Bress Gallic hens

Bress Gallsky breed of chickens bred by French breeders has all the necessary qualities – fast growth, good egg production, tender and tasty meat. In Russia, French meat and egg crosses began to be bred recently – 5-7 years ago.

Bress Gallic hens

Brief information about the breed

• Type of productivity : meat and egg.
• Weight of the cock : 3.5-5 kg.
• Chicken weight : about 2 kg.
• Beginning of the ovipositor : at 5 or 6 months.
• Egg production : quite good – from 180 to 240 eggs per year.
• Features : it does not tolerate cold, high survival rate of chicks and fast weight gain.
• Size eggs : average weight is 84-86 g.
• Will a beginner suit : yes

Detailed description

The description of Bress Gallic hens includes several distinctive qualities:

• single scallop of red or scarlet color;
• earlobes are white with a bluish tint;
• the skin on the legs is gray-blue;
• the frame is elegant, the body is medium in size and length;
• the back is wide with a raised shoulder girdle;
• the chest is large, the stomach is well developed;
• head roundish, small;
• neck of medium length;
• wings are small, fit snugly on the body;
• catkins of medium g barite, scarlet;
• eyes are dark brown;
• the skin is white and thin;
• in purebred chickens plumage is snow-white, dense, without any additional shades .

On the basis of this breed other varieties with black, gray and even blue feather cover were bred.

The rejection of young animals unsuitable for further breeding is carried out according to the following criteria:

• light eye color;
• the lobes are covered with red spots;
• the crest is not a standard shape and lies on one side in adults;
• if high tail;
• narrow body and small body.

Moral

Birds have a calm and peaceful character. There are no fights and conflicts among roosters; they relate well to young offspring and other individuals.Therefore, they can be kept in a general chicken coop.

Productivity

The description includes high productivity – in a month chickens can gain weight from 600 g. With good nutrition, by 4 months they gain 2 kg and are ready for slaughter. Males weigh more – by 8 months their weight reaches 3.5-5 kg.

Egg production is good – from 180 to 240 eggs per year. The eggs are large, with a thick, white shell, the average weight is 84-86 g.

The first laying of laying hens begins at 16 weeks of life. The better the food and conditions, the higher the productivity of the hens.

Price

You can buy the breed on farms

You can buy this breed on private farms, the average price for an incubation egg is 150 rubles, the five-day-old young growth has grown from 200 rub for one individual.

Advantages and disadvantages

The description includes several qualities important for breeders and consumers:

• excellent and delicate in taste meat is considered to be delicious among the French;
• early maturation of laying hens;
• breeding versatility – keep chickens for receiving meat and eggs in large quantities;
• compared with broilers has a stronger immunity against diseases, the survival rate of both young animals (about 95%) and adult individuals (up to 90%).

Two points can be distinguished from the shortcomings:

• it will not be possible to breed a purebred tribe by natural breeding, therefore the incubation method and material of the breeding farms are used;
• if you adhere to all the rules of keeping this breed, the breeder will have high feed costs.

Features of breeding

Females have a good instinct for hatching, but to obtain A guaranteed result is better to give preference to the artificial method of reproduction.

Laying hens give the first eggs in 5-6 months, according to Catching maturity in males occurs closer to a year. For full life, good egg production, 12 hens are distributed per rooster.

If you decide to breed these hens naturally, you will need to carefully select two-year-old laying hens with high rates of productivity. Any pathologies, defects on the body, the presence of diseases, parasites are the very first signs for rejection.

For the substrate, eggs of medium size, with a flat and smooth surface, without cracks, are taken. All too blunt or pointed specimens are laid aside, because of them there is a high probability of the appearance of underdeveloped chicks.

From one chicken you can put from 13 to 17 eggs. They should be fresh – not older than 5-6 days. The hatching period is 20-21 days.

Incubation

For laying in the incubator, the material requirements are the same as for natural reproduction. Initially, you need to set the temperature at 40 ° C, then lower it by 1 ° C every week, in the last seven days – by 2 ° C.

Before hatching, the eggs are turned over several times daily, so they warm evenly , which eliminates the risk of pathologies in chicks.

Care

After 20-21 days, young offspring are placed in a small wooden or cardboard box covered with a rag or sawdust.

From above, install a lamp at a distance of 0.5 m for heating and proper lighting. The optimal length of daylight hours is 21-22 hours, the temperature on the first day is 31-32 ° C, every day it is reduced by 2-3 ° C. The comfortable mode for weekly chickens is 19-20 ° C.

After 10 days of keeping the house, the chicks can be taken out to fresh air on sunny days. Walking on the street contributes to good growth and development.

