Chicken breeds: leggorn and Russian whites

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

Currently, there are a huge number of different breeds of chickens. They can be classified into three groups: egg, meat and universal. In addition, a fairly large number of highly productive hybrids - crosses - have been bred. Chickens of the egg direction are distinguished by great endurance, unpretentiousness and an excellent yield of young.

In this article, we will consider the two most interesting representatives of this group: the Leghorn chicken breed, as well as Russian whites.

Leghorns

Such an interesting name for this breed comes from the Italian city of Livorno, which in English sounds like Leghorn. It was here that these chickens first appeared, around the beginning of the 19th century. At that time, the leggorns did not differ in anything special, they did not carry too many eggs. In the 40s of the same century, these chickens came to the USA, where a lot of selection work was carried out with them. A variety of breeds of chickens were used as the starting material. Modern Leghorn is a mixture of old Italian chickens and breeds such as white minors, phoenixes, Japanese yokohamas. These chickens came to our country in the 20s of the last century. The Leghorn is currently the most popular breed in the world.

This poultry has an unusually high egg production. From one hen alone, you can get about 300 eggs per year. White leghorn chicken with a leaf-shaped scallop lays even better - up to 350 eggs per year. The weight of a cockerel can reach 3 kg. The chicken weighs a little less - up to two and a half kilograms. At the moment, more than 20 breeding plants are working in Russia to improve this breed and create hybrids.

The two most common chicken breeds we have are the Leghorn and the Russian White that descended from it. The latter was obtained by crossing with local varieties adapted to Russian conditions.

Russian white chickens

Work on the creation of chickens of this breed was started back in 1929. Selection experiments continued for more than 20 years. In 1953 the Russian White was officially approved as a breed. Her other name is Snow White. This is an unusually productive bird. One of its most interesting features can be considered the fact that it is not susceptible to such a disease as leukemia. These chickens are not at all afraid of low temperatures. Even chickens can be raised 10 degrees below normal.

One laying hen can lay up to 230 eggs a year. The weight of both hens and cockerels reachestwo and a half kilograms. Although, of course, the first ones are usually a little smaller.

Russian White and Leggorn chicken breeds can be considered one of the most productive at the moment. In Russia, of course, the first, as more adapted, is preferable for breeding. However, with proper care, excellent results can be obtained by growing leghorns as well.

Russian White and Leggorn are wonderful chicken breeds in many respects. Leggorn is a bird that is afraid of loud noise, which is expressed in a decrease in productivity. This must be taken into account. They don't like tight spaces either. However, at the same time, they get used to changes in weather conditions quite easily, which is important.