Chickens Brown Nick breed

With the development of genetics, breeders have achieved incredible success in creating new breeds of poultry. But even against their background, Brown Nick chickens stand out for their unique qualities. Although it is more correct to call this type of laying egg egg cross, i.e. result of intraspecific crossbreeding.

Chickens Brown Nick

The hybrid was bred in 1965 by specialists from the German company HN International . He is the most common egg cross in Germany and is very popular in Europe and the USA. Their official partners work in the Russian Federation, who sell hatchery eggs and young Brown Nicks that meet strict European standards.

Brief information about the breed

• Productivity Type : Egg.
• Rooster Weight : Medium, 2.5 kg.
• Chicken Weight : 2.0 kg to 20 months.
• Beginning of the ovipositor : at the age of 21 weeks.
• Egg production : very high, more than about 400 pcs. per year, chicken age 18 months, 250 pcs. per year – in young animals (under 8 months of age).
• Features : disease resistance, stress resistance, good chick survival (98%), low feed consumption, unpretentious care .
• Egg size : in young laying hens – up to 60 g, in adults – large, up to 70 g.
• Are they suitable for a beginner : yes.

Full Description

Hybrid Brown Nick is a small bird with early egg production and high productivity. They are characterized by:

• small size;
• low feed intake;
• good tolerance to cell content;
• high immunity to the most dangerous bird diseases.

Birds are responsive to comfortable growing conditions, tolerate vaccination well.

The eggs produced are large and taste great, without fish smell.

European farmers attribute this hybrid to the most profitable chicken breeds: they give stable profit in the first year of life.

Stand bridge

Daily young animals from breeding poultry farms are sold at 35-40 rubles.

4-month-old laying hens at 450 rubles are offered to hatcheries, and 1.5-year-old chickens are offered at 180 rubles.

On Avito, they ask for 500 rubles for a vaccinated young man aged 1.5 – 4.5 months. On Julia – from 350 rubles.

Appearance

Brown Nick hens are an autosex species. This means that the chickens of this cross can be distinguished already at the age of 1-2 days:

• males are covered with a uniform light yellow fluff;
• the hens are darker, brown-yellow.

Gradually, the differences increase. Roosters are characterized by white plumage, a trapezoid shape of the body. The weight of an adult male is 2.5 kg;

The name of the cross was given by the color of the hens: they have a red-brown color.

The weight of the male reaches two and a half kilograms

Description of the hens:

• the body is small, the weight hardly reaches 2 kg;
• the shape of the body is trapezoidal;
• the feathers are tight-fitting, shiny, brown in white tip;
• the scallop is small, vertically standing, bright red.

Character

This breed can easily adapt to any conditions with holding, and quickly get used to the limited space of cells.

• Layers are calm, not shy and stress-resistant.
• Roosters are peace-loving, practically do not fight and do not express negativity to males.

This hybrid is even in nature, therefore it is recommended for beginners to grow.Birds calmly endure movement restrictions, but when free-walking is possible, they quickly become active.

Hatching instinct

The maternal instinct for chickens is lost. This is understandable: they were bred exclusively for early and plentiful production of high-quality eggs.

During puberty, laying hens bring up to 2 eggs per day. In addition, chickens from egg crosses do not inherit the productive qualities of their parents, and there is no point in breeding them.

If you still need to breed offspring, use the incubator method.

Productivity

Brown Nick breed belongs to the egg crosses, characterized by excellent egg production. They begin to rush at the age of 21-23 weeks.

Up to 8 months young hens bring up to 250 pieces. per year (testicles of medium size, not more than 50-60 g).

From the age of life, the productivity of the laying hen increases, reaching a peak by 18 months. At this time, the chicken produces up to 400 pieces. per year, i.e. 1-2 pcs. per day.

The eggs have excellent taste, no fish smell, with a bright light orange yolk. The shell is strong, uniform brown. The product has good keeping quality and portability.

Advantages and disadvantages

There are several main advantages of this line.

1. High productivity: up to 400 eggs per year, and egg production does not stop in the heat and cold.
2. Excellent taste of eggs.
3. Longer, compared to other crosses, a period of high productivity – up to 2 years.
4. Good health, resistance to feathered diseases and endurance.
5. Stress resistance: laying hens are calm, and cocks are contact and not aggressive.
6. High litter survival – 98%.
7. Small amount of required food – no more 100 g / day.
8. Large eggs (up to 70 g) with a bright yolk and a strong shell, suitable for storage and transportation.

At the same time, Brown Nick deprived of under Tatk.

• Limited period of high productivity: 18 months of laying hen Brown Nick gain maximum performance, but after 25 months the number of eggs begins to decline.
• Inability to form offspring with the same high rates.
• Increased requirements: for content (temperature, lighting), feed quality, timely vaccination.

Despite the disadvantages, the advantages of the breed are so obvious and significant that they cover the cost of maintenance .

Features of breeding

Incubation

Females carry large eggs

From laying hens at home, you can get quite healthy offspring, but it does not inherit the properties of parents, so eggs for breeding purchased at specialized poultry farms.

The process of incubation of chicken eggs is divided into 2 stages. Industrial or homemade incubators are used for this procedure.

Nestling food

Chickens should eat porridge from small cereals (semolina, barley, corn).

For young animals choose special balanced mixed feeds, which include vitamins and amino acids. In the early days, meals should be every 2 hours.

After the third week – 5 times a day. After a month and a half – three times a day. Chicks should always have access to water.

Care for chickens

Chicks cannot tolerate low temperatures and drafts. The place for them should be fenced with a light airtight partition.

Nestlings need to create special conditions:

• temperature up to 35 ° C;
• illumination – round-the-clock in the first 3 days, light output 10 lux;
• humidity not less than 60%.