Feeding and drinking

Birds need clean drinking water

Chicks of Bress Gallic breed are characterized by fast growth and weight gain, but for this they need to be fed well and often:

• on the first day you can offer finely chopped, boiled egg;
• on the second day add chopped green onions;
• starting from the 5th day of life they are fed low-fat cottage cheese, small cereals, grated, boiled carrots, in feed mixed egg shells, ground to powder ;
• in 1.5 weeks they need food with a high protein content – it helps to build muscle (give sour milk, vegetable, fruit, meat-bone and fish flour mixes);
• at the age of 1.5 months they are transferred to the general diet of adults.

In the first days of life they are soldered with a glucose solution – 100 g of the substance is diluted in 2 liters of water. Then they are watered with plain water at room temperature. It is changed every day.

Adult birds

These large-sized birds love a lot of space, it is advisable to provide them with a good place for walking, good nutrition and exceptionally good conditions.

Kurnik

Bress the Gallic bird is not adapted to severe climatic conditions, therefore, when kept in the northern and middle latitudes, it will be necessary to warm the coop carefully and provide a good microclimate inside it.

1. The room is cleaned of debris, whitewash all surfaces, dried.
2. For insulation, the floor is clogged with boards or tin. It will protect chickens from hypothermia and prevent the penetration of any rodents.
3. At the bottom of the set capacity for feed and water. They should be enough for everyone, otherwise the birds will start fighting for food, showing aggression and cannibalism towards each other.
4. A basin with sand, clay or ash is placed in a place convenient for chickens. Dry baths are necessary to protect against various feather and skin parasites.
5. In addition, perches are installed at a height of 40-50 cm, in secluded places they put boxes filled with straw or hay (nests) at the rate of one nest for five layers.

The optimal amount of area in the chicken coop per individual is at least 1 m². With a greater crowding, the birds begin to hurt, behave aggressively, which leads to fights, slower growth and decreased productivity.

Walking yard

Less than 10 m² are required per head area. The place for walking is fenced with a grid, slate or a fence. They do not cover from above, since birds of this breed have poor flying abilities and it is not worth fearing that they will fly away.

A pasture for chickens is sown with cereal crops or clover. In the corners are placed feeders with gravel, cockleshell and chalk. Drinkers are also put – preferably nipple or grooved, because in them the water stays clean and fresh longer.

Feeding rules

The basis for feeding this breed is compound feed – a mixture of different crops and nutrients.

You can buy it in a specialized store or cook it yourself by mixing wheat (barley), corn, meat and bone (fish) flour, sunflower meal and minerals in a ratio of 4: 3: 1: 1: 1. Consumption per individual per day – 120 g.

Food during free-range walking is more diverse – in addition to the main food, birds are given fresh herbs, grass, mash of grated vegetables, fruits, root vegetables.

В in the winter season, grass meal, chopped pieces of cabbage, and beets serve as a replacement for succulent feed. They give boiled mashed potatoes, but in moderation. They also offer shells, chalk, and mix powdered egg shells in the feed.

To compensate for the lack of vitamins and minerals, premixes, sprouted wheat, barley, rye or oats are added to the food.

Shedding and laying time

In spring, chickens molt

Usually, this process begins in spring for laying hens – almost the entire feather cover is lost. During molting, hens of the Bress Gallic breed cease to bear.

The breeder should ensure enhanced and proper feeding, keeping in a separate place from other individuals, and clean, fresh drink.

Reduce food during the feather change increased amounts of vitamins A, E and fish oil. Chickens are given daily corn, wheat, and other foods fortified with fiber and protein.

Moult lasts from 2.5 to 3.5 months, after which the bird returns to normal and restores its productivity.

Diseases

These birds can get sick and die if they are kept in a cold room, there are drafts, sudden changes in temperature and crowding.

Often a cold develops. Symptoms include mucus secretion from the beak, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, lethargy, increased thirst and refusal to feed. Treat sick individuals with Tetracycline or Biomycin.

Hens that are affected by coccidiosis must be disposed of, because this disease cannot be cured. After that, the chicken coop will be disinfected and aerated.

Of the parasites, bugs, lice, fluff and spoofers can appear, which appear in high humidity, crowded birds.Treatment of feather cover with malathion will help get rid of them. Spray 3 times with an interval of a week.

Scheduled replacement of the herd

This procedure is done once every two years. By the age of two years, laying hens reduce productivity and are replaced by young ones.

The replacement of chickens raised for meat is planned taking into account personal preferences. They can be slaughtered, starting from 5 months, of males no earlier than at the age of eight months.

Herd rejuvenation is carried out at least once every 5 years. At the same time, the strongest, healthy and most beautiful individuals are selected both from the side of males and females.

Owner reviews

Many breeders recommend this breed not only to beginners, but also to other experienced poultry farmers:

• Bress Nalli chickens are universal – they quickly gain weight, give good and tasty meat, and at the same time have good egg production, so they are grown not only for personal but also for production purposes;
• fe Middle and northern latitudes indicate good productivity, despite poor adaptability to such conditions;
• some refuse to breed them, because they need large pastures and a spacious chicken house for maintenance, not every breeder can provide this.