Chickens Shaver Brown have won the respect and recognition of poultry farmers for many years in a row. Despite the fact that they are crosses, chickens are distinguished by excellent egg production, and along with this, they are undemanding in care.
History of the origin of the breed
The names of the breeders were lost over time, but it is clearly known that one of the well-known breeding companies in the Netherlands was engaged in the breeding of these crosses. Breeders dreamed that they could create a cross that would yield a huge number of eggs and have a maternal instinct. This goal was achieved, and the cross fully realized it. There is no clear data on the time of the creation of the breed, and how it ended up on the territory of the Russian Federation.
Description and features of chickens Shaver Brown
In nature, it is customary to distinguish three types of these chickens: Shaver white, brown and black. In our article, we are talking only about Shaver Brown (brown), however, many breeders argue that, in addition to the color of the feathers, the representatives of the birds are no different from each other.
Some poultry farmers have noted that blacks are the largest birds and whites are the smallest.
Appearance and physique
Shaver Brown is small, the chicken reaches a mass of 2 kg, and the cockerel is about 2.5 kg. The appearance of the birds is not provocative, it does not attract attention to itself. The body is small, the backbone is not heavy. The belly and chest are massive, the belly of females is larger than that of roosters.
The back is concave. The neck is not long, the paws are small without feathers. In layers, the tail is lowered, in males, it is raised. Roosters are famous for their proud posture, chickens have dark orange eyes, the color changes with age. The comb is small. Earrings are deep red, strong beak.
Color
Shaver Brown - brown hens of the breed. These crosses may have white spots on the wings and tail. Female chicks fledge much earlier than young cockerels. The differences can be noticed already a day after birth.
Character
The temperament of the hens is just a fairy tale: they are peaceful and friendly. To some extent they are similar to phlegmatic people. Thanks to their disposition, the content of these crosses is not difficult. Birds can get along with any breeds of domestic chickens. But it is better to settle them separately so that the hen house is always clean.
The only drawback of the breed is the desire to fly, and flying over a small fence is not a problem for them. Therefore, the walking yard is built with a high mesh, which is very difficult to overcome. Males are especially curious, females are more restrained.
Birds react negatively to wing trimming, so there is no need to do it.
Incubation instinct
Many studies have proven that the maternal instinct is inherent in all purebred breeds, crosses and hybrids have lost it in whole or in part. However, there are exceptions in the world, and the Shaver Brown chicken breed is proof of this.
Shaver Brown crosses have a developed hatching instinct. The hens happily sit in the nests and incubate their offspring in them. But it should not be denied that among the chickens there are also "windy" layers, so it is better to purchase an incubator, just in case. Read about incubating chicken eggs here.
Productivity indicators
This cross is famous for its performance, they occupy a leading place among egg chicken species. The crosses gain weight very quickly, at 4.5 months their weight is 1.4 kg, and at 6 months - about 1.9 kg. By one year, the mass reaches more than 2 kg. It is almost impossible to get meat from such a weight, and to taste it is not particularly high-quality and tender. The reason is simple - crosses belong to the egg group.
Puberty and initiation of oviposition
For the first time, laying hens can bring eggs already at the age of 4 months. At first, the process is not regular, but after half a month everything is getting better. The eggs are small, weighing about 50-60 g. Laying hens bring about 210 eggs per year.
Some poultry breeders claim that females produce approximately 350 eggs or more. Everything directly depends on the conditions of keeping birds. The shell color of the Shaver Brown breed is light brown. Over the entire laying period, layers yield only 1% of bad eggs.
The fertilized rate is almost 99%. The survival rate of chicks is less - about 80%.
Interestingly, the eggs of this breed of chickens are saturated with Omega-3 and Omega-6 much more than other poultry.
How do they handle the cold?
Temperature +5 degrees Celsius is the limit for layers. At this rate, they still lay eggs, but if the temperature begins to drop, then the swatches freeze. Special infrared lamps are installed over the nests, and the room is heated or insulated from drafts. Temperatures below +28 degrees Celsius are dangerous for young animals.
Birds cannot be released into the walking yard when the temperature indicator drops to -10 degrees Celsius.
Conditions of detention and breeding
As for care, the Shaver Brown breed is not demanding, but it has special preferences for nutrition.
Poultry house
These crosses do not need a large area, so birds can be kept both in the poultry house and in cages. Birds do not need special devices or equipment. The crosses are considered cold-resistant, so the chicken coop can be heated, or you can refuse it, the main thing is to warm it well. The floor is laid with clay, straw, dry foliage or peat are lined on top.
Chicken manure contains a small proportion of ammonia, so the chicken coop should be well and regularly ventilated. The room must have good ventilation. The poultry farmer should pay special attention to the arrangement of the nests; they can be built in small boxes, on the bottom of which you can place hay or straw.
Perches are required, they must be large, approximately 0.4 m of territory should be allocated for 1 laying hen.
Walking yard
Despite the fact that chickens are phlegmatic, they still love fresh air. And the sun's rays are useful for birds, they strengthen their immunity. The main thing to consider is the construction of a high fence; a simple mesh can be used as a fence. If the birds fly over it, then your entire future harvest in the garden or in the garden will suffer.
Also note that in summer, birds eat not only what the poultry farmers give them, but also street food, which includes worms, other insects and greens. Better to make a walking yard in an area with open soil so that the birds can find something to eat.
The chicken coop and the yard for walking are built on a small hill so that the site is not flooded with rainwater. If this is not possible, then you can lay wood or other material on the ground, under which water will drain.
