Oryol chickens: description of the breed and characteristics, rules of keeping, analogues

Orlovskie decorative chickens - bred in Russia and undeservedly forgotten breed. These are birds of the meat and egg direction, with a very interesting coloring of feathers and a constitution. Domestic chickens are like birds of prey. Roosters have a cocky and warlike character. The thing is that fighting chickens were used to breed the Oryol breed. Laying hens have a calmer disposition, and besides, they rush well.

History of Breeding

Orlovsky chickens are an old Russian breed. This is an egg-meat variety of chickens with colorful plumage. Laying hens have an outstanding coloration, a calm disposition, but they rush poorly - they give only 145-185 eggs per year.But the roosters look menacing thanks to the feathers raised around the neck. Yes, and their character is cocky and aggressive.

Chickens were bred in Russia in the 19th century. At first they were grown in Russian peasant farms. Prince Alexei Orlov-Chesmensky was actively involved in the selection of this breed. Oryol chickens are descended from Malay fighting and Persian chickens. The following varieties took part in the formation of this breed: Bruges fighting, Russian earflaps, Tyurinskaya.

Oryol chickens were very popular in the USA in the 19th century, and Europe learned about them a little later - at the beginning of the 20th century. However, by the middle of the last century, this breed was replaced by more productive varieties of chickens. In 1925, dwarf, ornamental Oryol chickens were bred in Western Europe. In Russia, the once famous breed was revived only in the 80s of the last century.

Description and characteristics of chickens Oryol calico

Oryol roosters are famous for their unusual appearance, cockiness and upright torso. Their plumage is dense and, as a rule, motley, multi-colored. These chickens are considered ornamental birds. They are bred mainly by lovers of show breeds.

What do birds look like?

The Oryol chickens have a powerful body, long neck, lush plumage. The height of the bird is about 60 centimeters. Roosters have a slender, fighting figure, the neck has a fighting bend. They push their chest forward. The body is located almost vertically. The head is small, flat. Beak - yellowish, short, curved. Eyes with overhanging brow ridges, reddish-amber coloration.

Legs - strong, tall, muscular, yellowish in color, without feathers. Feathers are raised on the neck. In front, feathers form a semblance of sideburns and a beard.The tail is long and bushy. The comb is small, crimson in color, with small bristles. Ear lobes and wattles are poorly developed. Laying hens are more squat, otherwise they look like roosters. The plumage of birds can be bright red, hazel, chintz (red-black-white), yellowish, white, mahogany, black.

Productive qualities of the breed

Orlovsky chickens belong to the meat and egg direction. Adult roosters weigh 3-4.5 kilograms. The mass of laying hens is 2.5-3 kilograms. In a year, a chicken can lay almost 180 eggs. With age, the egg production of laying hens decreases to 120, 100 eggs. The mass of one egg is 60 grams. The shell has a cream or pale pink color. Laying hens begin laying at the age of seven months. The maximum weight is gained in 2 years. The meat is harsh, vaguely reminiscent of game to taste.

Character of chickens

Orlovskaya breed perfectly adapts to any climate, endures severe frosts and cool, rainy weather. True, the chicks fledge slowly and require special care in the first weeks of life.

Layers have a calm temperament. They have a poorly developed instinct for incubation of eggs. Previously, before the advent of hybrids, this feature of the breed resulted in greater egg production compared to other domestic chickens. Roosters are strong, cocky, aggressive. It is better not to settle them together with other poultry.

Main advantages and disadvantages

Positive qualities of the breed:

decorative plumage;
extraordinary appearance;
excellent survivability;
possibility of breeding for eggs and meat.

Cons of the Oryol breed:

low egg production;
long growing period;
chickens need special care.

Content Features

Oryol chickens have good immunity, but birds need to be provided with proper care and quality nutrition. Chicks require special attention in the first weeks of life.

Arrangement of the chicken coop and walking yard

The chicken coop should have perches and baskets or boxes for laying eggs. The room should be bright and spacious. In the dark, laying hens do not rush. For 15 birds, the optimal size of the chicken coop is 10 square meters.

In winter, the room where the chickens are located is recommended to be insulated with heaters. Straw or sawdust can be poured onto the floor. Birds can freeze at an air temperature of 10 degrees below zero. The optimum temperature for keeping the Oryol breed in a chicken coop is -18-22 degrees Celsius.

