The biggest chickens in the world: breeds, description, photo

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

In any countryside, it is customary to keep chickens in farmsteads. But the bird that is kept in the yards rarely turns out to be thoroughbred, since not everyone gives birth to hens of large breeds. There are many reasons explaining this phenomenon, but the main one is the high feed costs. In addition, not everyone knows which are the largest chickens in the world.

Rock directions

Perhaps, the chicken can be considered the very first domesticated bird. Why her, and not geese or ducks? The answer is simple. No bird has as many productive directions as a chicken.

Breeds are combined into the following groups:

1. Egg. These hens are characterized by increased egg production.
2. Meat and egg. Birds of this direction are characterized by a greater body weight (when compared with egg breeds), but have lower egg production. Pure lines or crosses are often kept in farmsteads, where the goal is not only to get eggs, but also tasty meat.
3. Meat. This group includes those breeds that are heavy. Brahma is a typical representative of this group. This is not a leader in the chicken family, but one ofthe largest varieties of chickens.

And the total number of chicken breeds and crosses exceeds two hundred, but only a few of them can boast of impressive dimensions.

Giants of the chicken family

Breeds that are large in size belong to two directions. These are meat-egg and meat. Here is the bird size ranking:

1. Jersey giant.
2. Master Grey.
3. Cochinchin.
4. Brahma.
5. Dorking.

There are other large species, but the largest chickens in the world are representatives of the above breeds.

Now let's take a closer look at each of these birds.

Jersey Giant

As the name suggests, this breed is native to the USA. Its history goes back hundreds of years.

The first representatives were bred by Uham Dexter in 1915, but the new breed was officially recognized only in 1922. It happened in the state of New Jersey, after which the poultry farmer named a new variety of chickens.

Initially, the largest chickens in the world were exclusively black in color, but later breeders brought out various color variations. Now there are three colors:

• Black.
• White.
• Blue.

All these colors are recognized. At exhibitions, the conformity of birds to the breed description is carefully monitored.

Jersey giant belongs to the meat direction, but it is not grownjust to get tasty meat. This breed is often kept for aesthetic purposes, because a beautiful and large bird can decorate any courtyard. The largest breed of chickens in the world is shown in the photo below.

Roosters weigh about 7 kg on average, but there have been cases when the weight of the bird was about 10 kg. Chickens reach a body weight of 4-4.5 kg, and begin to rush seven months after birth. In a year, one bird can lay up to 180 eggs, which is quite a lot for a meat direction.

Experienced poultry farmers note that the largest chicken in the world is actively gaining weight for the first five months, then the growth rate decreases. For this reason, slaughter of young animals is recommended before the age of six months.

Master Gray

It is generally accepted that the first representatives of the breed were bred in France. But this is a very controversial statement, as some believe that Hungary is their homeland. In the CIS, this breed of the largest chickens in the world was often called the Hungarian giant.

Roosters usually grow up to 7kg and hens up to 4kg. Their characteristic difference from the breed described above is their increased egg production. One bird can produce up to three hundred eggs a year. It is worth noting their increased weight. Sometimes one testicle can reach 90 grams.

A typical breed color is gray-white plumage with dark patches.

The breed is characterized by excellent he alth and adaptability, so they can be kept in cages. However, in spacious enclosures, the bird grows faster andhas better he alth.

Young hens start laying at the age of four months. At first, the weight of the eggs is small, but gradually it increases. This rule applies to layers of any breed.

Cochinchin

We owe this beautiful breed to China. This is where these birds were bred. However, according to some reports, Vietnam should be considered the birthplace of the cochinchin, where the breed characteristics of the bird were fixed.

Looking at photos of the largest chickens in the world, you will definitely pay attention to cochinchin. It is slightly inferior in size to the two previous breeds, but in beauty it is the undisputed leader. The body of these birds is covered with loose plumage from the crown to the fingertips. No wonder they are often kept for decorative purposes.

The color of both hens and cockerels is different, but the following are more often distinguished:

• Blue.
• White.
• Black with a greenish tinge.
• Fawn.
• Black and white.
• Striped (variegated).

The weight of the largest roosters can reach 5.5 kg, the weight of hens rarely reaches 4 kg. Egg production is small (about 120 eggs per year). The first eggs that a young hen lays can be expected no earlier than the eighth month of life.

