Breeding a dwarf variety of chickens is becoming more and more popular every year. Beautiful external data, simple care features, unpretentiousness in food, high egg production and tender meat make these birds attractive for breeding. Unusual dwarf chickens can be found on any continent.

History of the species

A large number of modern chicken breeds were bred in the 18-20 centuries. Around this period, the process of breeding ornamental chickens begins, which today are massively kept in households. Over the past 200-300 years, thanks to painstaking work, specialists have bred almost 200 various hybrids and breeds of chickens. For the first time, such chickens were seen in Japan and Asia.

The most popular breeds of dwarf chickens are:

  • Bentamki;
  • Sibright;
  • Chinese silk chickens;
  • Brahma;
  • Pavlovsky;
  • chickens Velzumer;
  • Cochinchins;
  • Wyandotte;
  • Shabo.

Dwarf chickens

Characteristics and features

Dwarf breeds of chickens are much smaller in size than standard roosters and layers. Most decorative breeds have attractive and bright plumage.

Dwarf Hamburg Chickens

Mini chickens: description

The Gambur chicken breed has amazingly tender and juicy meat. Birds have a high level of egg production. The breed differs, as the characteristic says:

  • long body and neck;
  • wide chest;
  • the presence of a pink scallop;
  • dark beak and reddish-brown eyes.

Interesting! The plumage of the bird is varied. There are both white, black, silver-black chickens, and striped, golden-black.

Pygmy phoenix

Phoenixes appeared in China and then gradually began to spread throughout the world. The Phoenix dwarf bird is different:

  • lilac color;
  • long tail (more than 13-14 cm).

Important! Birds lay no more than 80 eggs per year, so they do not differ in good egg production.

Dwarf Wyandotte

A common sight among exotic lovers. The Wyandots differ:

  • volumetric plumage;
  • the edging of each feather;
  • the same size for all parts of the body (neck, tail and back);
  • rounded and voluminous tail;
  • wide steering feathers hidden under the braids;
  • orange expressive eyes.

Dwarf Wyandotte

On the rounded head there is a ridge with a spine passing through the back of the head. Layers produce up to 100 eggs per year.

Bentamka

Bentams (or Bentams) are very tiny. The chicken weighs only 550-600 g, and the rooster does not exceed 1 kg. As for a decorative chicken, Bentamka has a high level of egg production. It can lay about 130-135 eggs per year.

Shabo

Representatives of the Shabo breed are bright and distinctive birds, which are distinguished by their unpretentiousness and adorn the poultry yard with their bright appearance. Shabo's decorative look is different:

  • curly (sometimes normal) plumage of black-green, striped, black-gold, porcelain and wheat colors;
  • low, wide, down-to-earth body;
  • short back;
  • bulging chest;
  • a large leaf-shaped ridge;
  • strong and short beak.

Note! Shabo are considered to be excellent hens. They hatch eggs very carefully and carefully and take care of chicks.

Leghorn dwarf

Breed of chickens Leghorn dwarf

Dwarf Leghorns differ in:

  • good performance;
  • a high level of egg production (more than 240 eggs per year);
  • white plumage;
  • rounded beak;
  • average head size.

Adult roosters weigh almost 1.7-1.8 kg, while the weight of the female barely reaches 1.3 kg. Leghorns are very popular and can be found not only in households but also in factories. The bird's egg is large enough for a dwarf breed.

Sibright

The main distinguishing features of a thoroughbred bird, whose name is Sibright, are:

  • small rounded head;
  • beautiful fan-shaped tail;
  • pink scallop;
  • bent beak;
  • smooth and delicate earrings;
  • gray-blue paws;
  • graceful shins covered with wings;
  • broad stocky torso;
  • short neck;
  • convex back.

Chickens Seabright

Sibrites are raised for both meat and eggs.

