Silver chickens description of the breed. Positive Feedback

Adler silver breed of chickens is an opportunity to simultaneously get excellent meat and constant egg laying. The performance of other meat and egg breeds is significantly inferior to this one. It is not in vain that breeders spent about 15 years of hard work to ensure that the breed satisfies all the needs of poultry farmers. With each subsequent crossing it became more and more qualitative.

The Adler silver chicken breed appeared in the 60s of the last century. The first chick was bred at the Adler poultry farm in 1966. She has now given up breeding this breed. Manufacturers appreciated the merits of chickens, which resulted in a boom in their popularity.

The main task of domestic scientists was to achieve an optimal balance of characteristics.

When breeding chickens, 5 breeds were involved: Pervomaiskaya, New Hampshire, Yurlovskaya Volosistaya, Russian White and White Plymouth Rock.

Today, Adler laying hens are admired by most farmers and poultry farmers, as they are a versatile breed that produces a lot of eggs and tasty meat.

Description of the breed

Let's start describing the chicken breed with general parameters:

Wide back, well developed chest and belly;
Straight leaf-shaped comb consisting of 5 teeth;
Small red-orange round eyes, high neck;
Red earrings, pronounced earlobes;
Massive shins, widely spaced, developed metatarsals;
Thin but tight-fitting down;
Columbian color - white body with black spots on the wings, tail, neck;
Rare and smooth feathers providing resistance to low and high temperatures;
The paws and the beak curved at the end are colored yellow.

Roosters of this breed are true gentlemen. They keep order in the chicken coop, teach the females to lay eggs in a certain place, and will never approach the manger until it is full.

They are distinguished by a powerful chest, developed muscles and a rounded tail. They weigh 3-4.5 kg. Peak growth is observed before 1 year.

Characteristics of the Adler laying hen:

Small neck and head compared to a rooster;
Flat pink comb;
Rounded wings, due to which the bird does not fly high;
Thick, lush feathers are white-silver;
Weight 2.5-2.8 kg.

By nature, the birds are calm and peaceful, rarely fight among themselves. They easily get used to people, make friendly contact, love affection and communication. For such a character, birds are valued even more than for their performance. Chickens quickly learn to respond to the chick-chick call. Many poultry farmers are attracted by their hardiness to living conditions. It has been noticed that the lighter the color of the laying hens' legs, the more abundantly they lay eggs.

Productivity

The meat and egg breed is characterized by increased productivity. The laying hen's egg production is high for the first 4 years, after which the old hens are replaced by a new generation. On average, up to 200 eggs are produced per year.

Adler chicken lays eggs stably under floor and net breeding conditions.

Eggs begin to be laid when hens reach 5-6 months. An earlier start of egg laying in Adler hens is dangerous for their health, causes prolapse of the oviduct, and provokes other diseases.

That is why it is necessary to artificially control sexual development and resettle females and males. The productivity of the Adler silver chicken allows it to be raised as a broiler for maximum efficiency.

Adler chickens are not demanding to care for, but if possible, it is better to keep them in a spacious area rather than in cages, although this does not affect their performance. They are much friendlier and calmer if you walk them regularly. The open area should be fenced with a 2 m fence. Chickens are kept in cages at 1 sq. m for two individuals. Perches are made standard - at a distance of 30 cm from the floor. Nests are built for laying hens.

The cage must have three troughs with dry food, wet cereal and clean water.

Crushed gravel, straw and sawdust are used as bedding. They are changed as moisture is absorbed. The maximum temperature for keeping Adler chicken is +25, the minimum is -5. Even in harsh conditions, it maintains increased egg production due to its warm feather covering.

Breeding

To breed Adler chickens, you will need an incubator, since during the selection process they have practically lost their maternal instinct. The breed of laying hens is an early breed, so already at the age of six months they are able to lay eggs weighing 60 g with a dense creamy shell. It has been observed that birds with lower body weight produce more offspring.

The great advantage of the breed is its vitality, as up to 95% of the offspring survive.

Strong babies are born with yellow fluff, which gradually turns silver. Adler roosters are distinguished by a lighter color than the “ladies”, which is noticeable already on the first day of life. To avoid competition between males, they are kept to no more than 1 in 10 females.

