Master Gray chickens: description and characteristics of the breed, care, feeding, illness and treatment

Cross Master Gray chickens are egg-meat types. They give a large number of eggs, an individual weighs 4-6 kg on average. The bird takes root well in society with humans and other breeds. And also they are unpretentious in care. The only drawback is the heterozygosity of the cross.

Origin story

The breed of chickens Master Gray or Master Grease was bred by French scientists under the guidance of Hubbard. The company has several branches in different countries and has been raising birds for over 100 years. They are suitable for growing in small plots and farms.Chickens have both high egg production and meat body type.

Description and characteristics of the breed Master Gray

The description of the breed includes the appearance of the bird, the nature of the hens, productivity, molting and break in egg production.

Appearance

These are large birds, the plumage is white with black spots. They note wide yellow paws, large fingers, a bright red comb and chin. The beak is yellow and small. The body is wide, long, large back. Gray coloring prevails at the tip of the wings and tail.

Important! Males and females are almost the same, but they are always larger.

Metrics and productivity

Master Gray belongs to meat and egg breeds. One female individual weighs 4 kg, and male 6 kg. For one year 200 pieces of eggs. The average weight of one egg is 65 g. The egg shell is brown or light beige. The survival rate of young chicks is 98%.

Bird Character

Master Gray chickens are calm, friendly, do not show aggression towards surrounding animals and other birds. They easily go to the hands of the owner, which simplifies the process of examination and elimination of signs of the disease.

Birds do well in open houses and cages.

Shelt and lay break

Shedding in a chicken begins 7-8 months after birth. During this period, their egg production decreases, and may stop completely. To help the birds survive this period, they are fed with special nutritional supplements.

Specific chicken keeping

Master Gray chickens are suitable for keeping in a home chicken coop and in a cage. However, it is worth considering their large size when placing.

In the home chicken coop

Birds easily tolerate air temperatures from 5 to 28 °C. In winter, they do not lay eggs, so it is recommended to warm the chicken coop. Every day, walks are held for them so that the chickens can walk through the greenery and peck at insects and worms.

In cages

In cages, it is necessary to take into account the size of the hens when placing. No more than 2 individuals are placed per 1 m^{2. They do well in cages, but chicken coops produce more eggs and cages produce more meat.}

Feeding rules

For adult hens and chicks, the method of feeding is different. For each of them, they make a separate menu and enrich the diet with certain trace elements.

Chickens

From the first days, feeding of young chicks begins with cottage cheese, eggs, vegetables, herbs, finely ground grain. The supply of food should be constant and regular. Chicks should not feel hungry. From 1.5 months they are transferred to adult food.

Feeding adult herds

Cross is picky in care. Feeding is carried out according to the table of feeding egg-meat breeds. However, do not overfeed them, individuals are prone to gaining excess weight. In the warm season, they are kept on two meals a day. In winter, they are transferred to a denser diet:

Using high protein foods that promote weight gain.
Corn and seeds are reduced as they contain a lot of fat, and for poultry this serves as an increased calorie content.
For chickens with incipient obesity, diets are carried out.

Breeding

Master Gray obtained by crossing two homozygous breeds. The chicks are heterozygous, so the next generation may not have the same set of traits as the parents.

How to get offspring

Choose for mating male and female from different parents to avoid abnormal development in future chicks. Selected individuals are walked together so that crossing with other birds does not happen. After leaving the clutch of eggs, the rooster is sent to the common pen.

Hatching Egg

Females of this breed do not have a maternal instinct. They refuse to hatch eggs. The hen lays eggs every day or every other day. So you have to use an incubator. The size of one egg is about 65 g.

Important! Master Gray offspring will not always produce hens with the same traits.

