Dwarf chickens: descriptions of the 22 best breeds and home care rules

Dwarf ornamental chickens are similar in plumage and body structure to their full-sized relatives. Birds are bred for ornamental purposes or for eggs and deli meats. Small chickens are kept in the same way as large ones: they equip a chicken coop, a place for walking, they feed 3-4 times a day. True, they eat a little less food. Adult birds weigh no more than 1 kilogram.

Popular breeds of dwarf chickens

Dwarf chickens are smaller copies of full-sized breeds. They appeared relatively recently - 50-200 years ago. Hens and roosters weigh about 0.5-1.2 kilograms. Dwarf laying hens produce half as many eggs per year as large birds.

Araucana

Decorative-egg breed of chickens originally from South America. The weight of roosters is 2 kilograms, laying hens - 1.45 kilograms. Hens produce 180 greenish-blue-shelled eggs per year. The color of the plumage of birds is black-red, wheat-gold. There are 4 fingers on the paws. The breed of German selection does not have a tail. The American and English have a tail.

Ayam tsemani

A rare decorative Indonesian breed. These chickens have black not only plumage, but also skin, meat, internal organs, bones. The mass of roosters is 2.45 kilograms, laying hens - 1.45 kilograms. Hens lay pink cream eggs.

Bantam

Asian decorative dwarf breed. Roosters weigh 0.65-0.90 kilograms, laying hens - only 0.46-0.65 kilograms. Birds give 90-145 eggs per year. Roosters have chintz, walnut plumage, black tail. The hen has greyish-beige or brown-black plumage.

Bantam Java

Dwarf ornamental breed from the island of Java. Laying hens weigh half a kilogram, males - about 1 kilogram. Roosters have a black tail and feathers on the chest, the plumage on the body is wheat-golden. The hen has golden brown feathers on the top, dark feathers on the body, laying hens produce 110 eggs per year.

Brahma

These hens have a very luxuriant plumage, a lot of fluff in the tail area, raising feathers. Coloring - partridge, yellowish-gray, hazel-brown. Birds have hairy paws and a slightly plump body constitution. The mass of cockerels and layers is just over 1 kilogram.

Dwarf New England

These fighting chickens have an unusual appearance: long strong legs, a small body, a medium-length tail, short feathers fitting the body. Coloring - golden-gray. Weight - just over 1 kilogram.

Chinese silk

These chickens have lush plumage, feather hairs crumble, all together look like wool. The color of birds is white, black, yellowish, blue. On the head - a magnificent "hairstyle". Chickens have short hairy legs. The mass of birds is 1-1.5 kilograms. The skin, bones and meat of these birds are black.

Cochinchin

Decorative handmade hens with plumage soft as down. Coloring: black, partridge, white, fawn. Laying hens look bigger than a rooster. Their tail resembles a ball. The figure is stocky, the body is wide. The lower legs are covered with dense plumage, the legs are not visible.

Russian Crested

This breed often has a white or fawn coloration, a fluffy crest on the head, short legs without plumage. The mass of an adult pygmy cockerel is only 860 grams.

Pavlovskaya

These birds look like pheasants. Chickens have golden-black or white-black plumage, raised, protruding feathers on their heads, and hawk knee pads on their legs.

Seebright

Dwarf breed bred in England. Based on Bantam chickens. The Seabright has a brown or white plumage with a black border on each feather. The figure is compact, compressed, short. The weight of the birds is 450-500 grams.

Paduans

These chickens have a lush tuft on their heads and a thick feathered beard. The plumage is thick and dense, the color is chintz, yellow-brown, silver.

Birds don't have combs or wattles.

Dutch white-crested

This breed has black, fawn or lavender feathers and a fluffy white crest on its head. The weight of a dwarf bird is 740-840 grams. The skeleton is light, the body is compact, the wings are small, tightly pressed to the body. A red comb is hidden in a lush tuft.

Wyandotte

Dwarf breed bred in England. The mass of birds is not more than 1 kilogram. The plumage is lush, white, silvery or brown, each feather has a black or light border. The tail is fluffy, there are no feathers on the paws.

Ebony (Wooheel)

These birds have a compact body, black plumage with a greenish tint. The scallop and lobes are dark purple. Laying hens lay green eggs.

La flush

The mass of dwarf birds is about 1 kilogram. The plumage is black with a blue tint. The comb is red. There are white earrings near the ears. Paws - long, blue.

Orlovskaya chintz (dwarf)

This breed has a variegated, white-brown-black plumage. The head is like that of a bird of prey. Feathers are raised on the back of the neck. Birds have a vertical body. Paws are yellow, without feathers.