The babies will be healthier and stronger if they hatch before summer. The best time for laying is May, so that development occurs during short daylight hours and puberty does not have to be artificially restrained. Keeping chickens requires sufficient lighting. If it is deficient, they will be painful and weak.

In the first 10 days of life, chickens should be illuminated for at least 18 hours a day, up to a month - 14 hours. The optimal temperature is +28.

5 days after birth, they are released to walk in a limited area. If the flock is combined, then only “teenagers” are allowed in with the adult chickens. A container with sand, lime, and gravel must be placed in the cage. At home, this breed is crossed with the white Cornish to produce more meat. Week-old chickens reach 1.3 kg.

Feeding

Silver chickens need food every 2 hours for the first 10 days of life, after that - up to 7 times a day. Kids are given grated boiled yolk with semolina, gradually adding ground grains and herbs. From the 3rd day, food is sprinkled with yeast, vitamin complexes and meat waste.

They should not be given whole grains until they are 1 month old, as this can cause digestive problems.

After 4 weeks, the diet is changed, transferring the babies to dry and wet food to prevent the accelerated growth of laying hens. The amount of protein consumed is reduced, food intake is reduced to 3 times a day. Six months after birth, more foods containing calcium are given.

The Adler breed of chickens are fed alternately with worms and meat so that they are saturated with protein. Wet mash is given during the day, at night - only dry food. Adult chickens are fed twice a day. The bird's diet mainly consists of dry mixtures, namely wheat and rye.

Fish and bone meal, shell rock, and chalk are mixed into the food. It is necessary to give grated vegetables (potatoes, corn, beets, carrots, pumpkin) and food scraps. They are fed with green grass from the first days of spring so that they bear well. The more varied the composition of the food, the better the quality of the final meat indicators.

Lack of protein will cause the eggs to crumble.

The food must be freshly prepared every time. In winter it is heated. The water is changed twice a day and the manger is washed weekly. Chickens that are too fat are put on a “green diet” with grain crops. Feeding of poultry on the first day may be disrupted due to refusal of food. After 2-3 days, she gets used to the new place and gets into a routine.

Some flocks prefer exclusively wet food. Then it is given in small portions, which must be eaten within 40 minutes.

The main problem is that birds will eat whatever is given to them, so strict control of the diet is necessary.

You can see that the average weight of chickens is reflected in the lifespan of this species. Both skinny and obese birds suffer. To prevent this from happening, you should strictly adhere to the norm - 120 g of feed per day.

Care

Advantages and disadvantages

Adler silver chickens have many more advantages than disadvantages.

Advantages:

A universal breed of silver chickens;
Long-term egg production and productivity of Adler birds, which does not fall as the individual grows older;
Endurance;
Rapid adaptation to the environment and people;
High decorativeness of birds;
Resistance to diseases with proper care;
Calm character;
Low requirements for food, which significantly increases the final profitability;
Gains weight very quickly;
Juicy and soft meat;
No need for early slaughter.

Flaws:

Lack of maternal instinct;
The need for a hen, egg lining;
Keeping this breed of chicken requires high-quality lighting;
Controlling puberty.

Chickens with too long fluffy tail and braids, a large, overly developed and sloping comb, a thin and too elongated neck, and a bent body are considered rejected.

When choosing a breed for breeding, you should take into account that domestic chickens will adapt to the Russian climate much faster and begin laying eggs more actively. The Adler breed is the real pride of Russian poultry farming, ideal for home and professional rearing.

The profitability of small farms largely depends on how well they are organized. Therefore, owners very often take up the task of breeding universal breeds of poultry, from which they can immediately obtain both eggs and meat, which means the profit will be double. You can get rid of aged laying hens to your advantage, but only on the condition that the chickens have sufficient meat weight. In this regard, the Adler breed of chickens has good performance.

In addition to excellent egg and meat indicators, these chickens have other undeniable advantages. Poultry farmers in their reviews invariably note the affectionate, balanced and trusting nature of such crosses. They are also unpretentious in everyday life and have a memorable appearance.

This variety belongs to the category of crosses - hybrids with genetically specified properties. It was developed by crossing four breeds. Painstaking work was carried out over 15 years. The research site was a poultry farm in the city of Adler (Krasnodar region) - hence the name of the new species. Initially, breeders set themselves the task of obtaining a cross with high rates of survival and egg production, which, at the same time, could be bred for meat. Laying hens of the expected breed had to grow quickly and gain significant weight.

