Description of Lakenfelder chickens, breeding and living conditions

The Lakenfelder breed of chickens with an unusual bright appearance has been known in poultry farming since the beginning of the 18th century and is popular in Germany and Holland. Currently, these beautiful birds are raised in private farms for the purpose of obtaining eggs. Lakenfelders are not used for industrial purposes, since more productive chicken hybrids with greater egg production were bred on the basis of this breed.

History of the breed

The Lakenfelder is a breed of chicken of Dutch-German origin. The first mention of this poultry dates back to the beginning of the 18th century. The British began raising black and white laying hens at the end of the 19th century. The breed standard was created by the Americans in 1937.

Description and characteristics

Lakenfelder chickens amaze with their unusual appearance. The classic color option is black spots on a white background. The American breed standard allows only this color for Lakenfelders. Europeans distinguish two more types - silver and golden.

Appearance of birds

The build of Dutch hens is compact; they are classified as small egg breeds of poultry. Description of appearance:

• a small head with a bright red crest and earrings;
• dark beak;
• thin elongated neck;
• the body is compact with a horizontal body;
• the plumage is lush and decorative;
• the wings are sweeping and long;
• expressive, red eyes;
• black spots are located on the head and neck, the tail should be colored the same color as the neck.

When choosing a breeding rooster, you should pay attention to the condition of the comb; it should be large, brightly colored, and should not fall on its side.

Character of chickens

It is difficult to find a more active and inquisitive bird among the various breeds of chickens. Lakenfelders should absolutely not be kept in cramped chicken coops without enclosures and the possibility of walking. At the same time, black and white chickens will try to fly out of the chicken coop into the garden whenever possible; their wings must be trimmed or enclosures with a closed roof must be made.

Breed productivity

According to modern standards for egg production of chickens, the productivity of Lakenfelders is below average and averages 170-180 eggs per year.The average lifespan of 1 individual is 7 years, with high productivity indicators recorded in the first 3 years of life.

Due to low egg production rates, the Dutch breed of chickens is not used in industrial rearing and the use of laying hens.

On a note! Lakenfelder eggs are decorative due to the presence of a strong white porcelain shell.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantages of the breed include:

• Winter hardiness of poultry - laying hens and small chickens tolerate frosts and temperature fluctuations.
• Lakenfelder hens are considered good hens and hens.
• Decorative appearance of the bird.
• Strong, durable shell.
• Persistent immunity to various diseases of chickens.
• Cheerful but easy-going disposition.

The disadvantages of the breed include:

• Egg production is below average.
• Without “mixing new blood,” the birds in the flock become smaller.
• High cost of breeding birds.

If you want to diversify the chicken community on a private farm with new beautiful species or teach young hens of other breeds to hatch and care for young animals, Lakenfelders are a good choice. These chickens calmly join the poultry community and quickly find a common language with the inhabitants of the chicken coop.

Maintenance and care

Like any poultry, Lakenfelder chickens have special requirements for maintenance and care. In order for the bird to lay consistently and not get sick, it is necessary to properly organize walking, build a comfortable poultry house with convenient feeders and drinking bowls.

Poultry house requirements

Lakenfelders are not suitable for keeping in cages and cramped poultry houses. The chicken house should be spacious, with good ventilation. Poultry house requirements:

• The number of individuals for a chicken coop is calculated based on the ratio: 1 square meter per 1 chicken.
• It is not recommended to raise and live Lakenfelders together with aggressive breeds of chickens.
• There should be no drafts or dampness in the poultry house.
• In winter, the indoor temperature should not fall below +5 ⁰WITH.
• It is necessary to have a walking area and an enclosure.

It is recommended to use straw or sawdust as bedding in the poultry house.

Preparing a walking area

Dutch white and black hens have a cheerful and inquisitive character, love to walk and often fly over fences.

It is often a pity for farmers to clip their beautiful wings; the chickens lose their decorative appearance, so it is recommended to keep Lakenfelders in an aviary with a closed roof.

On hot sunny days, it is recommended to shade part of the walking space. Chickens walk even in winter; the optimal daylight hours are 12 hours. In the spacious enclosure you can install additional nests.

Drinkers and feeders

Chickens are birds with a fast metabolism; laying hens must have constant access to water. Change the water twice a day. Drinkers are installed away from feeders to avoid rapid contamination of the liquid.

Poultry feed should be balanced and varied. A box with a mixture of coarse sand and ash must be placed in the poultry house; the remaining shells are also processed and added to the sand mixture.

If the farmer does not have the opportunity to feed the birds twice a day, bunker feeders are installed in the poultry house. These devices provide birds with constant access to food. But this system has a significant drawback - the risk of overfeeding the bird, which will quickly affect the decrease in egg production.

Feeding chicks and adults

The diet of poultry is selected according to age. Young chickens should not be fed the same things as adult chickens. Small chickens should have constant access to food; from the age of three weeks, the young are fed 4 times a day, and they switch to two meals a day from the age of 2 months.

Week-old chickens are fed a mixture of boiled potatoes, carrots and boiled yolk. In this case, the consistency of the dish should be soft and crumbly. As soon as the chick is 2 weeks old, the yolk is removed from the menu and replaced by bran and rice flour.

From the age of one month, the chicks begin walking on their own, and grass is added to their diet. From the age of two months, the young animals move to the common table.

To increase egg production, birds are fed chopped nettles and calcined shells.

Breeding

Raising poultry is quite a troublesome task. Lakenfelders are quite easy to breed on their own; it is important to choose the right breeding rooster.

Laying hens of this breed are excellent hens and caring mothers, capable of teaching young hens of other breeds how to care for their offspring. An important condition for breeding is the need to “rejuvenate the blood” of the chicken herd every 3 years by acquiring a female or male Lakenfelder from another tribe.

Possible problems during cultivation

Chickens of the ancient Dutch breed can withstand temperature changes in the chicken coop, rarely get sick and do not have difficult requirements for living conditions.

To maintain poultry health, it is necessary to provide chickens with a balanced diet, increased daylight hours and the opportunity to walk for a long time.

Frequent illnesses

In conditions of high humidity and irregular ventilation, birds' immunity to infectious diseases decreases. Young hens and chickens are susceptible to pasteurellosis, while adults can be affected by typhus or coccidiosis.

When the chickens are kept clean with a balanced diet and the opportunity to roam, Lakenfelders practically do not get sick.

Disease Prevention

To avoid outbreaks of diseases in the chicken coop, it is necessary to observe a number of conditions and carry out preventive measures to combat infections. Prevention of chicken diseases includes:

• Balanced, fortified nutrition without hormones.
• Regular cleaning of the chicken coop and feeders.
• Change the bedding.
• No drafts or dampness in the poultry house.
• Carrying out preventive vaccinations.
• Application of quarantine for birds with signs of disease.

The advantage of the Lakenfelder breed is the strong immunity of the breeding bird. Under the right conditions, laying hens do not get sick and produce healthy offspring, which they care for independently.