Domestic black chicken was an amazing phenomenon a couple of decades ago, but now such beauties are found all over the world, including successfully bred in Russia. They differ not only in the color of their plumage from their fellow tribesmen, but also in the color of their skin and beak. The black tint also extends to the insides of the chicken, thereby sometimes frightening the common man. It is caused by a large amount of melanin. There are many legends with black chickens: some are repulsed by the sight of dark meat, others are attracted to it. There are quite a lot of resinous chicken breeds in the modern classification; below we talk about the most popular of them, as well as what are the features and benefits of eating them.
Black meat chickens - main breeds
At the moment, two breeds of such agricultural poultry are especially popular in the Middle Kingdom, which, among other things, are distinguished by their rather high productivity. Thanks to the Chinese, farmers in Europe, Asia, America and, of course, Russia have the opportunity to keep unusual breeds of chickens on their farms:
- wow;
- ayam tsemani.
In terms of productivity, such chickens cannot be classified as either egg or meat. In China, birds of both these breeds are considered ornamental. However, at the same time, the meat of ukheyilyu and ayam tsemani is also highly valued in the Celestial Empire. In China, this product is considered a delicacy, and its price in supermarkets is very high.
Breeding in Russia
Several varieties of black breeds are bred in Russia, but the Russian with a beard is considered the most adapted to the local climate. It belongs to the egg-meat breeds, since the weight of an adult reaches 4 kg, and egg production is calculated up to 200 eggs per year.
The soot-colored Russian is distinguished by a small beard just under the beak.
Another breed already bred in Russia is the Orlovskaya. The bird's small head is tightly set on its lush neck. Despite its impressive weight - about 3 kg and sufficient productivity - 160 eggs per year, the breed is nevertheless classified as decorative.
Breeding black chickens in Russia is no different from breeding classic domestic poultry. It is necessary to provide complete, varied feeding, rich in vitamins; regular grazing and timely vaccination.
Individuals are provided with plenty of drink, and ash and shellfish are introduced into the diet to ensure a sufficient amount of calcium. One of the most amazing breeds of chickens, the longed dream of many breeders, still rare in Eastern Europe - Orlovskaya. Warmer conditions are created for decorative breeds, since they are not frost-resistant due to their complex genetic characteristics. Read about do-it-yourself cages for laying hens here.
Features of reproduction
Black chickens, due to the fact that they are the fruit of selective breeding, do not have a brooding instinct. Therefore, the resulting eggs are usually placed in an incubator and raised under artificial light and heat.
For fertilization of laying hens, the content of 1 rooster per 10 hens is calculated. Breeds are sometimes crossed, but there is no guarantee that unique qualities will be passed on. Since dark color is not a strong gene. It is best to purchase eggs from special, certified farms. This way you will protect yourself from unscrupulous farmers.
Ayam Tsemani chickens: history of the breed
The ancestors of agricultural birds of this breed live in the wild in Indonesia. Most wild chickens with black meat live in Middle Java, near the town of Solo. Initially, the breed that preceded the Ayam Tsemani was once bred by local farmers.
From Indonesia, such black meat chickens were subsequently exported to many countries in the Asian region. They became most popular in China, where the more productive Ayam Tsemani breed was developed on their basis.
Such chickens came to Europe only at the end of the last century - in 1998. Then the breeder Steverink became interested in this unusual bird. This specialist brought several individuals of ayam tsemani from China to his homeland - Holland. Later, black meat chickens also began to be bred in Slovakia, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Germany. Today, some Russian farmers also maintain ayam tsemani.
Photo gallery
Red and white silken hens
Hen with chicks Hen with black plumage
Fluffy chicken and cat Silk chickens on the run
White chicken on a winter walk
General description of chickens
The unusual color of the meat of ayam tsemani is explained primarily by a mutation in the dominant EDN3 gene, which is responsible for pigmentation. In addition to the unusual color of the carcasses, the distinctive features of chickens of this breed are:
- completely black eyes, plumage, earrings and crest;
- shortened beak of deep black color;
- dark gray color of legs;
- compact trapezoidal body;
- wings that fit tightly to the body.