“Nurseries” warm up for several days before placing chickens:

• in the summer – day;
• in winter – at least 3 days;
• in spring and autumn, with slight temperature drops, 1-2 days.

As soon as the chickens reach 1.5 months, they are moved to adult birds.

Adult content

Hens of this breed are carried even without the participation of a rooster. However, to ensure calm hens and maintain active masonry, one cockerel is placed for 10-15 females.

The leader controls the order in the flock and provides fertilized eggs for the incubator.

What should be chicken coop

Brown Nick quickly get used to the new conditions. They feel great both in the cells and in the floor.

For comfort they need:

• temperature from 21 to 27 °. Even in winter, it should not fall below 5. However, birds tolerate heat worse than cold;
• humidity – not higher than 70%, but also not lower than 40%. In dry, hot air, hens become lethargic, rush worse;
• illumination: during the active period, daylight should be at least 16-18 hours a day; during rest (molting) it can be shortened to 12-14 hours, but not lower.

The chicken coop should be regularly ventilated

Drafts should not be allowed in the house, but air stagnation should be avoided. It is optimal to carry out regular ventilation using forced ventilation.

Before placing the livestock, it is necessary to disinfect all surfaces, seal holes that rodents can enter.

Sawdust is used for litter, regularly replacing them with less pollution.

Food

There are 2 feeding methods for chickens:

• scheduled meals;
• constant access to feed.

The second method is used in poultry farms for intensive production. Its peculiarity is special feeders.

Outside of the cellular content, chickens in search of food reflexively try to rake the ground, while scattering food. To prevent this, they make feeders of a special design:

• hopper devices, their advantage is a large supply of feed;
• tray-type – well suited for chickens.

Scheduled meals require attention and time.

In winter, hens are fed 3 times a day, in the summer 4-5 times at intervals of 3-4 hours.

The basis of the diet of birds is grain. It can be a variety of cereals or products of their processing, for example, bran.

But along with this, for a balanced diet of chickens, they should have proteins, minerals and vitamins in their diet. This is achieved with animal products.

Calcium and phosphorus are needed to form the eggshell. Their sources: chalk, shells and bone meal. Another common stimulant currently is egg-laying supplements. It should be remembered that industrial compound feeds for laying hens already contain a balanced complex of all products.

Place for walking

Drafts and strong wind are contraindicated for hens. Therefore, places for walks are equipped on the leeward side of the house, but not shadowed – birds need lighting to prevent rickets.

Walking space is fenced with a netting netting height of at least 2 m. The area depends on the number of chickens and the capabilities of their owner.

In the pen you need to place a convenient feeder. Additionally, you need to add fine gravel, as well as a blender or mixed feed, or something else.

It is important to carefully monitor the condition of the feed, as in the open air it quickly deteriorates.

Shedding and a break in egg laying

Shedding is a test for the bird. Egg production at this time decreases until it is completely stopped.

It can start for several reasons:

• stress;
• diseases;
• parasite insects;
• change of seasons and preparation of the bird for the appropriate air temperature.

The breed has a high immunity to diseases

Brown Nicks are stress-resistant, they have a high immunity to diseases, and regular treatments protect them from parasites. Therefore, they mainly have seasonal molt.

On average, adult chicken sheds 8-10 weeks. Sometimes the process drags on to 13-14 weeks, but can be reduced to 5.

To reduce this period, use the zootechnical type of molting, which causes short-term stress in the bird, a short termination of egg production, but a quick change of feather.

It is based on the application of special conditions: at first for 4 days they do not feed, do not drink and keep in the dark. Then they begin to feed small portions of food with a high content of protein and fiber, increase the amount of green grass, beets, squash or pumpkin.

Restore the water regime and gradually increase the illumination to 14-16 hours a day.

After artificial molting, hens carry more eggs than after a natural process. The laying organism becomes more resistant to viral and infectious diseases.

Livestock replacement

Crosses do not differ in a long period of productivity. After 2.5 – 3 years, egg production decreases to 30-70% of the maximum, so the livestock needs to be updated.

3-4 lines participated in the creation of these birds, so if you breed them “in yourself”, then stratification will go to the original breeds.

It is impossible to breed crosses with the same qualities as parents from laid eggs in ordinary farms. This is done by specialists at poultry farms.

To renew the family, they buy eggs, chickens or youngsters specializing in creating crosses.

Possible illnesses

Brown Nick – Crosses are very hardy, like all hybrids. Survival is:

• 98% in chickens;
• 95 in adult birds.

However, such high rates are possible with proper care and timely vaccination. Vaccinations begin at the age of 2-3 weeks and end at weeks 17-18.

Birds suffer from an inadequate or unbalanced diet.

They respond to this:

• symptoms of vitamin deficiency;
• diseases of the oviduct;
• rickets.

The stock is affected by bird flu if an outbreak of this dangerous disease is noted in the region. Although, unlike 100% of the damage to “pure breeds,” cross-countries fall ill in 60-70% of cases.

To prevent such a formidable disease, you must:

• add vitamins, premixes to the feed throughout the year;
• carry out spring cleaning at least 2 times a year with disinfection of parasites that transmit diseases.

Owner reviews

According to the description of the breeders, Brown Nick chickens show excellent productivity, they give eggs even when -20 ° frost in the yard. Chicks with high survival: when hatched from eggs, the losses are almost zero.

Owners note a low feed consumption – only 100 g per head, even with intensive egg production. But the food should be balanced and high-calorie.

Owners do not like the limited period of productivity and the need to renew the stock every 2 years.

But they call the undeniable advantage of the hybrid taste and large size of eggs, as well as the possibility of their transportation and long-term storage.

All owners of Brown Nick consider this breed a cost-effective egg cross and plan comfort and continue to grow them in your yard.