggs as possible and stay healthy for a long time. As for this particular breed, it appeared in tsarist Russia, in Livenskoye district of the Oryol region. That's why she got that name. That is, the Livenskaya chicken is called so because of the place where it was bred and gained its fame. Naturally, such a result did not go unnoticed, and the Livenskaya breed began to spread further across Russia. Meanwhile, Livenskiy county became one of the key areas responsible for the relationship between Russia and the UK. After all, it was from there to the Foggy Albion that large striking chicken eggs were delivered, which are in incredible demand. However, people who understand the breeding of chickens, can ask the question: why for a long period of time this breed could not be found anywhere? Unfortunately, the answer to this question is rather sad.

Fate of the breed

For a long time, the Livene chintz chickens were a real source of large chicken eggs, but everything changed in the sixties. Then began to appear new breeds, which differed more by productivity, than livenskaya breed. It is not necessary to understand the situation incorrectly, the Livonian hens carry eggs in large quantities and even in the winter, when many breeds stop doing it. But such chickens, like leggorns, have even more productivity, so people chose them. As for the Livonian chickens, they began to mass destroy. As a result, in the sixties this breed became virtually extinct. And only recently in private farms began to find chickens, which by description and characteristics correspond to the described breed. Since that moment painstaking work has begun to restore the breed, which is now gradually regaining its former popularity. So it can be safely said that the Livene Chickens chickens successfully avoided complete extermination due to those individuals that were preserved in private farms after the mass destruction of the sixties.

Appearance

Livenskaya breed of chickens has not the most usual appearance. The fact is that these chickens are much larger than most of their relatives, and their physique can be called plump. In addition to the size, on the background of the other hens, feathers stand out. Most often there are Livonian chickens with calico feathers, so many people even call them Livensky calico. Chickens have small scallops, their tufts are extremely rare. Scientists have calculated that crests occur somewhere in three percent of cases. These chickens have four toes on their feet, in rare cases there are those who have five fingers. Also worth noting that sixty percent of chickens - with feathers on their feet. As for the appearance of chickens, they also have a rather unusual coloring of feathers, which begin to grow by the 13th month of life. Well, the beak of these birds is quite ordinary, painted in the color of the sun. The neck of these chickens is quite massive, the roosters have a rather impressive "mane". In addition, the roosters also have a larger crest than the chickens, but its size almost never exceeds five centimeters. Also, the cocks have a short but rather impressive tail. Another distinguishing feature of the Livonian breed of chickens is the light hump on the back. This means that the back can not "bend" down, the hump should always grope for the pure representatives of this breed.

Eggplant

Livenskie chickens, the description of which you have already read, also have quite impressive egg production, and this parameter is very interested in almost every person who would like to breed this or any other breed of chickens. In this case, this parameter is quite impressive. It starts with the fact that puberty and, accordingly, the ability to carry the eggs of the chicken reach at the age of eight months. With the achievement of puberty, they give at least 150 eggs per year, which can entice any household owner. It should be noted that in the spring months, that is, from March to April, the chickens lay the largest number of eggs. Their productivity in these three months can be up to half of the total annual number of eggs laid.

What are the eggs?

Well, now you know what the Livonian chickens themselves look like, the description was provided above, but not only they themselves need a characterization. Very many people immediately begin to wonder how the eggs of these chickens look, about which there are so many conversations. Are they so impressive that the British bought them from Russia? A young hen aged about a year lays eggs a little less elongated than in the case with most other breeds. Weigh such an egg about sixty grams, and its size exceeds the size of a matchbox. The color of these eggs is also unusual: it is neither white nor yellow. Rather, it is something in between the standard white and yellow colors of eggs. As for the composition, it can also please. The yolk accounts for about thirty percent of the total weight of the egg, and on the shell - 12 percent. As you can see, the protein content is dominant, but that's not all. The so-called dense-type protein in these eggs is contained in much larger quantities than in eggs of other breeds, which makes this breed even more attractive. What else can be said about what the Chicken Livonian chintzes represent? The description, the characteristics of the hens themselves, their eggs and egg-laying have already been studied by us, so it's time to move on and pay attention to the other equally important aspects.

Breeding and breeding

What breeding conditions does the Livonian breed of chickens require? Reviews of people who are breeding, say that special conditions are not needed, because this breed of chickens is not excessively demanding. In most cases, chickens that are born are strong, hardy and hardy, so the survival rate on average keeps very high. It is also worth noting that feeding chickens is extremely simple. You will have to give them a little more time in the early days, but already quite quickly they will be able to eat the same thing that adults eat. So, if you follow the basic recommendations, then you can safely breed chickens of this breed even at home.

As far as breeding is concerned, everything here is a bit more complicated, since the hand of a professional is needed. Livenskaya chintz breed of chickens, photos of which you could see on thematic sites and in specialized newspapers and magazines, is a good object for breeding. Specialists have determined that, with the right approach, it is even possible to increase the egg-laying of chickens without mixing them with other breeds that differ more impressively. However, we should not forget that breeding and breeding are two completely different processes that should not be confused with each other.