Incubation

It takes 3 weeks to incubate. The eggs are placed in an incubator. On certain days, the temperature of the content is increased or decreased, turned over on different sides. For artificial incubation, follow the scheme, which is divided into 7 periods. °C

Humidity CoolingTurn once a dayFirst38.5-3975-85 Do not chill Do not flipSecond37,8-38 Do not refrigerate 2 x 5 min. 652 x 5 minutes 6-10 6 - 10 50 - 553 x 10 mins6-10


				75-85
6-10		Third	37.8	70-75
6-10		Fourth	37.8
	Fifth	37.8	50-55	2 x 10 min.
	Sixth	37.7
Seventh	37.4	70	2 x 5 min.	Do not flip

Care for young animals

Colored broiler offspring tolerate transportation well, take root easily, and have a high survival rate. Chicks are cared for as follows:

Make sure there is a constant supply of food and water.
Food enriched with protein and minerals.
After a month and a half, the chicks are transferred to adult food.

Culling out weak individuals

Chicks are weak after hatching. To determine their strength, it is necessary to observe several weeks. Then culling is carried out:

The strongest individuals are left for further cultivation.
If possible, weak chickens are transferred to a separate enclosure.
If there is no separate cell, they are marked with paint, chip or other method.
Strong chickens are left for breeding, meat or eggs.

Diseases and their prevention

When kept in the wrong conditions, there is a chance of diseases. With the penetration of the infection, the number of eggs laid decreases, there is no proper weight gain.

The first signs appear gradually, it is necessary to carry out treatment in a timely manner.

Red chicken mite

Attack on birds occurs at night, ticks feed on the blood of chickens. Insects have a red-brown body, white spots are located on the back. In Russia, they are common in poultry houses and on wild birds. In chickens, egg production decreases, anemia appears, and weight decreases.

Important! The tick attacks people and is a carrier of encephalitis and Lyme disease.

Feather chicken mites

They live in chicken coops, they attack mainly at night. They feed on the blood of birds, settle in the hole of feathers located under the wings, on the neck. In advanced stages, they appear in the eye area, in the nostrils. The chicken is losing feathers, losing weight intensively.

Acariform parasites

Small gray parasites that feed on chicken blood. They penetrate under the feather area of the body, create discomfort for the bird, its appetite and weight decrease, the number of eggs laid decreases.

Fight disease

For treatment, they resort to certain measures:

Isolating affected chickens.
The poultry house is being disinfected, the chickens are temporarily transferred to another place.
Ignite all inventory with which the chickens have been in contact.
Ignite tools.
Chickens are treated with a chemical agent: Ecofleece, Irethrium, Ivermerk, Irethrium.
Treated with folk remedies: vegetable oil, birch tar, wormwood, mint, parsley, garlic, wood ash.

Prevention

For prevention, quartz lamps or ultraviolet recirculators are installed. They purify the air and destroy parasites. Turn on the equipment when the birds are walking. The procedure is carried out 2-3 times a day.

Main advantages and disadvantages

Breed Master Gray has its advantages and disadvantages. Benefits include:

High egg production, up to 200 eggs per year.
Used as a meat breed, the female reaches 4 kg of weight, and the male 6 kg.
Unpretentious care.
Get good contact with people and other birds.
Chicks have a 98% survival rate.

Among the shortcomings, they note the impossibility of completely obtaining such offspring as parental individuals.

Cost

One egg of this breed costs 50 Russian rubles. A one-week-old chick costs 100-150 rubles, a two-week-old chick costs 150-200 rubles. When buying eggs, you must have your own incubator. During transportation, the shell can be damaged or broken, so buying chicks is more profitable.

Two-week-old chicks are stronger than one-week-old ones. The survival rate of chickens is 98%. Therefore, young individuals give up to 200 eggs per year.

Important! The cost of chicks is low, it is recommended to buy at least 5 pieces in case a part dies.

Analogues of meat and egg crosses

The Master Gray breed has several analogues.

Pharma color

Similar to Master Gray in size. The color of the feathers is brown. Laying hens give up to 250-280 eggs per year. From 4 months of age, they begin to lay eggs. The weight of the female is 3-4 kg, and the male is 4-6 kg.

Tetra - N

Birds are medium in size, they belong to meat and egg crosses. About 280 eggs are laid in one year. The average weight of one chicken is 3.5 kg.

Redbro

Large chickens that have an average egg production of up to 160 eggs per year. Laying hens lay eggs from 5-6 months. The female weighs about 3 kg, and the male 4 kg. Birds gain weight quickly.