At the first stage, the egg breed Russian White and the meat breed Plymouthrock were crossed. The result was hybrids with good egg production, but the meat mass was not high enough. From this litter, the most successful specimens were selected and crossed with representatives of the New Hampshire breed. The grown-up chickens gained more weight, and the laying hens retained the ability to lay frequent eggs. After this, an experiment was carried out on mating new crosses with the Yurlovsky vociferous variety, and the fourth and fifth generations produced offspring without the infusion of genes from the outside.

Chickens of the Yurlovskaya breed

The resulting hybrid was presented to the general public in 1965. It immediately received a positive assessment from experts and began to be grown in all the republics of the USSR. After the collapse of the Union, the breed turned out to be somewhat forgotten, and now the era of its triumphant return from oblivion begins. Many farmers strive to have beautiful poultry in their backyard, especially since it is profitable from an economic point of view.

What does the Adler silver breed of chickens look like?

The first thing this variety can boast of is its spectacular appearance. Moreover, the breeders did not set the goal of breeding a hybrid with decorative characteristics, but everything turned out by itself. Adler chickens are quite large, but at the same time they have a harmonious, muscular figure. They move gracefully and even look aristocratic. The feeling of nobility of nature in these birds also arises due to their unusual color - silver-white, with black feathers on the tips of the wings, tail and neck “hood”.

According to the standard, chickens should be compact and dense. If the body is set high, this indicates a defect. Also considered substandard are individuals with a tail that is too fluffy, braids that are too long, a thin neck, or a comb that hangs to one side.

Table 1. External differences between males and females

Options	Chicken	Rooster
Torso	Quite large, fits into an oval	Longer and wider than females
Body parts	The hips are wide, the back is short, the chest and stomach protrude noticeably forward, the lower legs are strong and well developed	Long neck, wide chest, flat stomach, powerful legs
Head	Small in size with a red comb and small semicircular earrings, the beak is sharp, brownish in color	The head is small with a leaf-shaped comb with high teeth, teardrop-shaped earrings
Plumage	Silver color, black markings on wings, tail and neck collar	Silver, the feather is hard and thick, the flight feathers are black, the tail is emerald
Weight	2.6-3.8 kg	3.4-3.8 kg

Productivity indicators

Adler chickens are equally profitable to breed for both meat and eggs. This is evidenced by control indicators recorded not only at the time of breeding of this breed, but during its active breeding in different conditions. It was also experimentally revealed that, if desired, owners can make one of the main directions: if more eggs are needed, then they increase egg production in laying hens; if the birds are going to be kept for quick slaughter, then with the formation of an appropriate diet they are able to gain the required meat weight. At the same time, the chickens still lay eggs, but not in such large numbers as usual.

A laying hen of the Adler breed is capable of producing at least 180 eggs per year, and some individuals can produce up to 200 eggs. Birds demonstrate the greatest productivity in the first half of the second year of life. Chickens reach sexual maturity at 6.6-7 months. If a female begins to lay eggs at 4-5 months, then this is considered a violation - the body may become exhausted ahead of time. Therefore, it is necessary to create conditions that prevent laying: limit the diet, reduce lighting in the chicken coop, separate the cockerels from the flock (to slow down the onset of maturity in females).

As adults, chickens of the Adler variety weigh 2.6 - 3.1 kg with optimal nutrition. Cockerels are larger - up to 3.6-4 g. Birds reach their peak at the age of one year, then they can already be cut for meat. To get an even larger bird, Adlers are often crossed at home with the White Cornish breed. Such hybrid chickens already reach a weight of 1.4 kg at the age of one week.

Pros and cons of the breed

Like any other poultry hybrid, Adlers are not without their drawbacks. But if you compare them with their merits, then the positive qualities will still prevail. The advantages definitely include high productivity and versatility. These chickens can be kept in small quantities for yourself and raised for sale, and they are also an excellent acquisition for a small private farm and even for an entire poultry farm.

Another advantage is the relative ease of breeding, low prices for hatching eggs, grown chicks and even adult chickens. Moreover, the purchased birds will have a high survival rate and are unlikely to die due to weak immunity or low adaptation to new conditions.

