White-headed Dutch chickens

Dutch hens with white crests are decorative breeds. At the same time, they retain good egg production. You can also get an average amount of meat from them. Of course, these are not broilers, but initially the breed was bred as a meat broiler. White-crested birds have been known for many centuries, now they are considered a peculiar symbol of Holland.

Dutch hens

Description of the breed

The exact pedigree of the Dutch white-crested chickens is unknown. The first description of a similar breed dates back to the 15th century. You could see black or dark brown hens that carried eggs and there was a lot of meat, but they didn’t have tufts. Around the sixteenth century, birds began to cross with white Polish crested hens. They acquired today’s beautiful appearance, but lost productivity. The old breed was recorded in many paintings by Dutch artists of that time.

The most remarkable feature of the Dutch chickens is the white crest, which looks great both in the photo and in life. The feathers evenly cover the entire head, fall on both sides, but do not close their eyes. They are black in front, forming a pattern resembling a butterfly. The rest is snow-white, without the slightest sign of yellowness. The withers resemble a huge fluffy ball or an original hairstyle with styling.The rest of the Dutch white-crested chicken breed looks like this:

• The head is small, without a scallop, with a specific bulge, from which the crest grows.
• There are small red earrings that hide behind feathers.
• “Face” without plumage, covered with thin red skin.
• Eyes are small, almost imperceptible, brown.
• Beak is medium, strong, gray or black.
• The body is compact, the breast protrudes forward, because of which the body has the shape of a trapezoid.
• The hips are not too powerful, because not broilers. Rather, they can be described as skinny. The paws are medium, gray-black.
• The color of most chickens is black, but Dutch white-crested layers with blue (gray-slate, steel) and white plumage are now bred.

Better to see how the birds look, you can see in the photo. The description will be incomplete, not to mention the nature of the Dutch chickens. Crested laying hens are very finicky, they do not tolerate the neighborhood of other breeds. Birds are shy, subject to stress. Moreover, they are very active and curious, constantly scurrying around the yard, looking for midges and bugs, look in every corner. The cockerels do not show aggression towards each other, they make contact with the owner, but hide or run away from strangers.

Productivity of the breed

If you want to raise chickens for meat, you need broilers. When the main goal is eggs, a thoroughbred laying hen is best suited.Dutch white-crested chickens are a decoration of the yard, their productivity fades into the background. Here is a brief description of the productivity of this breed:

• The weight of the cockerel is 2-2.5 kg, the hens are 1.5-2 kg.
• The number of eggs is 140-150 pieces per year.
• The weight of one egg is 40-50 g.
• The eggshell is white, quite strong.

As you can see, the productivity of the white-crested breed not too high. But given that these hens are decorative , then it is quite acceptable. Hens begin to hike at 5.5-6 months. Most eggs are produced in the first year, then their egg production falls. They can live up to 4-5 years, but poultry farmers recommend replacing the livestock every 2 years. When chickens are older, their meat becomes stiff and fibrous. The risk increases that birds die from infection, their resistance to diseases decreases even more with age.

In addition to the standard white-crested breed, there is also a dwarf one. The weight of such hens is not more than 0.8 kg, and the males are up to 0.9 kg. They carry small testicles weighing about 30 g. Egg production of dwarf chickens – 80 pieces per year. For those who raise Dutch chickens solely because of decorative qualities, the dwarf version will be more interesting. They look very nice, require less space for maintenance and a small amount of feed.

Content of chickens

Dutch white-crested chickens are whimsical birds. They require special conditions of detention.With their violation, they often begin to hurt. The survival rate of an adult livestock does not reach more than 80% even if all the rules are met.

Although Dutch laying hens were bred in a northern country, they are sensitive to cold, therefore it is necessary to install heating in the house so that in winter the temperature does not fell below 15-19 ° C. The humidity should be 60-70%. Also, chickens need room, they can not be grown in cages or in a closed chicken coop, only on free-range.

per 1 square. m of the house you can keep no more than 2-3 individuals, and place for walking is calculated so that 1 individual is 4-5 m. It is very important that the litter in the chicken coop is always dry and clean, otherwise an epidemic will break out among the chickens any infection. It is best to put slaked lime on the floor, and lay straw, sawdust or shavings on top. The litter is changed at least once a week.

Perches for laying hens are arranged at a height of 30-40 cm from the ground, their area should be about 25-30 cm². A crest is needed for special care, because the purity of the breed is assessed by its purity. Feathers need to be washed once a week. Some poultry farmers believe that the crest should be trimmed, but this condition is optional. Feed the chickens 3 times a day. For lunch, give moist agitators , which should be at least 30% of the total amount of food. In the evening and morning, feed the chickens with grain.The general diet consists of such products:

• Grain (wheat, oats, barley, corn) or compound feed for egg-breeding.
• Legumes (peas, beans, vetch, lentils).
• Boiled potatoes, beets, carrots and other vegetables.
• Fresh greens (in summer) or grass meal (in winter).
• Oilseed meal and cake from oil plants.
• Fish oil.
• Reverse
• Brewer’s yeast.
• Meat and bone meal .
• Substances rich in calcium (chalk, shells, small gravel).
• Vitamin supplements.

It is important to remember that in winter the menu should be more high-calorie, so to to the more energy is used for heating. In addition, we must not forget that chickens need animal proteins and fats. In the summer, they make up for the need at the expense of beetles and worms, which they find on their own. In winter, you need to crush them with meat broths, reverse, cottage cheese or special fat and protein supplements.

You should not expect that the Dutch rooster or chicken on good feed will recover quickly, these are not broilers, but this is one of the few types of decorative birds, which not only decorates the yard, but also carries eggs. A proper diet helps maintain and increase productivity a bit. In addition, good food strengthens the immune system by decreasing the number of livestock.

Breeding chickens

The Dutch white-crested breed of chickens reproduces well both naturally and in hatchery .Layers are good mothers, they hatch eggs perfectly and look after their chicks. This characteristic is very useful, as the hatchability of Dutch chickens is low. True, pets can be aggressive towards chickens of other breeds.

The main problem in breeding is the low survival rate of young animals, which does not exceed 70% even with good care. In some cases, you can lose more than half of the chickens, so in the first weeks of the chicks can not be let out of sight. It is necessary to provide adequate temperature and lighting. A special brooder does best for this purpose.

It is also necessary to ensure perfect cleanliness in the drawers, the litter is changed daily, or even twice a day. The room where the chickens grow should be regularly ventilated and disinfected with an ultraviolet lamp. A solution of potassium permanganate, antibiotics and other drugs for the prevention of infections are added to drinking bowls with water.

Chicks can only be fed with fresh products. In the early days they are given an egg, cottage cheese with finely chopped, pre-steamed greens, then added porridge, grain, vegetables. Many poultry farmers prefer to feed m ready-made compound feeds for egg-breeding chickens. You should not take the compound feed that broilers eat. Dutch hens will then lose in egg production, which is already low, although they will gain weight faster.

How much do Dutch white-crested chicken cost? These hens are quite rare, and therefore expensive. An incubation egg costs about 100 rubles. Daily chicks – 400-500 rubles. Chickens aged 40-60 days – about 1000 rubles. Such prices are also associated with the fact that when breeding part of the livestock is lost due to the low survival rate of chickens.