Cockerels of this breed, among other things, are also the owners of very fluffy tails with noticeable elongated braids.
The standards for this breed of black meat chicken completely exclude white from the color scheme. If the jury, for example, at an exhibition, notices a white spot even on the tip of the ayam tsemani’s tongue, the individual will be immediately disqualified. It is recommended to use individuals with the most intense glossy color as breeders in this breed. The chicks of this breed also hatch with black down.
Photos of black chickens with black meat ayam tsemani are quite surprising to people who have never seen such birds before. As you can see, these birds actually look very unusual.
Feeding
In summer, birds need two meals a day (morning and evening), in winter - three times a day. The serving size should correspond to the speed at which it is eaten. On average, a chicken eats a portion in 15-30 minutes.
In summer, protein food made from insects, worms and larvae should be added to the main menu. Finely chopped grass can be used as a herbal component in summer, and dried nettle in winter.
In winter, you can feed pieces of meat and food scraps. Supplements of vitamins and minerals will support the metabolic processes of laying hens.
Important! The presence of fine gravel in chicken feeders or shell rock is a must.
Economic characteristics
Chickens with black meat of this breed, like any other decorative ones, of course, do not grow too big. Ayam tsemani cockerels in most cases weigh 1.8-2.0 kg. For chickens this figure is 1.2-1.5 kg. But the meat of representatives of this breed is really very tasty - not dry and quite soft.
Males of this breed reach sexual maturity at the age of 10 months. Ayam tsemani hens, like regular laying hens, begin laying eggs at the age of 5-8 months. In a year, one such hen can lay up to 100-120 eggs. At the same time, ayam tsemani are simply wonderful hens and mothers. In any case, the survival rate of young animals in this breed is as much as 95-100%.
The eggs of black chickens with black meat are not too large. Their maximum weight is 50 g. The color of ayam tsemani eggs is not black, but soft pink. Like ordinary chickens, ayam tsemani can lay eggs in one nest by several hens at once.
Fighting
Representatives of fighting chickens are distinguished by developed muscles, good immunity and a “bad” character.
Tuzo
The birds are small in size (up to 1.2 kg for roosters), have well-developed muscles, an oval-shaped body, powerful legs (they can run quickly). The plumage has a greenish sheen, the feathers tightly, like chain mail, fit the body. Temper is quick-tempered, aggressive. They love to crow with or without reason. Egg production – up to 60 eggs, 35-38 g each.
Sumatran chickens
The fighting breed is distinguished by a number of characteristics: double or triple spurs on roosters, endurance and aggressiveness, weak egg production (up to 50 eggs). The weight of roosters is up to 3 kg. They do not tolerate cold and darkness well. Requires daily walking.
Features of content and character
In the Russian climate, ayam tsemani will have to build an insulated shed and equip it with a heating system. These black meat chickens do not tolerate the cold very well. It is advisable to keep these chickens separately from other birds in the future. Ayam Tsemani cockerels are not very aggressive. However, a feature of chickens of this breed is timidity. Owners should not make too sudden movements in the poultry house or, for example, talk loudly. This can have an extremely negative impact on the productivity of ayam tsemani in terms of egg production.
Apart from the need to maintain heat in the house, caring for these black meat chickens is practically no different from the methods of keeping any other breeds, including domestic ones. The feeding scheme for such laying hens and cockerels is usually chosen the same as for hens of the egg production direction.
This bird is usually kept using the floor method, setting up perches in the barn and installing nests next to them. The diet of ayam tsemani includes grain, bran and vegetable mash. An aviary is being built next to the poultry house. At the same time, they place it behind the chicken coop - away from prying eyes, where these black meat chickens will feel calm.