When the temperature is 10 degrees above zero, the egg production of birds decreases.

For chickens, it is desirable to equip a walking yard.On the territory intended for walking, you need to put feeders and drinkers. You can give the birds the opportunity to walk throughout the plot. The Oryol breed is recommended to be kept separately from other birds. If it is not possible to organize a walking yard, you can raise chickens in cages.

Preparation of feeders and drinkers

For Orlovsky chickens, you need to build special feeders and drinkers suitable for their short beak. As containers for feeding, long grooved boxes or bunker plastic feeders are used. In order to water the birds, use any shallow plate or purchased siphon drinker.

Moulting

Once a year, chickens shed heavily. Shedding occurs from October to December. Lasts 30-40 days. During molting, chickens stop laying, they lose their appetite, which is why they often lose weight and often get sick.

Planned stock replacement

Oryol chickens are an expensive breed. Birds are rarely raised for eggs or meat. More often - as a decorative breed. If chickens are bred for consumer purposes, then you need to remember that egg production decreases with age. Every 3-4 years the herd is renewed.

Bird food

Special attention should be paid to the diet. The nutrition of birds has its own characteristics, depending on age. Adults are fed 2-3 times a day. At a time they eat 20-30 grams of grain. Young animals are fed more often - every 2-3 hours. Birds wake up at 5 am, go to bed at 9 pm. Chickens are not fed at night.

Chickens

Young chicks are fed during the first hours after hatching. First, the chicks are given millet, corn grits, boiled yolk, cottage cheese. Chickens are fed 6-7 times a day. Later, the diet is enriched with special feed, greens, carrots.Fresh water is poured into the drinkers each time. It is useful for chickens to give purchased vitamins and minerals, medicines for the prevention of diseases.

Adults

Adult chickens are not given whole grains. Birds are fed with crushed cereals (barley, wheat, corn, oatmeal, buckwheat) or compound feed. Dry food can be alternated with wet mash made from boiled potatoes and steamed cereals. It is useful for birds to give cottage cheese, chalk, s alt. The chicken coop should have sand or fine gravel. The menu of adults can be varied with greens (nettle, alfalfa) and vegetables (carrots, cabbage, fodder beet).

What you need to know about breeding

Adult Oryol chickens are kept as ordinary domestic laying hens and roosters. Laying hens have a poorly developed instinct for incubation of eggs. Chickens are obtained using an incubator. Hatched chicks need special care.

Chickens develop slowly and fledge late. They often suffer from weakness and crookedness. In the first weeks of life, chickens are kept in a room with an air temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. The chicken coop should be spacious so that the chicks can run around. For proper development, chickens need to move a lot. Young animals can be released into fresh air at 2 months of age, if the street temperature is 23-25 degrees Celsius. The sun's rays contribute to the better development of young animals and make up for vitamin D deficiency.

Common diseases

The Oryol breed has good immunity. However, with improper care, birds can get sick. Common diseases: beriberi, tendovaginitis, gout, dropsy of the abdominal cavity, cloacitis, gastroenteritis. In sick birds, appetite disappears, diarrhea begins, they move little, stop rushing.

For prevention, young animals are given vitamins and minerals, during the period of illness, the veterinarian prescribes medications. Birds can suffer from mites and lice. Ticks settle on the legs - under the scales. Creolin solution saves from them. From lice help Tsiodrin, Entobakterin.

How to choose a purebred bird?

When choosing chickens of the pure Oryol breed, you need to pay attention to the following nuances:

height and body structure must meet breed standards;
the presence of a developed scruff, beard and sideburns;
long, yellowish legs without feathers;
beak small, curved like an eagle;
a small comb resembling a raspberry;
underdeveloped earlobes and wattles;
small flat head with powerful brow ridges, similar to the head of a bird of prey;
breed-matched feather coloration.

Unacceptable breed defects: short stature, too low weight, horizontally set body (for roosters), hunchbacked back. Pedigree individuals should not have a straight beak.

Analogues

Oryol chickens are a unique breed of birds. It is quite difficult to find analogues for them. The Orlovskys are often compared to the Malay fighting breed. True, the birds look little alike, but they have a similar character.