Milfleur

Weight of birds - 550-790 grams. Feather color: porcelain, partridge, black and white. There are "pants" on the paws. Birds have a well-developed brooding instinct.

Shabo

Birds have short legs and a massive, squat body. The plumage is smooth or curly. Colour: porcelain, silver, gold-black. Long wings touch the ground.

Ukrainian forelock chickens

Birds have a lush tuft (forelock) on their heads. Coloring: fawn, light Colombian, black. The body is compact, the feathers fit snugly to the body, there is a lot of down near the tail.

Faverol

The birds have a compact body, lush salmon or white-brown feathers. Short tail, bushy collar, fluffy paws.

Phoenix

This breed has a long tail, up to 1.5 meters. Weight - no more than 810 grams. Coloring: white-black, golden-brown. The body is slender, the wings fit snugly to the body.

Features of maintenance and care at home

Decorative pygmy birds have beautiful plumage. These chickens need to be kept clean. There should always be dry bedding on the floor in the chicken coop. Chopped straw, hay, sand or sawdust are used as bedding material. For non-flying breeds, low perches are equipped.

The chicken coop should have boxes or baskets lined with straw in which layers can be laid.

On the street you need to equip a place for walking, put feeders and drinkers there. Dwarf hens should preferably be kept separate from full-sized roosters and laying hens. In winter, the chicken coop needs to be heated. In a cold room, chickens will not rush, they can get sick. The optimum temperature for keeping is 15-25 degrees Celsius.

For little chicks in the first month after hatching create comfortable conditions. They are kept at a temperature of 27-33 degrees Celsius, in the following months the temperature of the content is gradually lowered to 22 degrees above zero.

Feeding

Chickens are given dry, wet and combined food. It is better to give the birds chopped feed. It contains different types of grains and vitamin and mineral supplements. Wet mixtures are prepared for chickens from water, chopped grains and vegetables (potatoes, beets, carrots). They give juicy herbs (clover, nettle, dandelion).

Adult birds are fed 3-4 times a day. Dry food is given in the morning and in the evening, wet mash - in the afternoon (1 time). All grain feed before feeding is crushed to 3 millimeters (for chickens - up to 1 millimeter). One bird needs no more than 80 grams of feed per day. Chickens need to be given cottage cheese, sour milk. The feeder should contain s alt, chalk, bone meal. Birds are given clean water to drink.

Subtleties of breeding

You need to start breeding dwarf breeds with the purchase of chickens or hatching eggs.Purchased eggs are placed in an incubator in which the desired temperature is maintained for several weeks. When the hens grow up and begin to rush, you can use their eggs for breeding. There must be a rooster in the herd. In dwarf breeds, the incubation instinct is expressed differently. You can use a laying hen or an incubator for breeding.

Chickens hatched in the incubator are kept in cardboard boxes for the first week.

The air is heated with a lamp around the clock. The optimum temperature for keeping is about 30 degrees Celsius. 3-4 hours after hatching, the chicks are allowed to peck millet, boiled yolk.

Chickens are fed 6-7 times a day. The box should contain a drinking bowl with clean water. Gradually, other grain feed in crushed form, as well as cottage cheese, vegetables, herbs, and wet mash are introduced into the diet of birds. If the eggs were incubated by a laying hen, then chickens from the first birthday can be with their mother. They are released outside if the air temperature is above 23-25 degrees Celsius.

Content benefits

Dwarf chickens are easier to keep, because they eat less, occupy a small area. 10 birds can be on one square meter of the area at the same time. Dwarf chickens are unpretentious, but they need to be kept in a clean and warm chicken coop. In winter, you need to equip the house with a lamp and a heater.

Daylight hours should be 10-14 hours. In the room where the birds are kept, the temperature should be 18-25 degrees Celsius. Ornamental chickens need to be provided with a nutritious diet rich in vitamins and minerals.

Possible problems

Poultry farmers who decide to breed dwarf birds may face a few problems. Smaller chickens need a separate coop and run area.

For non-flying breeds make low perches. In winter, the poultry house is equipped with artificial lighting and heating. You can add bacteria to the organic bedding, which will not let the litter rot, but will process it into compost and release heat.

The chicken coop should always be kept clean and dry.

With improper care and feeding, birds can get sick: they sit still, do not eat, do not run, tremble, limp, vilify. To prevent diseases, chickens are given vitamins A, C, group B, they are injected with immune serum from infections. Birds are given drugs for worms, feathers are treated with a flea remedy. Chickens should be constantly monitored and at the first sign of illness, contact a veterinarian.