Adlers are unpretentious in keeping, do not depend too much on seasonal conditions, and are not very picky about food, but it is still not advisable to feed them only grain or mixed feed: this reduces egg production rates. Laying hens can be kept for up to 4 years and only then cut; their meat, even at such an advanced age for chickens, retains a delicate taste, like that of young animals.

Hens and cockerels of the Adler breed have an easygoing and accommodating character, but females lack maternal instinct, so they do not hatch chicks themselves. To obtain offspring, you need to place eggs in an incubator or place them under chickens of other species. Birds have good, but not perfect, immunity; they may well get sick, so it is necessary to carry out timely prevention and vaccination.

Rules for keeping Adler chickens

There are no clear requirements regarding where to keep representatives of this breed: it is perfect for breeding in closed spaces - in cages, and in normal conditions with walking. But still, in the second case, egg production indicators are slightly better.

Chicken coops on farms are arranged in such a way that each chicken has approximately 0.5 square meters. Despite their considerable size, representatives of the Adler breed are not fans of very spacious rooms, so the compact version will be quite suitable for them, and this is also beneficial for the farmer - the building will not occupy more than the required area.

The inside of the poultry house must be clean. The floors should first be covered with a layer of fine gravel, then covered with sawdust and straw or hay placed on top. The litter will absorb moisture well, but it will have to be changed about once a week, and more often in winter. You can also add moss and peat, thanks to which the chickens will not accidentally injure their legs.

To roam, chickens need a small green area, preferably with grass and flowers - these are additional sources of plant food for the birds. It is recommended to surround the area with a fence or net about 2m high - Adlers have quite powerful wings and take off quite well.

What and how to feed

Silver Adlers are also not picky about food, but their diet needs to be carefully planned so that productivity indicators do not deteriorate. The menu should be varied and nutritious. The more balanced the diet, the better the chickens will gain weight and lay eggs.

Adler chickens can be fed three or even four times a day. All food not eaten within an hour should be removed from the feeders. Birds must always have fresh water - it is changed twice a day. In the cold season, chickens are given wet mixtures heated to a comfortable temperature.

The diet of birds should include grain every day: once in a brewed form and once in a dry form. The best option is a combination of wheat and barley. A serving of each individual is approximately 30-40 g. Special feed for meat and egg poultry is added to the grain in the morning.

Also, protein products should be used in mash: meat and bone meal, fish and meat leftovers, salt (in very small quantities) and greens (grass, corn cobs, potato peelings, fodder beets, tops, etc.)

Disease Prevention

Chickens of this breed are not susceptible to any specific diseases, but they can catch a very common illness. Especially if they are kept in the yard with other birds. But in general, their survival rates are very good due to their high immunity - 88-90% on average. However, such a solid indicator is also the merit of the poultry farmer, who must make efforts to preserve the livestock.

Breeding and caring for young animals

You can also get chickens from eggs that laying hens lay in their own backyard. But you should not expect the hens to hatch them on their own - they lack maternal instinct, so the eggs must either be placed in an incubator or placed under a hen of a different species. In order for them to have a strong shell suitable for protecting the future chick, laying hens should begin to be fed with shell rock and limestone in advance.

In the first days, chickens need round-the-clock lighting and warmth - about 27-28 degrees. One-day old chicks are given a finely chopped hard-boiled egg with dry semolina. On the second day, you can already offer them chopped green food. The next day, grated vegetables are introduced into the diet with the addition of a small amount of yeast. For another ten days, the chicks are given food approximately once every two hours, then every 3 hours, etc., until they switch to the adult diet. Gradually, the menu should include meat waste and vitamin ingredients.

From the 5th day of life, the daylight hours for chicks should be reduced to 18 hours, from the 10th day to the 30th day - to 14 hours. After a month, the young animals are gradually transferred to an adult diet: they begin to give grain, mixed feed, and reduce the amount of protein. The number of meals is limited to 4, portions are reduced. The lighting in the chicken coop is left only for 8 hours. Two-month-old juveniles can be gradually moved to adult chickens.

