Spectacular, serene, full of dignity - Wyandotte hens that appeared in the United States in the XIX century, gathered the best quality meat and egg breeds.The first bird entered the standard in the US in 1883 (it was the silver of the breed), in Russia it happened in 1911.
Development breed
first silver-fringed variety, as already noted, has been recognized and accepted standard in the US in 1883.In 1933, there were black, yellow, Colombian, kuropatchatye, silver-edged, silver with black and white pattern.In 1960 and 1965 added gold-fringed and yellow-Colombian.In 1977 - blue.
Hen and Rooster: appearance
They have a classic round shape, yellow or horny beak, long yellow legs bare.Comb small (in males also compared with Leghorn, for example).Chickens are very calm in nature, almost never, even near the food, do not fight.Females also - great hen.
On 1 January 2012 the American Association of Poultry (APA) recognized 10 different colors, despite the fact that today there are more than 17 options.Wyandotte - breed chickens, photo which always attract attention due to the bright and beautiful colors of birds.
Among those for which there is a breed standard: black, blue, pale yellow, pale-Colombian, Colombian, gold-fringed, kuropatchatye, silver-fringed, white, silver and black pattern.
Weight average cock ranges from 2.5 to 3.5 kg of chicken - from 2 to 3 kg.Wyandotte chicks grow very fast and reach adult size at 15 weeks from birth.
White Wyandotte chickens
white colors were at one time very popular because of its performance, tasty meat, vitality and stamina, but during World War II, the population has declined significantly.
These chickens were carrying large light brown eggs and, as a rule, has a beautiful silky plumage.However, the majority of British Wyandotte had soft fluffy feather cover, gave fewer eggs and needed much more protection from the elements.
In the middle of the XX century most white Wyandotte successfully flew over the winter (some chicken were given up to 240 eggs a year - an outstanding result) and have been the ideal choice when needed stable cold bird, able to give a lot of eggs and tasty meatwith a minimum of care, with a calm and friendly character.
color variants
Although the American Association of Poultry officially recognize only 10 colors (to achieve inclusion in the standard is not easy, one of the requirements - must be at least 5 breeders Member APA, distributing this kind of not less than 5 years), theirThere is much more:
- White.It appeared in 1885 due to the selection of the BM Briggs silver Wyandotte light shades, white leghorn and Orpington and Dorking.Feathers and down their pure white color.Blotches of different shades or yellow plaque considered a serious fault.
- Silver.We were the first to recognize birds of this breed.Chickens Wyandotte silver breed descended from a whole set of assorted ancestors, such as kohinkin, pomfret, Leghorn, Seabright, Bantam, Hamburg, Orpington.
- Black.Strictly black fluff and feathers with a greenish tinge and yellow paw, same or dark horny beak.A male in Kosice tail can be a bit of white.Fluff the base feathers can also be white.The standard is not allowed in the bronze color primaries feathers or plaits rooster, hen metatarsal dark or light - the male, just as black beak and feathers without a green sheen.
- Blue.This in some way exotic coloring was the result of crossbreeding Wyandotte silver with blue Andalusian.Blue Wyandotte chickens have uniform color of feathers and down, no border.Loins, head and mane of a rooster with feathered wings cover - darker, sometimes velvety black.The little white fluff permissible.Hocks and yellow beak (or horny beak).Inadmissible disadvantages are uneven, spot color, black spots, white or black beak, greenish or brown color feathers.In young roosters should not be white in the tail.
- silver-fringed.The story of this color has several stages.In the first place, crossed breeds of chickens Seabright and Cochin China, the second - with a dark silver Hamburg Brahma.Mestizos from the first pair further crossed with chickens from the second.Further selection is formed, which can be seen from breeders in our time.
- golden-fringed.The cocks of this species are standard golden color pens (including head and mane) with a black pattern on it.The tail with the black with a green sheen.At the same main color of chicken feathers - golden-brown, and black with green luster pattern.The steering feathers and down while black.Wyandotte golden Joseph McKean was removed from Wisconsin by crossing silver-bordered hens of this breed with roosters Winnebago.
- striated.They look rather ryabymi than striped.But in fact, according to the standards of the breed, their basic color - shiny black.However, at each pen at regular intervals are clearly defined white stripes.Proper plumage as a whole should look bluish-gray.Down at the striated Wyandotte has the same pattern as that of feathers, but a lighter shade.It is unacceptable if the band or drawing a whole fuzzy, too large, and the tail creates the impression of a dark or brownish color.