Breeding
Breeding purebred chickens is not difficult, because female ukheiliyu have retained a strong instinct of brood hens, and take a responsible approach to incubating eggs and subsequent care of the offspring. Let us note that even roosters are capable of incubating eggs - if the hen has moved away from the clutch, the male will not disdain to sit in the nest.
The Ukheiliyu breed reaches sexual maturity at eight months of age, and that is when they begin to lay eggs. It is interesting that some farmers place eggs of other hens under chickens of this breed, who refuse to hatch them - they will not only wait for the chickens to hatch, but will also undertake their further “raising”.
Uheiliyu chickens
Thus, there are no difficulties in breeding black chickens, except that there should be several breeding roosters in the poultry yard. If one male takes care of all the chickens, then after a couple of generations the breed will begin to degenerate, and the chickens will be sickly, and will soon begin to lose the external qualities inherent in real birds.
Uheiliyu chickens, dried after hatching, immediately have a dark ash shade of fluff and black large eyes. However, the distinctive plumage of the chicks does not grow very quickly, and the chicks do not begin to gain weight soon - this breed does not belong to the early meat breed.
The chicks' down doesn't immediately turn jet black.
How to care for chickens?
Ukheyilyu are very productive birds, approximately 95% of the total mass of eggs hatch, and the same percentage is the survival rate of newborn chickens. Chicks of the Ukheyilyu breed do not differ in care from chickens of any other breed, but the farmer needs to know some features:
- chickens cannot tolerate drafts, heat or low temperatures at all;
- chicks cannot be transported to a new place until they are a week or more old;
- To raise healthy livestock, you need to add boiled mother hen eggs to the chicken feed.
Teenagers wow
History of the Ukheiliyu breed
The peculiarity of this breed is, first of all, that, in fact, it was not bred by the Chinese at all. These chickens were simply found by the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom in the wild in the 80s of the last century. Peasants discovered two such laying hens and one cockerel quite by accident in the mountains of one of the Chinese provinces, isolated from civilization.
Later, these chickens were brought also to Europe. Of course, some domestic farmers also became interested in this breed.
Breeders reviews
In our country, few breeders want to engage in the Chinese silk breed of chickens. We don’t know the reasons for this, but we assume that it’s all due to decorative purposes. In most cases, no more than a dozen chickens are bred, only for decorative purposes. Reviews from breeders about this bird are only positive. Firstly, they just can’t stop looking at the unusual beauty of these laying hens. By looking at the photos and videos in our article, you will understand everything yourself.
Secondly, there is a calm disposition and quick adaptation to the owner. Thirdly, keeping and feeding such chickens is not particularly difficult. They eat the same as ordinary laying hens, but much less. In most cases, they are kept in unheated sheds. They survive winters down to -10-15 degrees Celsius well, the main thing is that there is no dampness. In more severe winters, the room will have to be additionally heated or insulated.
General description of the breed
The peculiarity of these Chinese black meat chickens, photos of which can be seen below on the page, is actually a very original appearance. From Chinese, the name of these chickens “Uheyiliu” is translated as “five black and one green”. This is primarily due to the appearance of the breed. The eggs of Ukheyilyu chickens are green. Moreover, they have five black body parts: feathers, comb, bones, skin and meat.
The carcasses of these black meat chickens are quite neat and have a completely marketable appearance. In addition to the black color of all parts of the body, the features of this breed include:
- glossy green tint in plumage;
- V-shaped body;
- light frame;
- powerful chest;
- powerful wings;
- bushy tail of cockerels.
The peculiarity of chickens of this breed is, among other things, that they can fly well. Another notable characteristic of the ukheiliyu is its dense plumage, under which there is also quite thick fluff.
Which is better?
Types of black chickens are conventionally divided into 3 main categories depending on their purposes:
- decorative;
- egg;
- egg and meat.
Therefore, it is best to choose a breed after you decide which variety suits you. It must be taken into account that in any of the categories egg production is quite active in all breeds. Therefore, it is important to consider whether you need decoration, and whether the birds will be slaughtered for meat.