Conclusion

The Adler breed of chickens is beautiful and productive; it belongs to the egg-meat crosses bred by Soviet breeders. Its breeding is profitable in all respects, and the maintenance costs are fully justified. However, they are not too high, given the fact that this variety has an unpretentious character and good immunity. Birds rarely get sick, but it is recommended to vaccinate them to reduce the risk. In addition, we must not forget about keeping the chicken coop clean and dry and maintaining good hygiene.

Video - Adler chickens

For any poultry farmer, regardless of the size of the farm, there is an urgent question about choosing a suitable breed of chickens. Meat ones give good weight gain, their meat has excellent taste. Laying hens are bred to produce large eggs in large quantities. There are chickens (they are called meat-egg chickens) that combine these qualities. Among the most popular is the Adler silver breed of chickens.

Origin

The breed was obtained by breeders of the Adler poultry farm. Their goal was to create large, fast-growing poultry with stable egg production and tasty meat. For this purpose, multi-stage crossing of a number of breeds was carried out.

The main difficulty was to achieve the optimal balance of all the required qualities. The descendants of the Russian white chicken of the first and second generations (after mating with Pervomai chickens) had high egg production, but low meat production. Among several generations of these chickens, individuals with high viability were selected and crossed with New Hampshires. The latter have significantly improved meat quality.

The third and fourth generations were crossed without adding fresh blood. Among them, the best individuals were selected, including based on their exterior, and a new look for the future breed began to take shape. The next generation received a portion of the white Plymouthrock genes, which further improved the meat quality. The sixth generation was crossed with Yurlov roosters. Their offspring went through the process of backcrossing with the remaining pure fifth generation, which made it possible to consolidate egg production. And among their offspring, individuals were selected that met the standard. This is how the Adler silver chicken breed appeared. About 10 years were spent on the work, and in 1965 the new breed was introduced to the world.

Description of the breed

Adler silver is perfectly adapted to our climate and tolerates cold winters well. Even if you take an adult, it will easily tolerate a change in environment and diet. These chickens are generally distinguished by their high vitality, which is manifested in everything: from the survival of chickens to resistance to diseases in adult birds. The egg production period is up to four years, which is an order of magnitude longer than that of other laying hens. At the same time, the quality and quantity of eggs does not decrease during this period. Adler Silver chickens have flattering characteristics.

Among the main advantages:

Unpretentiousness;
Endurance;
High productivity;
Friendly character.

The head is neat, round, proportional to the body. The beak is yellow. The lobes are smooth and red. The comb is medium-sized, straight, leaf-shaped, with five even teeth. The eyes are round and copper-colored. The neck is not long, the decorative feathers are moderately developed. The wings are pressed to the body. The tail is small, rounded, with curved braids. The lower legs are powerful and of medium size. Metatarsus widely spaced, yellow. Females are smaller and have a more graceful head; the crest is smaller than that of males. The feather color is Colombian. With a predominant white color, the flight feathers, braids and decorating neck feather are black.

The following signs lead to culling of an individual:

Overdeveloped tail, long braids;
The comb is too large and hangs to one side;
Thin long neck;
Exaggerated positioning of the body.

Productivity characteristics

“Meat” laying hens of the Adler silver breed are distinguished by their excellent productivity. Over the course of a year, a healthy adult produces about 180 large (up to 60 g) eggs. Egg production depends on weight - the smaller it is, the more (up to 200 pieces per year) the chicken lays. The eggs are light brown. The silver hen is ready to produce eggs at the age of six months. Sometimes they start laying eggs earlier, which is undesirable for health.

Representatives of this meat and egg breed quickly gain weight. Females at one year of age weigh about 2.5 kg. Adler silver roosters at the same age reach a weight of 4 kg. These birds can also be raised as broilers by providing them with special nutrition. Good results are obtained by mating Adler chickens with other meat and egg breeds (except those that participated in breeding). The offspring gains weight very quickly, the meat has excellent taste. This applies only to the first generation; the next ones do not give such results.

Content Features

To successfully raise Adler Silver chickens, it is worth considering several nuances.

Birds are characterized by early egg production, which can lead to disease and even loss of productivity. To prevent laying before six months of age, artificial developmental delay is used. The easiest way is to hatch young animals in early summer. In this case, the bird develops with decreasing daylight hours and makes its first clutch on time. The second method is dietary restriction and artificial reduction of daylight hours.
Adler chickens tolerate cage housing well, but feel better free-range.
The floor of the chicken coop must be lined with moisture-absorbing litter. Be sure to provide chickens with the opportunity to take sand and ash baths.

