Zagorsk white-breasted guinea fowl: breed description, pros and cons, breeding

Among all poultry, the Zagorskaya white-breasted guinea fowl stands out. Representatives of the “royal (Caesar) chicken” have been known to mankind for a long time, they were popular back in the days of Ancient Greece and Rome, and domesticated them in Africa long before the onset of our era. The Zagorsk white-breasted breed was bred in Russia and is perfectly adapted to its climatic conditions.

Origin of the breed

As the progenitors of the Zagorsk white-breasted guinea fowl, representatives of the gray-speckled and white guinea fowl were chosen. Specimens with a snow-white breast were purposefully selected, which are distinguished by good he alth, stability, early maturity and excellent egg production.As a result, the breed turned out to be in demand and prolific.

Breeding work continues now, thanks to which there are three varieties of the breed, differing in characteristics and properties.

Zagorsk white-breasted guinea fowl is a breed that is suitable for indoor and outdoor life in the regions of our country and in other countries. If necessary, birds can even be kept in cages.

Description and productivity of the Zagorsk white-breasted guinea fowl

Guinea fowls are related to ordinary domestic chickens, quails and turkeys. Poultry of the Zagorsk white-breasted breed has the following characteristics:

Oval body.
Small "dry" head with characteristic details that indicate kinship with turkeys - a "bump" on the back of the head, no plumage, a strong beak with a curved end. Males have red "earrings" on both sides of the beak and a bluish protrusion in the goiter area.Females have less pronounced and slightly colored "decorations".
Thin neck.
Long legs with developed toes, armed with claws, with which guinea fowls rake the ground in search of food.
Plumage of mixed colors - gray-speckled with a bluish tint on the body and snow-white on the chest and on part of the wings.
The tail is short, pointed, inconspicuous due to the specific shape of the body.
The feature of the bird is a different skin color, depending on the color of the plumage: light under a white feather, dark gray under a speckled one.
Wings are strong, developed, allowing guinea fowls to fly. To avoid this, it is recommended to slightly trim the flight feathers.

Unlike adults, cesareans are covered with a delicate fluff of a golden brownish hue with a pattern in the form of stripes and spots.

An adult caesar weighs up to 2 kilograms, a guinea fowl can weigh half a kilogram more. At 70 days, young animals weigh up to a kilogram.

Puberty occurs at 7-7.5 months, the female rushes in the warm season, gives one egg daily. She can lay up to 150 eggs in a year. Egg weight ranges from 38 to 50 grams, and the hatchability of caesarings from them is 80-90%.

Pros and cons

This variety of poultry has many positive aspects, but there are also a number of small disadvantages that you need to be aware of before buying guinea fowl for breeding.

Pros and consValuable dietary meat that does not spoil during long-term storage in the refrigerator.Nutrient-rich eggs are almost never affected by salmonella due to their thick and durable shells.Unpretentiousness.Disease resistance - the Zagorsk white-breasted guinea fowl has strong immunity.Rapid weight gain. At 2 months, the bird is ready for slaughter and weighs up to 1.8-2 kilograms.Ease of content.Noise. Guinea fowls are noisy, and with free grazing, a Caesar who has lost sight of his "harem" can throw a real tantrum.Guinea fowls of any breed, including the Zagorsk white-breasted, are bad hens. It is best to collect eggs for further artificial incubation or put them under a hen, for example, a chicken. Miniature bantams are best suited for these purposes.Birds are very shy, which immediately affects the laying. The female may refuse to rush up to a month.

The positive qualities of the Zagorsk white-breasted guinea fowl make it perfect for keeping and breeding, even for beginners in poultry farming.

Features of keeping and caring for a bird

In order for the guinea fowl to live peacefully and amicably, they are kept in a paddock of 20-25 individuals. At the same time, there should be 4-5 females per male. Guinea fowl can be released to graze in the yard. They quickly get used to the daily routine and return to the chicken coop themselves. But this method is somewhat restless, because the Caesar makes noise at the slightest sharp sound, calls the females to a tidbit and can disturb people and other animals with his scream.

Guinea fowls have a peculiarity for which they are sometimes kept as pets. They love to peck at ixodid ticks - the causative agents of deadly human diseases. Birds drink a lot, so there should be 3-5 drinkers per group.

What to feed the breed

Feeding is no different from a chicken diet. Food is given three times a day. In the morning, it is preferable to make wet mash, and the portion should be calculated taking into account body weight.

If guinea fowls of the Zagorsk white-breasted breed are grown for meat, there must be protein in the feed in the form of milk waste, cake, cottage cheese, and also grain. For the egg direction, succulent feed should prevail in the diet. Their presence stimulates egg laying.

Green feed is 300 grams per animal, fresh grass is added the same amount, and grain mixtures are 90 grams per head.

Subtleties of breeding

Despite the fact that guinea fowls like to drink water, they cannot stand dampness. When it gets cold, the crown princes can huddle together and trample weaker relatives, so in cold weather it is worthwhile to provide a warm overnight stay. When keeping chicks, it is better to make the floors mesh, then the waste is poured down, and the birds do not suffer from dampness and are not affected by infectious diseases.

Adult Caesars are serious about females, watch them and can be jealous of the "harem" of strangers, but quickly get used to the permanent staff.Females are useless mothers, so the eggs are collected, cleaned and incubated. In home gardens, you can put a hen - a chicken or a turkey.

When growing in aviaries or special poultry houses, it is necessary to make wooden floors just above ground level, pour loose filler, install sun-permeable roofs. They will provide a sufficient level of light and protect against moisture harmful to guinea fowls.

Possible diseases

Although guinea fowl are considered disease resistant, they can suffer from the following diseases:

Pasteurellosis. It appears in two forms. With acute birds die, chronic leads to infection. The sick have to be destroyed.
Pullorose. With a disease, the bird is motionless, suffers from indigestion, which can be complicated by peritonitis. The sick are slaughtered, the rest are given antibiotics.
Neurolymphomatosis (Marek's disease). It affects the limbs and cells of the body, caused by herpes B. Deadly.
Trichomonosis. The pathogen enters with dirty food or water, more common in young animals.

Also, guinea fowls can have tuberculosis, mycoplasmosis, salmonellosis and other dangerous diseases. Birds also suffer from non-communicable diseases: gout, omphalitis, dyspepsia, and injuries are not uncommon, as females can fight.

If you suspect a disease, you should immediately call a veterinarian, because treatment saves only at the very beginning.