Description and characteristics of Coral chickens, breeding rules

For Russian poultry farmers, the Coral chicken breed, described below, became known recently. Corals are laying hens of German selection. They are characterized by high egg production and unpretentiousness, tolerate cold well, and adapt to new living conditions quite quickly. They have healthy heredity and retain the positive characteristics of the breed during reproduction.

Description and characteristics of the Coral breed

The Coral cross breed began to be bred in Russia, purchasing genetic material from Germany. Local individuals are no different from German ones. The eggs have an unusual color - pale brown, with a pinkish tint.

Appearance of chickens

The Coral chicken has a white color with black spots, for which it received the name “Dalmatian”. Outwardly, these are neat, medium-sized laying hens. The female weighs about 2 kilograms, the male – 3-3.5.

Character

Coral chickens have a calm and balanced character. He easily settles into a new flock and accepts newcomers to the coop without hostility. Corals are flyers and can fly over high fences. This should be taken into account when constructing an enclosure. The bird feels good when raised in a cage and free-range.

Hatching instinct

This is not relevant for Coral, they do not like to hatch eggs and use an incubator for reproduction.

Productivity

Productivity depends on the maturity of the hen. A Coral hen at the age of one and a half years lays eggs weighing within 63 grams, a two-year-old chicken - 64, after three years this figure increases to 65 grams. The annual clutch is 340 eggs.

Advantages and disadvantages of the breed

The advantages of Coral chickens include the following:

• calm character;
• the need for a small amount of feed;
• high egg production;
• endurance.

Previously, the disadvantage of the Coral breed was its foreign origin. The high price and the problem of finding a real representative of the breed made it inaccessible to poultry farmers. With the beginning of coral breeding in Russia, this drawback was eliminated.

Content specifics

Corals do not require special care. They can be kept in cages, enclosures, and pens.If placed freely, you need to install a mesh roof so that the bird does not fly out; it can fly to a height of 2 meters.

When chickens are raised in a cage, they need less feed because fewer calories are consumed.

Poultry house requirements

With any method of keeping Corals, they need a closed space for spending the night, a secluded corner for laying eggs. In winter, the bird needs a warm house, protected from cold, wind and rain. The optimal winter temperature in the chicken coop is plus 12-14 degrees, humidity is no more than 70%.

The sanitary condition of the poultry house is important. Lay bedding on the floor and change it as it gets dirty. It will be necessary to treat wooden walls and floors with disinfectants against diseases and parasites. In winter, additional artificial lighting is installed.

Important. To obtain eggs in winter, install LED lamps in the chicken coop, creating at least 12 hours of daylight.

Walking yard, drinking bowls and feeders

For Coral to live comfortably, it is necessary to equip a place for walking. When moving, the chicken becomes more active, fat does not accumulate in the body, and egg production increases. She pecks at pebbles and other minerals, which contributes to the strength of the eggshell.

It is important to decide on a sufficient number of drinkers and feeders. You can use this rule:

1. The length of the drinker is equal to the number of chicken heads multiplied by 2 centimeters.
2. For a feeder, each head needs 10 centimeters.

One feeder should be designed for no more than 10 individuals.

Forced shedding

This procedure is performed to increase the duration of the egg production period. It is most often carried out in winter.For the appearance of molting, the bird is given special preparations. This:

• Thyroidin;
• Progesterone;
• Thyroxine.

They are added to the food, the quantity is indicated in the attached instructions.

The process of shedding feathers is accompanied by the body losing protein and other substances it needs. To replenish them, vitamins and microelements are added to the chickens’ feed, iodine and manganese are added to the water, this stimulates the formation of new plumage.

Planned herd replacement

Corals reach sexual maturity at 4.5 months, at which time oviposition begins. Peak performance occurs at the age of one and a half years. By the age of three, the productivity of chickens decreases, and the need arises to change the flock of birds. This should be taken care of in advance so as not to be left without eggs.

Foods suitable for feeding

The Coral breed prefers dry food. Mixtures containing grains of various cereals are considered the best; additions of fresh vegetables, a small amount of fish, meat and cottage cheese are required.

Be sure to have clean water in the drinking bowl.

For chickens

Coral chickens begin to be fed from the first hours of life every 2 hours around the clock. They give boiled water and crushed steamed barley and corn grits, mashed boiled egg yolk, and cottage cheese.

On days 4-5, milk, vegetables, fish oil, and small stones are added. It is permissible to use a special feed for chickens. At the age of two weeks, they are transferred to the normal diet of laying hens, while the grain feed should be crushed.

For adults

When feeding adult chickens, you should consider the way they are kept. If the chicken lives in a cage all the time, you need to limit the number of calories consumed - no more than 280 per day. Aviary-raised birds require a minimum of 350 calories.The daily food requirement for Coral is 100 grams of grain composition.

Mixture composition:

• wheat;
• oats;
• barley;
• crushed corn and in small quantities.

For good Coral productivity, laying hens are fed three times a day. The first feeding is performed early in the morning.

Breeding Features

The Coral breed is a hybrid breed, so chickens obtained from their own eggs may not inherit the characteristics of their parents. In addition, they are poor hens and rarely incubate eggs. To get a real Coral breed, it is better to buy chicks or young laying hens from a manufacturer.

Possible diseases and methods of combating them

Among the diseases to which Coral chickens are susceptible, the most common are:

An important point is the prevention of infectious diseases in chickens. To do this, you should buy poultry from a trusted manufacturer, the same applies to feed. New individuals should be quarantined to assess their condition. Keep poultry areas clean and periodically treat them with disinfectants..