- Colombian.Obtained in 1893 in the same BM Briggs.The result (if you believe the stories), in many cases, crossing the white Wyandotte with striped Plymouth was not planned.Total Union was further crossed with Rhode Island reds and bright Dawn.The resulting bird is mainly white, with black strokes of a pen along the rod and bordering the silvery mane.
- golden-white.The main colors of cocks - golden.Picture - white, tail, abdomen and down - white (as in chicken).The head - golden white shtrihoobraznym pattern.
- Wyandotte golden.Mane both versions is the same - golden color with a white pattern shtrihoobraznym.
- Zolotistogrivye.Bright beautiful bird.At rooster chest, calves, abdomen and tail are black with a greenish sheen, flight feathers are brownish fan, while they themselves are rich and black.His head male and female red-brown.Mane is a chicken and a head with a mane of a rooster have a golden yellow color with a black pattern.This basic shade from the females plumage gray-brown, without however drawing.
- Serebristogrivye.The main color of the chicken - gray interspersed with small black dots.The rooster is black with a green sheen chest, leg and stomach.Head with the white, like the wings on the shoulders to the transverse bands.
- Fawn.A very common among purebred chickens colors - simple, uniform, intense yellow color.It is considered unacceptable if the birds of this species speckled or mottled, dark or too bright or with a reddish tint.There is also a fawn white-striped black and fawn-Colombian.The main color from the females and males - yellow.Figure empennage same as "Colombians".This fluff - gray.
- Calico.Very interesting variety of chickens - the main color of their light chestnut brown, but on the tip of each feather has a black spot with a greenish tinge, which is located in the middle of a white dot.The males differ from the females so that they figure a little darker and more expressive.
- Red Wyandotte.They have the same color pen, like Rhode Island, sometimes a bit lighter.
- Kuropatchatye.In the years 1895-1896 in the state of Iowa in the United States brought kuropatchatyh Wyandotte.We participated in the creation of the breed golden Hamburg, Fighting, Indian, Cochin China kuropatchatye, English and Italian kuropatchatye Fighting chickens.
- Brown.Have a nice crisp black pattern on a light background, dark slate fluff.
- golden-blue.Chickens from the pairs of colors turn blue with white plumage.Adult males are mainly gold, just fluff blue and dark gray belly.Females - golden-brown, with blue spots.
- Miniature Wyandotte.The breed chickens, which appeared in the XX century in England and Germany.
Character birds
Hens generally very calm and friendly, but keep some distance with the man - they do not revolve around the owner, if not to tame them specifically.
In addition, they like to "talk" - which includes the roosters crowing and clucking chickens.Excellent chicks hatch and grow, both its own and other chickens.
How many eggs can be obtained from Wyandotte?
At the age of about 25 weeks, the birds start laying.In the first year they provide from 180 to 200 eggs, the second - from 130 to 150. Some particularly good hen can produce up to 240 units per year.
comparison representatives egg breeds to produce 220-250 units in the first year (some hybrid chicken - 300).In 1979, the laying hen Leghorn set aside 371 eggs, becoming the record for this indicator among all the reported cases.
Advantages Wyandotte
To briefly summarize what has been said, that the benefits of the breed include cold tolerance, simplicity in food, friendly and calm nature, tasty meat with a rather large number of eggs laid.
At the same time the birds are brooding instinct and a well-grown chickens scurry start early.You can keep them in the open-air cages, because they can not fly.
worth mentioning some of the shortcomings that have Wyandotte chickens.Reviews are usually enthusiastic, especially beginners.However, the poultry prone to obesity (which is not critical) and susceptible to infection.Therefore, their habitat must be maintained as much as possible pure and limit contact with other people's chickens.
Conditions of
These birds are unpretentious, but it is better to feed several times a day or else to make sure that food and water were always available.The diet is desirable to further enrich calcium and vitamins.Some farmers have used for this purpose milled dry dog food.
Birds need free-range, especially in the summer.Since they can not fly, you can either release them into a garden or build a special enclosure.Coop must have perches and regularly cleaned (using caustic soda or other safe disinfectants).
Who do they fit?
excellent choice Wyandotte hens are for beginners and for people who want to keep independent, quiet, friendly birds.They are also good in the role of "2 in 1" - and as a source of meat, and how laying hens.
Ideal for households with land that can be given to chickens for walking.Females - a "living incubators."
Miniature Wyandotte
addition to the usual varieties of rocks of different colors, there is another.Dwarf Wyandotte.This species has a smaller size and weight, which is around 0.9-1 kg, and thus, they need less food.Chickens are more rounded in shape.Eggs are also less.
Despite its size, that have these chickens, Wyandotte dwarf everything else is very similar to normal - the same color, similar conditions, feeding, brooding instinct and calm nature.