Based on this, select the variety. Rate the chickens based on three indicators: body weight, number of eggs per year, egg weight. Meat breeds are larger and heavier; if you rely on egg production, take the number of eggs and their weight as a basis.
It is important to know that the productivity of chickens can be increased, but this must be done as carefully and carefully as possible. Under no circumstances should chemicals be used.
The only justified method is the introduction of mineral and vitamin supplements into the feed, high-quality nutrition, and proper care of the livestock.
Breed productivity indicators
Like ayam tsemani, ukheiliyu do not grow too large. The weight of cockerels of this breed is 1.8-2 kg. Chickens in most cases weigh 1.5 kg. Laying hens of this breed lay slightly more eggs than ayam tsemani - about 180 eggs per year.
The hen instinct of this breed of black chickens with black meat is simply excellent. Like ayam tsemani, ukheiliyu are often able to preserve all the offspring they breed. This breed, among other things, has one interesting feature. Not only hens, but also cockerels can incubate eggs.
Meat
Representatives of meat breeds are distinguished by their inactivity, calm disposition, and developed maternal instinct.
Black gate
The standard has been known since 1874 and is distributed throughout the world. The color of roosters is more saturated, the feathers are green. The weight of a male is 5 kg, females - up to 3.7 kg. Egg production is average - up to 150 eggs.
Care
Thus, we found out what ukheiliyu is - a breed of chicken with black meat. The photo and description of these birds allows us to judge them as very unusual residents of the farmstead. In any case, of course, you need to care for the ukheyilyu correctly.
Despite the thick plumage, chickens of this breed, like ayam tsemani, unfortunately, do not tolerate frost or extreme heat very well. Experienced farmers advise maintaining the optimal temperature in the poultry house with ukheyilyu within +15...+19 °C.
These chickens are also considered very demanding in terms of cleanliness. The farmer will have to clean out the chicken house at least once a week. Unlike the ayam tsemani, who spend most of the day in the chicken coop, the ukheiliyu love to walk. Therefore, for such a bird, an aviary should be equipped next to the barn.
To prevent black meat chickens from flying away, the run should be covered with a net on top. Farmers feed the ukheyilyu with mash and grain. Premixes, chalk, and salt are also added to the bird’s diet. In addition, a good solution would be to offer fish and special feed from time to time.
Breeding
There are usually no problems when breeding the breed. Females have well developed maternal qualities. They hatch their eggs, as they say, until victory. Then they provide their child with reliable protection.
An equally interesting point is that laying hens do not refuse eggs and chicks taken from chickens of other breeds. That is, thanks to the feathered Chinese women, it is possible to solve the problem associated with the incubation of eggs obtained from chickens with no maternal instinct.
When breeding any breed, it is important to prevent an extremely undesirable form of inbreeding - inbreeding. Such inbreeding causes congenital deformities and anomalies
To avoid an unpleasant prospect? It is necessary to periodically change manufacturers. You can borrow a rooster or a couple of males (at least for a few weeks) from a familiar breeder.
Here is another breed feature - initially black chickens. There is no need to worry about slow weight gain in young animals. Again, we are talking about a wild and, accordingly, late-ripening bird.
Caring for Ukheiliyu chickens
The hatchability of chickens with the right approach to natural incubation is 95%. The loss of young animals of the first age group is about 5%.
The strategy for caring for Ukheyiliyu chicks almost completely coincides with that when raising chickens of other egg breeds. Therefore, let's focus on the main nuances.
- Firstly, drafts and excessively high or low temperatures are unacceptable in a room with young animals.
- Secondly, what if day old chicks are usually transported? then in our case it is better to postpone this event. It is advisable to wait until the young animals are at least 7 days old.
- Thirdly, boiled eggs should be present in the chickens’ diet at first. The recommended age for laying young animals is 3 months. Why is it so late, you ask? Blackies are very shy.