Breeding

Breeding this breed is fraught with certain difficulties. Adler chickens have a dulled maternal instinct, so they do not hatch eggs. Fertility does not suffer and is almost 100%. You can breed chicks using an incubator. It is better to lay the eggs in early May, so that the chicks will appear by summer. Let us recall that in this case, the development of chickens will occur with shortening daylight hours. If the farm does not have an incubator, but there are laying hens of other breeds, you can lay eggs for them. This is done “behind the chicken’s back” so that she does not notice the forgery.

Features of feeding

High egg production directly depends on a balanced diet. In addition to cereals, the diet should include vegetables and mineral supplements. The “diet” of chicks and adults is different.

Proper nutrition from the first days of life is the key to strong immunity and high productivity, so only high-quality feed is chosen for chickens. Day-old chicks are fed a hard-boiled egg and rolled in semolina (so that it does not stick to the legs). From the second day of life, greens are added; then gradually add grated vegetables (carrots, pumpkin, beets). It is useful to add baker's yeast in a small concentration to the food.

Feeding is frequent. The first 10 days - every two hours. Then they reduce it to 7 times a day. Until the age of one month, chickens should absolutely not be given whole grains. A valuable source of proteins are meat waste and worms. Vitamin and mineral supplements are required.

For chicks over 4 weeks old:

Feeding 3-4 times a day;
Increase the grain component of the feed;
They produce several types of grain: ground millet and barley;
Be sure to place a container with gravel and sand, to which you can add lime additives.

Adult silver Adler:

Feeding 3-4 times a day at regular intervals;
Dry food predominates. Each chicken should eat about 45 g of wheat and 35 g of barley per day;
Dry food is given at the first feeding (early in the morning) and at the last (as late as possible);
In the middle of the day they give vitamin feed and wet mash;
In the cold season, wet food is given warm in small portions so that the bird has time to eat before it cools down;
Greens and vegetables (potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, corn) are added to the food;
Cereals, fish or bone meal, as well as chalk or shell rock (for shell strength) are used as mineral additives.

The Adler silver breed always has good reviews. This is due to high adaptability and productivity. These birds have strong immunity, are unpretentious in feeding and care, and high egg production persists for several years.

In 2015, our whole family moved to the Krasnodar region. They bought a house in the village and, as a result, in addition to housing, they also acquired a personal plot on which a fairly good chicken coop was built.

A week after our arrival, my husband and I went to the market and bought ourselves 7 chickens. There were five hens and two cockerels aged three months. These chickens were white, but with a beautiful silver collar and the same silver tail. Only two months later we found out that we had Adler silver chickens; when we bought them, no one could tell us anything for sure. The seller actually called them “local silver coins.”

We purchased the bird without relying on any knowledge or advice from others. We took the chickens because I really liked them. But then we encountered some problems and disadvantages of this breed.

But the problem was that the careless seller promised us that we would receive the first eggs in a month, since this is an early-ripening breed of chickens. In fact, our beauties began to lay eggs exactly the day before the New Year 2016, we were pleased, so to speak. That is, the Adler silver breed is not at all precocious, but quite ordinary. This has already been tested on the second generation of these chickens.

Another problem was the passion of our birds for flying, wherever we caught them. All the roofs, fences and trees in the garden were checked by the chickens' lungs. I urgently had to enclose the chicken pen with netting not only on the sides, but also on top, and even trim the wings of the main rooster so that he would not lead the entire flock along with him.

Adler silver chickens fly well

Roosters, by the way, are very homely and economical. Our head of the chicken garrison began to take his girlfriends along with him a month after the purchase, but in addition to his homeliness, he also became more aggressive. I stopped entering the pen because the rooster was flying at me and trying to hit me. But we couldn’t get rid of the male, since in the spring we planned to lay the eggs in an incubator to hatch chickens.

As for poultry feed. For the first time, we purchased special feed and grain, fed only dry mixtures and grass. However, literally a month later I switched the bird to a mixed diet. From time to time I cooked them a mash of zucchini, pumpkin, and watermelon. Fortunately, it was autumn, and there was enough of this goodness left on the state farm fields.

