The Alsatian breed of chickens is very rare in Russia. These are birds of medium size, meat and egg type, with a lively friendly character, close in blood to the Rhine and other European breeds from neighboring regions. They belong to one of the oldest pure European breeds.
Bred in 1890 on the border of France and Germany in the Northeast region of Alsace, comes from an even more ancient Rhine breed of chickens. Outside the region, there is little spread, in Russia it practically (or in general) does not occur.
One of the interesting productive pure European breeds of chickens, supported in France at the state level. Its peculiarity is the absence of blood of breeds from the USA and Asia, the Alsace hens developed and were selected exclusively in Alsace.
Breed description Alsace
The size and height of the Alsatian hens is medium. The birds of this breed have an average head with a strong beak, a pinkish comb of bright red color with a slight pearly shade. The comb should be smooth, the tip lifted from the beak to the back of the head, forming a flat line. The small beard is oval, bright red in color, the earlobe is pure white. Eyes alive, big.
The neck is of medium length with the straight feathers falling down the collar. The case is medium sized, stocky and dense. Chest wide, outstanding forward. The back is wide, rather long with a slight inclination towards the sacrum, forms an obtuse angle with the tail. The wings are of medium length, tight to the body and well developed.
The tail is crescent, fluffy, with large long feathers. The paws are not feathered, strong, with medium-sized claws. There are four fingers on the paw.
The most common and preferred color is black, black Alsatian chickens should have dark beaks and claws, dark or grayish (slate) colored paws. Birds of white color should have a dark beak and claws, of a lighter gray shade of the paw. Partridge and blue-eyed birds have dark-colored beaks and claws, their paws may be grayish in color.
Eyes in chickens of any color should be brown or dark brown. The plumage is formed early, but the tail can be formed more slowly in males. Eggshell is always white.
Features
Unpretentious breed for walking type of content. The peculiarity is pure blood and great value precisely as a traditional European egg and meat breed.
Due to the low prevalence in Russia, it is difficult to say something about the content in the conditions of long and cold winters. But in European conditions, it is well accustomed to the climate in different regions, including in unheated chicken houses.
The meat has a pleasant, rich, delicate flavor, characteristic of breeds with free-flowing contents.. These chickens have a well-developed incubation instinct, as in almost all egg-meat breeds, without any problems, chickens are bred on their own.
Cultivation and maintenance
The breed is not particularly capricious, but it feels best when there is enough space for walking. He has a very lively and agile character, therefore he prefers to dig in the ground or grass all day long. In relation to the person they are friendly, they are not inclined to conflict with their fellows, they are easily tamed.
This is one of the best flying breeds., it is easily able to overcome even the highest obstacles, the flight altitude is more than a meter, it likes to settle in the trees at night. It shows curiosity and persistence on free-range, therefore it is necessary to protect the pen and equip it with a shed. Chickens are extremely active.
In order for the birds to actively fly, it is necessary to maintain a balanced diet, it is undesirable to overfeed the birds. In feeding, they are no different from other egg and meat breeds.
Specifications
Roosters - 2.5-3 kg, hens - 2-2.5 kg. The dwarf variety is smaller: roosters - 0.9-0.95 kg, hens - 0.75-0.8 kg.
Egg production - 140 eggs per year. Egg weight - 60-63 g, bentams (dwarf variety) - 35-45 g. They begin to rush in 5-6 months, by the same time they reach the condition when breeding for meat. Keep productivity 3-4 years.
Analogs
Birds are distinguished by their peculiar character, but in terms of their performance, they do not exceed the native breeds in the neighboring European countries, and even more so - the breeds of both the USA and China. Among the closest Alsatian egg and meat breeds, which are not widespread in our country, it can be noted:
- Rhine breed chickens. Birds of this breed have similar sizes, also - egg and meat purpose, unpretentious and rarely found in Russia. The differences are few, the Rhenish chickens are more pugnacious and hatch the eggs worse. But the Rhine chickens are more productive when breeding to produce eggs - 180 per year. In general, it is very close to the Alsatian breed, bred in the neighboring region, in Germany;
- Hamburg breed. Alsace and Hamburg chickens have common ancestors, the latter are widespread on the territory of Russia. Hamburg chickens are smaller, have a body of pheasant type and color, are not distinguished from Alsatian in terms of egg production, and are also suitable for free-range type of housing;
- another French breed - Bress Gali. These are large hens of the egg-and-meat direction, carrying 180-200 eggs per year, gaining up to 5 kg (roosters). Regarding the above, it is not so rare in Russia, although it is only beginning to spread. Bress-Gali chickens are imported from Germany, where this breed is quite widespread.
Jersey giant is one of the biggest domestic birds. About what sizes they can reach you can find on our website.
If you want to look at the leek photo, then follow the link: //selo.guru/ovoshhevodstvo/vyrashivanie-ovoshhey/luk-porej.html.
Alsace chickens - one of the most common in the region of origin of breeds of chickens. It has average characteristics in terms of egg production and weight, and is well suited for free-running. It is unlikely that they will be interesting to lovers in Russia, but have a certain value as a representative of the old pure European breeds for the collection.