Interestingly, this breed has small representatives. They are called pygmy cochinchins.

Brahma

This is one of the oldest breeds. The history of its formation spans almost two centuries, although it was officially recognized onlyin 1874. It was bred in the United States. For selection, other breeds were used (Cochinchina and Malay).

The original goal of breeding was to produce a bird with good meat characteristics. We must pay tribute to the poultry farmers - they managed to achieve their goal. In the 20th century, Brahma was one of the five popular breeds among breeders and fanciers.

But over time, breeding priorities have changed. Breeders began to select birds on decorative grounds. This led to an improvement in appearance, but the weight of the hens also decreased. If a few decades ago, roosters weighing up to 7 kg were often encountered, now their average weight is 5 kg. However, it is still a very large bird. The average weight of hens is currently 4 kg.

They begin to lay their first eggs in the eighth month of their life. The total egg production per year is 120 eggs. Their mass rarely exceeds 60 grams.

From the third year of life, the egg production of chickens is noticeably reduced (this is typical for most breeds). And from the fifth year of life, chickens begin to lay less than fifty eggs a year. All this should be taken into account by those who intend to professionally engage in the maintenance of this bird.

There are four main colors of the breed:

• Fawn.
• Dark.
• Light.
• Partridge.

The content of Brama is unpretentious and well suited for the climatic conditions of Russia. It is this factor that can largely explain the growing popularity of this breed among breeders.

Brahma have one more plus -due to their large size, they are able to fend for themselves, so they are not afraid of cats and small dogs.

Dorking

This breed was deliberately bred. The main selection criteria were fast weight gain and resistance to difficult climatic conditions. The selection was carried out in the UK, in the city of Dorking, after which the new breed is named.

All this happened in the distant 19th century. For breeding purposes, the largest chickens brought from Italy were selected, as well as local birds that have lived in the difficult climate of England for centuries.

Dorking does not have a wide variety of colors. There are only two of them:

• White.
• With colored feathers (various colors).

Roosters of this breed reach a mass of 4.5 kg, and hens - up to 3.5 kg. The average egg production per year is 120-140 eggs, the weight of which can exceed 60 grams.

Chickens of this breed are quite demanding to care for. If the conditions and food are not suitable, then the death of the young is possible.

Adult bird has great endurance and adapts to even the most difficult climatic conditions.

Should I get big chickens

If you have a desire to engage in subsidiary farming, then before you start any poultry or livestock, you should seriously think about it. Here are some tips to help you understand if you are ready for this difficult and responsible task:

• First, you need to know exactly if you will have time to care for animals.
• Secondly, you need to decide which breed to choose. Do not take a bird that is difficult to keep if you do not have any practical experience in such a matter. You may not cope, and your chickens will die, and this will discourage the desire to engage in subsidiary farming for a long time.
• Thirdly, evaluate your financial capabilities, since the maintenance of a large livestock requires certain financial costs.

Cock without a head

One case that occurred in the USA in 1945 is very indicative. It so happened that farmer Lloyd Olsen decided to cook chicken for dinner. To do this, he chose a young cockerel of the Wyandot breed and hacked him to death. But what happened next shocked him: the bird got up and walked along the road as if nothing had happened.

This story is well known all over the world, because the rooster was later shown for money. From the moment of chopping off the head and until the death of Michael (as this amazing bird was called), a year and a half passed.

This event took place in the state of Colorado, there is also a monument to this unique bird that changed the perception of reality for many people.

Science has still not been able to explain this case, because until the end of his days Michael not only lived, but also behaved in a natural way for chickens (even slept on a perch).

Chicken long-liver

Most chickens live for about 4-5 years, because their main egg production occurs in the first 2-3 years of life. And in poultry farms, poultry keeping is generally practiced up to one year,it is then slaughtered or sold to the public.

In the countryside, the attitude towards chickens is somewhat different, but no one keeps them for a long time either. The maximum life expectancy from natural death rarely exceeds 10 years.

But there was one reported case, which happened in China in 1988. A 22-year-old chicken was found there. She was supposed to have laid over 5,000 eggs in her lifetime.