Welzumer

Velzumer is a breed of chickens that can often be found in households. A distinctive feature, as the description of the breed says, is the presence of:

  • massive pronounced chest;
  • large belly;
  • wide elongated back;
  • tightly pressed wings;
  • small head;
  • orange-red eyes;
  • medium scallop;
  • short rounded beard;
  • short yellow legs.

Dwarf Welsumer chickens lay at least 150 eggs per year and are considered good brood hens. In addition, the female Velzumer is a good laying hen.

Dwarf chickens Welsumer

Milfer

Milferov was bred in Holland to obtain high-quality and tasty meat and eggs. The bird possesses:

  • high level of egg production;
  • bright plumage of blue, black, orange.

The small hen lays about 130 eggs per year. The main advantage of keeping poultry is the presence of a small chicken coop for keeping dwarf chickens.

Dwarf Cochinchin

The Cochinchins are similar to the Bentams, but they rush very badly. No more than 70-80 eggs hatch per year. The decorative bird is naturally small. Feathers resemble fluff. It is he who covers not only the body, but also the legs of the bird. The plumage can be both blue and fawn, snow-white and striped.

English fighting chickens

English fighting chickens

Small chickens are different:

  • dense body;
  • wide shoulders;
  • long neck;
  • short feathers in the lumbar region;
  • a small leaf-shaped scallop;
  • long curving beak;
  • high chicken legs with sharp claws;
  • red or even burgundy eyes.

Breeding features

Chickens Lohman Brown

Caring for dwarf chickens does not require special knowledge and skills. The most important thing:

  • when breeding, it is important to maintain the temperature in the room within 18-23 ° C;
  • in summer, provide access to natural light in the chicken coop; in winter, additional lighting will be required;
  • provide the bird with walking in the enclosure with sand;
  • promptly clean the chicken coop in order to exclude the occurrence of infectious diseases. Cleaning should be done at least 2 times a day. A layer of hay or straw is great for bedding;
  • control dryness and good ventilation in the room, avoiding high levels of humidity.

Dwarf chickens eat several times less than ordinary chickens. It is important to include in the diet in sufficient quantities:

  • special compound feed;
  • grain mixture;
  • mash;
  • finely grated vegetables;
  • chopped fruits;
  • roots;
  • fresh herb to improve the quality of eggs and meat.

Vitamins for chickens

To provide dwarf breeds of poultry with reserves of vitamins in winter, it is necessary to dry the grass in the summer in open sunlight and grind it into flour. A delicacy made by this method can be mixed with feed and grain. Also, in the autumn and winter period, it is important to add vitamin complexes for birds to the feeder or drinker.

A dwarf chicken of any of the above breeds begins to lay after 7 months of age. The final process of the formation of individuals ends after the chicken reaches 1 year. The emergence of the incubation instinct is manifested from 2 years old. To care for 6-7 hens, 1 rooster will be enough.More males contribute to a decrease in the percentage of fertilization. Only 6-7 eggs can be placed under a dwarf bird.

Dwarf breeds are almost always distinguished by a pronounced maternal instinct. Chickens incubate eggs on their own and take care of the offspring, raising and protecting small chickens. The survival rate of chicks is 90-95%.

Important! Quite often, a dwarf chicken is raised in households to perform the functions of a hen. For example, Bentamki are able to sit in nests for almost 90 days. In this case, you can give life to several broods at the same time in one season. An important advantage is the lack of interest in whose chicks you have to hatch.

Advantages and disadvantages of the view

Dutch chickens

Today, little chickens are gaining more and more popularity. The main advantages of dwarf chicken breeds include:

  • consumption of a small amount of feed, which significantly saves financial costs for growing;
  • the qualities of a good hen, which are inherent in most breeds;
  • the small size of the chicken, which allows them to be grown in small rooms;
  • possessing a calm and rather obedient character.

The disadvantages of breed birds include the impossibility of keeping in a cold room.

Dwarf chickens are a fairly promising business, because the small size of the bird, its bright appearance and docile nature wins over modern poultry farmers. That is why such varieties of thoroughbred birds will gain popularity in the coming years and bring good productivity from their breeding.