Breed of chickens Lakenfelder: description, breeding, conditions of detention and nutrition

The Lakenfelder breed of chickens with an unusual bright appearance has been known in poultry farming since the beginning of the 18th century, popular in Germany and Holland. Currently, these beautiful birds are raised in private farms in order to obtain eggs. For industrial purposes, Lakenfelder is not used, since more productive chicken hybrids with greater egg production were bred on the basis of this breed.

History of the breed

Lakenfelder is a breed of chickens of Dutch-German origin. The first mention of this poultry dates back to the beginning of the 18th century. The English began raising black and white layers in the late 19th century. The breed standard was created by the Americans in 1937.

Description and characteristics

Lakenfelder chickens amaze with their unusual appearance. The classic version of the color is black blotches on a white background. The American breed standard allows only this color for Laekenfelder. Europeans distinguish two more types - silver and golden.

Appearance of birds

The constitution of Dutch hens is compact, they are classified as small egg breeds of poultry. Appearance Description:

• small head with bright red crest and earrings;
• dark beak;
• thin elongated neck;
• compact torso with a horizontal body;
• plumage lush, decorative;
• wings are sweeping, long;
• eyes expressive, red;
• black spots are located on the head and neck, the tail should be painted in the same color as the neck.

When choosing a breeding rooster, you should pay attention to the condition of the crest, it should be large, bright in color, should not fall on its side.

Character of chickens

It is difficult to find a more mobile and inquisitive bird among the various breeds of chickens. Lakenfelders categorically cannot be kept in cramped chicken coops without aviaries and the possibility of walking. At the same time, black and white chickens will try to fly out of the chicken coop into the garden at any opportunity, wings must be trimmed or enclosures with a closed roof should be made.

Breed productivity

According to modern laying standards for hens, Lakenfelder's productivity is below average, averaging 170-180 eggs per year. The average life expectancy of 1 individual is 7 years, while high productivity indicators are recorded in the first 3 years of life.

Due to low egg production, the Dutch breed of hens is not used in industrial rearing and use of laying hens.

Note! Lakenfelder eggs are decorative due to the presence of a strong white porcelain shell.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantages of the breed include:

• Winter hardiness of poultry - laying hens and small chicks tolerate frost and temperature fluctuations.
• Lakenfelder hens are considered good mother hens and hens.
• Decorative bird appearance.
• Strong, durable shell.
• Strong immunity to various diseases of chickens.
• Cheerful but accommodating disposition.

The disadvantages of the breed include:

• Below average egg production.
• Without "mixing new blood" the bird in the herd becomes smaller.
• High cost of breeding birds.

If you want to diversify the chicken community in a private household with new beautiful species or teach young hens of other breeds to incubate and care for young stock, Lakenfelders are a good choice. These chickens calmly join the poultry team, quickly find a common language with the inhabitants of the chicken coop.

Maintenance and Care

Like any poultry, Lakenfelder chickens have special requirements for maintenance and care. In order for the bird to rush steadily and not get sick, it is necessary to properly organize walking, build a comfortable house with convenient feeders and drinkers.

Poultry Requirements

Lackenfelders are not suitable for keeping in cages and cramped houses. The chicken house should be spacious, with good ventilation. House Requirements:

• The number of individuals for a chicken coop is calculated based on the ratio: 1 square meter per 1 chicken.
• It is not recommended to grow and live Lakenfelders together with aggressive breeds of chickens.
• The house should be free of drafts and dampness.
• In winter, the indoor temperature should not fall below +5 ^C.
• It is obligatory to have a walking area, an aviary.

Straw or sawdust is recommended for house bedding.

Preparing the area for walking

Dutch white and black hens have a cheerful and inquisitive nature, love to walk and often fly over fences.

Cutting beautiful wings is often a pity for farmers, chickens lose their decorative appearance, so it is recommended to keep Lakenfelders in an aviary with a closed roof.

On hot sunny days, part of the space for walking is recommended to be shaded. Chickens walk even in winter, the optimal daylight hours are 12 hours. Extra nests can be installed in the spacious enclosure.

Drinkers and feeders

Chickens are fast metabolizing birds, so laying hens must have access to water at all times. Change the water twice a day. Drinkers are installed away from the feeders to avoid rapid contamination of the liquid.

Food for poultry should be balanced and varied. A box with a mixture of coarse sand and ash must be placed in the house, the remains of the shell are also processed by adding to the sand mixture.

If the farmer does not have the opportunity to feed the birds twice a day, bunker feeders are installed in the poultry house. These devices provide birds with constant access to food. But this system has a significant drawback - the risk of overfeeding the bird, which will quickly affect the reduction in egg production.

Feeding chicks and adults

The diet of poultry is selected according to age. Young animals should not be fed the same as adult chickens. Little chickens should have constant access to food, from the age of three weeks the young are fed 4 times a day, they switch to two meals a day from 2 months of age.

Week-old chicks are fed a mixture of boiled potatoes, carrots and boiled egg yolk. In this case, the consistency of the dish should be soft and crumbly. As soon as the chick is 2 weeks old, the yolk is removed from the menu, replaced by bran, rice flour.

From the age of one month, the chicks switch to independent walking, grass is added to the diet. From the age of two months, the young go to the common table.

To increase egg production, the bird is fed with chopped nettles and calcined shells.

Breeding

Breeding poultry is quite troublesome. Lakenfelders are bred on their own quite easily, it is important to choose the right rooster.

Laying hens of this breed are excellent hens and caring mothers who are able to train young hens of other breeds to care for offspring. An important condition for breeding is the need to "rejuvenate the blood" of the chicken herd once every 3 years by acquiring a female or male Lakenfelder from another tribe.

Possible growing problems

Chickens of the old Dutch breed endure temperature fluctuations in the chicken coop, rarely get sick and do not impose difficult requirements on the conditions of detention.

To maintain the he alth of the bird, it is necessary to provide chickens with a balanced diet, increased daylight hours and the possibility of a long walk.

Frequent diseases

In conditions of high humidity, irregular ventilation, the immunity of birds to infectious diseases is reduced. Young hens and chickens are susceptible to pasteurellosis, adults can be affected by typhoid or coccidiosis.

When keeping chickens clean with a balanced diet and the possibility of walking, Lakenfelders practically do not get sick.

Disease prevention

To avoid outbreaks of diseases in the chicken coop, it is necessary to comply with a number of conditions of detention and take preventive measures to combat infections. Chicken disease prevention includes:

• Balanced vitaminized nutrition without hormones.
• Regular cleaning of coop and feeders.
• Changing the bedding.
• No drafts or dampness in the house.
• Prophylactic vaccinations.
• Implementing quarantine for birds showing signs of disease.

The advantage of the Lakenfelder breed is the strong immunity of the breeding bird. Under the right conditions, laying hens do not get sick, they give he althy offspring, which they take care of on their own.

Recommended