Our silver hens calmly endured the winter in an uninsulated pen, but protected from wind and precipitation. At any temperature, the bird walked in the fresh air and received full sunlight and oxygen. There were no diseases or viruses during the winter period. In the spring, the entire chicken tribe was in full force.

At the beginning of March, we decided to put the egg in the incubator to get our own offspring. However, this was our mistake. The fact is that the chickens were still quite young and laid very small eggs. When hatched, the chicks were very weak and small. And we bred early. The first chickens appeared on the first of April, it was still quite cool outside, and there was no room for keeping chickens as such. I had to set up a box for them in the summer kitchen. But there was not enough room for 50 chickens, and several chickens died from overcrowding and lack of air.

Our chickens are from Adler Silvers

Walking them in the fresh air on warm days was also quite problematic; there was no fenced-off area, and birds of prey flew periodically. In general, I rushed around with these chickens like a chicken and an egg. However, by June, the chicks had grown enough and we transferred them to a common chicken coop, only separating them with a light partition from the adult tribe.

The youngsters were fed only dry feed from the Start series and chopped green grass. However, they managed to make a mistake here too. The husband and son caught small fish and gave them in large quantities to the chicks for food. The chickens, of course, ate with pleasure, but then several died from liver inflammation, the fact is that fish oil in excess is harmful to chickens and chickens. Fish can be given, but not more than 200 grams per kilogram of dry food and only in crushed form.

By the fall, we calculated that, in relation to the eggs laid in the incubator, we had a 65% yield of already mature hens. In principle, for the first time it’s not even bad. Now the younger generation has begun to lay its first eggs.

The Adler Silver is in principle a good breed, but I didn’t really like it. Their egg production is not very high. Any changes in weather conditions or lack of light in winter greatly affects egg production. For example, in December and January of this year, our birds did not fly at all, most likely due to the lack of sunny days. I calculated that on average one chicken of this breed produces 180-200 eggs per year. This is a low number for me.

However, I don’t intend to get rid of my “silver coins” just yet. The fact is that the Adler Silver is a very sociable breed. They got used to me very quickly and are not at all afraid. They fit freely on your hands and allow you to inspect body surfaces for the presence of pests. Another good thing about the breed is that chickens are very resistant to viral diseases. Around here, many chickens began to die in the fall, sort of like bird flu, but ours didn’t even sneeze, so to speak. We did not have such problems as feather eaters or ticks. Our chickens are always clean, completely covered with feathers, and have no bald spots.

The Adler silver breed is omnivorous and can absorb not only special food, but also regular rice flour, ground corn, as well as green food, table scraps and boiled pumpkin. They especially love ordinary fresh zucchini, which they peck in literally half an hour, or even less. For better egg production, I feed pure wheat every day in the evening.

Now there are several breeds in my poultry house, but the Adler Silver is still the dominant one. I don’t even want to chop two-year-old chickens for meat; they have now begun to lay eggs well, and I’m very used to them. And yet, in May, most likely, I will receive another offspring from them for further cultivation.

Among amateur farmers, the most popular breeds are those that combine the advantages of meat and egg chickens. The Adler silver chicken breed is one of the best options. The meat of these birds is soft and tasty, and they are able to lay eggs consistently at any time of the year. A bonus to good productivity will be a luxurious appearance, calm character and absolute unpretentiousness. Next, we will take a closer look at the characteristics of the Adler breed, the features of its content and the volume of productivity.

Breed overview

An unusual meat and egg breed of chickens was artificially bred by domestic breeders. The purpose of experiments with various breeds was to increase the timing and volume of productivity. And I must admit, the specialists of the poultry farm in Adler succeeded. On average, a chicken can maintain good egg production and meat quality for 3-4 years, so the period of keeping the livestock has increased significantly (compared to 1 year for other breeds).

Adler birds are widespread in the south, since the birds are not picky about climatic conditions. Their feathers are quite sparse and smooth, which allows them to feel comfortable even at 37-40°C, while egg production does not suffer. The number of eggs in winter is slightly reduced, which can also be considered a plus of the breed. Both in the southern summer heat and in the northern frosty latitudes, birds of this breed rarely get sick.