Another important point in the process of constructing a courtyard is the presence of a canopy that will protect the birds from bright sunlight and heavy rain.
You can find out how to build a chicken coop yourself here.
Molt and lay break
The autumn season of the year is a period of renewal of many birds. As soon as the sunny day becomes shorter, the cold is longer, the birds begin to change their old feathers for new ones. Molting is a normal phenomenon that is common to all birds. Through this process, hens become more productive.
New feathers help to overcome cold weather more safely, however, there is a long break in egg-laying during this time. This is not considered a disease or deviation, it is just a standard reaction of the body, which decided to throw all its strength into renewing feathers.
Cannibalism can be observed in some birds, that is, they begin to peck out feathers from other birds. Sometimes it does not stop there and some chickens are completely eaten. The only way to avoid bouts of cannibalism during molting is to improve nutrition.
The Shaver Brown breed of chickens has a long lifespan, but after 3 years old birds can be disposed of and the livestock can be completely renewed, since the productivity of old chickens decreases.
Power features
Nutrition for representatives of the Shaver Brown chicken breed should be well chosen, due to its small size, crosses do not need as much food as their counterparts.
Adults
In order for birds of the Shaver Brown breed to grow up healthy and productive, you must adhere to the basic feeding recommendations:
- The main course is combined feed mixtures.
- Add whole grains and crushed grains daily.
- The wet mash is digested quickly, so feed it in the morning, not in the evening. Also, such a dish improves egg production, but it does not affect weight gain.
- Add useful vitamins to the mash, for example, an excellent option of chalk, shells, fish, meat and bone meal.
- Add salt.
- Do not neglect vegetables and other useful ingredients, boiled potatoes, carrots are an excellent option.
- Feed the birds 2 times in summer, subject to free range, at least 3 times in winter.
- In winter, give food warm.
- Greens can be replaced with herbal flour.
- Add fermented milk products and vitamins from time to time.
Chicks
The first two days, the diet of the chicks consists of boiled chopped eggs, boned in semolina. Low-fat cottage cheese and yogurt are gradually added to the dishes. Curd should not be wet so that it does not get stuck in the beak of birds.
In order for the body of the young to quickly and efficiently process food, the chicks must be in containers with sand in the chicken coop. It is calcined in advance for about 10 minutes in a hot frying pan. Young animals at the age of 5 days can already be given various feeds.
Breeding
The Shaver Brown breed of chickens has a maternal instinct, and the offspring of the hen can hatch. It is also worth noting that chickens are excellent mummies, after the birth of babies, they take care of them, take care of and teach them how to survive in the chicken coop.
However, not everything is as simple as we would like. Before a poultry farmer decides to breed Shaver Brown birds, he needs to know one feature of these birds. Hybrids cannot pass on genetic traits to their offspring. When breeding Shaver Brown crosses, at first the breed characteristics will begin to change, and then they will completely disappear. It is impossible to get purebred Shaver Brown at home.
You can buy purebred crosses at breeding sites or at special poultry farms, where they breed hybrids. You can buy chickens at the age of 1 day, 1 month and 5 months.
Never buy chickens from the market or outdoors.
Chick care
Adult birds of these crosses tolerate the cold well, but the young are not yet ready for it. Drafts can kill babies. The temperature indicator in the chicken coop where the chicks are grown should not fall below +28 degrees. The room should have special lamps that illuminate the chicken coop.
Chicks are kept separate from adult chickens, pay attention to their behavior. Watch the temperature, if the birds rub against each other, then they are very cold.
Advantages and disadvantages
Before purchasing chicks of the Shaver Brown cross, you need to familiarize yourself with all the advantages and disadvantages of crosses.
Advantages:
- high productivity;
- strong immunity;
- unpretentious care;
- withstanding frost and cold weather;
- high survival rate of young animals;
- healthy eggs with strong shells;
- docile character.
Disadvantages of Shaver Brown:
- cannibalism appears during molting;
- the impossibility of breeding in your own area;
- rare (very difficult to find chickens of the breed).
Frequent illnesses
Breeders carried out long-term work on the creation of this cross, thanks to which they endowed the birds with strong immunity. The only danger for the breed is chicken tuberculosis; in almost all cases, birds die.
The disease can be avoided only if all preventive measures are followed. It is important to feed the birds with quality, clean them in the chicken coop on time and take good care of their health.
The main signs of the disease of crosses are: discoloration of droppings, poor appetite, inactivity, and decreased egg production.
Reviews of farmers about Shaver Brown chickens
Petr, 34 years old, administrator, Kramatorsk.My birds are 4 months old. I bought it at a special poultry farm, although they offered to buy it from neighbors, but I was afraid. I doubt they were able to create a purebred cross. I'm happy with the purchase. The birds are peaceful, gain weight well. Of the 20 eggs, 12 hatched, although 10 of them are cockerels and 2 chickens. I would like the opposite.
Larisa, 44 years old, watchman, Omsk.In fact, breeding such crosses is quite profitable. They do not need a lot of food, they do not rage and do not be very active. They practically do not speak. Very quiet, I like them. I bought chickens at the breeding center, they were already vaccinated. Received the first eggs at the age of 4 months. The chicken weighs about 1.8 kg. It's a pity that you can't do breeding on your own.
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The Shaver Brown breed of chickens are excellent birds, unpretentious in care. Such small and sophisticated chickens will amaze you with their productivity day after day.