Breed today

Now you have a much clearer idea of what the Livonian chickens are. The photo and the description of this breed are presented in the most accessible and simple form, however this is far from all the information that you will learn today from this article. For example, you should know about the situation in which the breed is located today, to understand whether you should contact it or it will lead you to a dead end. As already mentioned above, in the modern world this breed is much rarer than before. However, experts are working to revive it, although there are doubting critics who assume that this breed is not the one for which it is issued. They believe that this is just a subset of another more common breed. Reply to this question the amateur will not work, so you will either have to choose another breed for breeding, or believe in the word. If you choose the second option, then you will not be disappointed, since Livenskaya chintz breed of chickens, whose characteristic is impressive, has the optimum ratio of quality of meat and eggs. Firstly, sexually mature individuals reach six kilograms of weight in the case of cocks and 4-5 kilograms in the case of chicken. The average life expectancy of a chicken is about six years, but it can fluctuate. With regard to egg production, this parameter by selection has been significantly improved by today. If earlier this chicken demolished about 150-200 eggs per year, now this figure can reach 300 eggs per year. Also worth noting that a couple of years ago there was not only a Livonian chintz breed of chickens, the characteristic of which is now accepted as the standard of the breed. Then it was possible to find Livonian chickens with black plumage and golden crest, as well as chickens with golden plumage and black comb, however, during selection they were not as impressive as calico analogs, so it's quite rare to meet such chickens.

Care for chickens

What care does the Livonian breed of chickens require? The characteristic of the chicken itself is only a description of what you might like about it. Now it's time to look at something that you have to deal with on an ongoing basis. First, you need to carefully prepare a chicken coop for keeping chickens of this breed in it. The thickness of its walls should be at least 15 centimeters, these walls must be insulated from the outside so that the hens can survive the winter. Also, you should take care of the field: it must be either wooden or insulated if it is made of concrete. Thermal insulation requires roofing, and you also need to check the chicken coop for the presence of cracks, since all your efforts will be in vain if there are several cracks through which the heat will leave the chicken coop. And, of course, you need to provide for the availability of special heaters in case there are especially severe frosts in the street. But you do not need to forget that such a chicken needs fresh air, so your chickens should have an aviary in which they will go out daily. In the rest, care is quite basic, because, as mentioned above, the Livonian chickens, reviews on the Internet which are only positive, are absolutely undemanding.

Secondly, to feed this breed of chicken, you can use a wide variety of foods, such as corn, oats, wheat or barley. You can also use wheat bran, millet or peas. Some even feed chicken with sunflower seeds and potatoes, and there are also those that contain them on a diet of meat and bone and fish meal. You should pay attention to the fact that the chickens need an extra portion of calcium, if you want the eggshell to be strong. Therefore, add to the diet or specialized vitamins, or grated egg shell.

Character of chickens

What character does the Livonian breed of chickens have? Photos of these chickens demonstrate that this is a very beautiful breed, so you will be happy to keep it in your own farm. However, appearance is not the main criterion, but egg production. This criterion has already been considered above, so you should also take time to another indicator that should take care of you. Livenskie chickens are very gentle and friendly, so they can even become real friends for your children. As already mentioned, they are extremely unpretentious, and attract many breeders. Another feature that attracts people in these chickens is silence. The fact is that the roosters of this breed do not sing as representatives of almost all breeds do. Accordingly, those people who seek silence can highly appreciate this characteristic. Also worth noting that these chickens are quite passive, which positively affects the ability to incubate eggs. Livenskie chickens, photos of which you can study in this article, can be an excellent choice for your household.

Is it worth it to start?

Well, now you have learned everything that can be learned, and you know what the Livonian breed of chickens is. The description of the hens itself was suggested to you, also you learned how the eggs of such chickens look, what is the composition of these eggs and much more. In general, you have received enough information to make a conscious and deliberate choice. So is it worth it to start this particular breed of chickens? The answer is most likely to be positive, because the advantages of this breed are very numerous, and there are, in fact, no shortcomings. These are productive hens, which in modern conditions can produce from 200 to 300 eggs a year without any problems. If you properly organize a chicken coop and an enclosure, then you will be able to achieve maximum results, and your chickens will carry eggs even in winter. Having bought the first chickens from an experienced breeder, you will ensure yourself all the advantages of a better breed. In addition to the above high egg production, modern chickens of this breed also carry much larger eggs, the weight of which can reach eighty grams, and if you will properly feed your layers, eggs can reach a hundred grams. It is also worth noting that the selection chickens of this breed begin to carry eggs earlier than the original predecessors. Livenskaya chintz breed of chickens (the testimonies of experienced breeders confirm this) starts to bear eggs at the age of eight months, however, selection also makes it possible to increase its productivity in this aspect. And modern chickens can begin to carry eggs already at the age of five to six months.

Well, it's time to sum up the study of this breed. In the Orel region, where this breed was born in its time, now it is in great demand and is very popular. Practically extinct species gradually multiplies and develops, so you should think about how to put your hand to this process. And while you will not be at a loss - the purchase of chickens and roosters of this breed will definitely pay off already in the near future. At the specialized exhibitions of chickens held everywhere, this breed has repeatedly received the highest score, so you can rest assured that it will be an excellent beginning in your career as a poultry farmer. Naturally, the final choice is yours, but the number of advantages of this breed in comparison with others is so impressive that you better not lose time and start a divorce right now.

Where to get?

If you have already decided in favor of this breed of chickens, then you should think about where exactly to acquire the first individuals. Given the rather sad history of the breed and the almost complete disappearance of it from the face of the earth, you can find a large number of the most diverse hybrids in households, but they are unlikely to interest you. The best option is to visit one of the specialized exhibitions mentioned earlier, and to get a healthy thoroughbred hen there. Only in this way will you be able to guarantee that all necessary documents will be on the bird, all vaccinations will be made to it, it will be healthy and prolific. Also you can apply to poultry farms that are engaged in the divorce of this breed. In other poultry farms, you can recommend certain people, farmers and chicken coop owners who have the appropriate chickens for sale. Thus, you can get yourself a bird, from which you can begin breeding. After a while you will also be able to sell chickens of this breed to further distribute it across the territory of the Russian Federation, and at the same time receive additional benefits, from which hardly anyone will refuse. Now, thanks to this article, you know much more about this breed of chickens and understand why you should choose it, and not any other.