Origin

The breed was bred artificially in a poultry farm in the city of Adler in 1965. Selection work began in 1951, but was quite difficult, so it dragged on for more than 10 years. The basis was taken from 5 breeds with good meat quality, fast growth and high egg production:

Pervomayskaya;
Russian white;
Yurlovskaya vociferous;
Plymouthrock white;
New Hampshire.

The selection took place in several stages:

Males of the Pervomaiskaya breed, together with Russian White hens, produced the 1st and 2nd generation of offspring. Then there was a breeding period within the breed.
The best hens from the first stage were selected and crossed with New Hampshire roosters to improve meat quality. After which the resulting subspecies crossed with each other.
The most viable representatives of the second stage were selected based on the principle of high early maturity and appearance.
To improve the meat parameters, white Plymouth Rock cockerels were added to the best individuals of the previous stage, after which the stage of crossing within the experimental breed again followed.
The best chickens mated with Yurlovsky vocal roosters - this was the final stage of work, after which the Adler Silver received breed status and a detailed description.

Currently, silver Adlers are bred mainly on private farms; the native poultry farm has abandoned the breeding of this species.

Appearance

Breeders love silver Adlers not only for their productivity, but also for their luxurious color and noble shape. Many representatives of the breed are not inferior to their decorative relatives in terms of appearance. From the 5 breeds that formed the basis of the silver Adler, the cockerels and hens took the best.

The purebred individuals took the rare, but fairly tight-fitting plumage from the Pervomaisky and Yurlovsky ancestors. From them they also got the Colombian color of the feathers with black braids and the tail segment of the wing.
Medium sized body. They are stocky, with a wide straight back, a well-developed chest and a high neck with strong bones, but not heavy. The back is straight only at first glance. Upon closer inspection, you can see a slight angle of inclination towards the tail.

On a high straight neck there is a round proportional head, relatively wide. It has small bulging eyes of red-orange color, a small yellow beak of a slightly curved shape, clearly defined earlobes and red round earrings.
A pronounced medium mane on the neck and a small 5-tooth comb of red color. Females have a slightly smaller crest than males.
The legs of representatives of the silver breed are medium-sized with protruding shins and well-developed metatarsals.
The wings are long, but the tail is of medium length, has a characteristic rounded shape and braids, curved strongly upward.

If the purity of the breed is compromised, the neck will be excessively elongated, the tail or braids will be significantly lengthened, and a large drooping comb will occur.

Productivity

The type of productivity that the silver Adler belongs to is meat and egg. At one year of age, the weight of a laying hen is 2.8-3 kg, a cockerel is from 3.5 to 4 kg. Egg production is stable and generally good for meat and egg production - 2 eggs in 3 days. Taking into account the seasonal reduction per year, one laying hen is capable of producing 160-190 pieces weighing 57-59 g. Steady egg production is observed both in floor and in net breeding at temperatures from 0 to + 20 ° C.

There are about 85% of good laying hens in the entire population. Eggs are also good, 95% of them are fertilized if the number of chickens and roosters is selected correctly. After the incubation, 98% of chickens survive, but among adults the survival rate is much lower - about 84%. Those who are going to raise Adler chickens for sale need to know that the cost of a monthly livestock is 30% higher than other meat and egg breeds. Taking into account the fact that chicken is unpretentious in nutrition and maintenance, the profitability of the final product is high.

Features

The optimal age for the start of egg laying is 6-6.5 months. However, in this breed the pullets are early maturing and can lay their first egg at 5 months. But you shouldn't rejoice at this fact. Adler chickens that start laying eggs early suffer from various diseases, including prolapse of the oviduct. To prevent this, the early brood is limited in nutrition and the daylight hours are shortened.

Silver chickens are unpretentious in feeding and care. They can be kept both on the ground and in cages without any problems. They adapt well, although they cannot be called smart birds. The chicken is very shy and may refuse to eat on the first day in a new place, but quickly adapts and shows friendliness and calmness.

Even roosters of the silver breed are great intellectuals. They keep order in the flock, give way to chickens at the feeder, and take care of the eggs. The only drawback of the breed is considered to be the complete lack of nesting instinct in chickens. Brood can only be obtained in the incubator.