Breed of chickens Moscow black: description and characteristics, conditions of detention, egg production

From among the birds bred in small farmsteads, the Moscow black breed of chickens is one of the most common options. The breed does not impose specific requirements for keeping and demonstrates high productivity rates.

History of occurrence

The breed was bred by members of the Moscow Agricultural Academy together with employees of the Bratsevo poultry farm. Breeds such as the Brown Leghorn, New Hampshire and Yurlov's Voiced Chickens were used for crossing, and then the resulting hybrids were crossed with each other. Officially, the new breed was approved in 1980.

Description and characteristics of the breed

When breeding black chickens, you should first read their description. The breed has a number of individual characteristics and characteristics.

Productivity

At the age of 6 months, hens begin to lay eggs with a cream or pale brown shell. The egg production rate varies between 210-230 eggs weighing up to 62 g. With the most favorable environment, productivity increases by 15-20%.

The live weight of chickens is 2-2.3 kg, roosters - 2.7-3.5 kg. Due to well-developed muscle mass, the meat of birds of this breed is tastier in comparison with egg-bearing varieties.

Appearance

Moscow black chickens are distinguished by their neat and unusual appearance. Chicks are born dark and develop dense black feathers with a shiny surface as they develop.Many hens develop golden-copper plumage around their necks. Roosters are distinguished by the presence of light feathers on the back and shoulders.

Chickens have a broad head with a medium-sized curved beak and an upright large red comb, dark orange eyes and red-white earlobes. The outline of the body is convex, the back is oblong, the paws are set wide apart.

Hatching instinct

The Moscow Black breed has a poorly developed brooding instinct. It is recommended to use an incubator for breeding chickens.

Character of chickens Moscow black

The breed has a calm character. Hens are non-aggressive and generally balanced, so they do not need high-fenced enclosed yards.

Advantages and disadvantages

Any breed of chickens has its positive and negative characteristics. The Moscow Black breed is valued for the following benefits:

resistance to common diseases;
calm and gentle character;
endurance;
unpretentiousness to environmental conditions and diet;
good productivity;
high palatability of the resulting meat.

In addition to a number of advantages, the breed has certain disadvantages. In particular, these include:

weak brooding instinct;
late egg production;
tendency to become obese with overfeeding.

Conditions and care

The breed of Moscow black chickens is unpretentious in terms of keeping conditions and is resistant to frost, which simplifies the breeding process. Birds are well kept both in open chicken coops and in closed enclosures.

Chicken coop

When setting up a chicken coop, it is enough to observe a number of standard conditions. The walls of the house should be free of gaps, except for exhaust ventilation.The indoor floor is covered with bedding, for which dry leaves, straw, peat, hay or sunflower husks are used. The presence of bedding helps to absorb the moisture formed along with the litter.

With a litter layer thickness of about 0.5 m, it is possible to provide additional insulation and keep birds in an unheated building. Bedding material is started in the warm season and stored in a dry room, periodically checking for mold.

Place for walking

A bird yard is recommended to attach to a chicken coop in a place where a lot of grass grows. Chickens eat green vitamin feed, which saves on this. In the case of walking individuals in rainy weather, puddles quickly form on the territory, which provoke the development of diseases and the invasion of worms.For this reason, care must be taken to ensure that the exit from the patio is disinfected and drained.

Feeders and drinkers

Black hens eat more than laying hens, but less than broilers. It is important to take into account the main pattern - the amount of feed consumed affects productivity. Inside the house, you can put feeders and drinkers and, by adding feed, adjust the egg production rate.

Shelt and lay break

Moulting is a natural process and occurs in autumn when the old plumage is replaced by a new one. Until the moment when the birds are completely overgrown with new feathers, you need to protect them from frost. If possible, you should transfer the birds to the chicken coop and prevent any stressful situations. During molting, there is a break in egg production, which is restored after the growth of new feathers.

Feeding Features

Despite the unpretentiousness of chickens to nutrition, a well-designed diet has a positive effect on productivity. The meat and egg breed requires 18-20% more feed than egg layers.

Adult birds

The main food for adult chickens is complex compound feed and hay flour. To diversify the diet, you need to use grass, vegetables and fruits as additives. In moderation, you can feed the birds with boiled potatoes. Since the Moscow Black breed is phlegmatic and digests food more slowly, it is important to prevent birds from becoming obese. Chickens should always have free access to water.

Chickens

To reduce labor costs, it is easiest to feed chicks with complete, ready-to-eat feeds. Adhering to the dry type of feeding, the chicken consumes the amount of food that she needs. Feed can be in the feeders all the time and it is enough just to control its presence.

Subtleties of breeding

Due to its unassuming environmental conditions, breeding is not difficult even for beginner farmers. The easiest way to breed chickens in incubator conditions. The main factors in this case is to control the correct position of the eggs. By fixing the eggs, it will be possible to ensure the formation of an oxygen compartment in its blunt part, which allows the embryo to receive air before hatching.

Possible diseases

Moscow black chickens have no predisposition to diseases, including genetic ones. Proper care, vaccinations and preventive measures can keep chickens he althy. In rare cases, infection with mycoplasmosis occurs. Treatment of the disease requires the use of antibiotics.

Analogues

There are several breeds of chickens that are similar in most parameters to the Moscow Black. Analogues include: New Hampshire, Moscow White, Australorp, Rhode Island and Sussex. These breeds are characterized by high productivity, stable egg production and unpretentiousness to environmental conditions.