The main task of breeders is to increase productivity, simplicity and ease of care for animals. In recent decades, they have made significant progress in poultry farming. Highsex chickens have become one of the successful breeds, popular both in poultry farms and in private homes.
Appearance story
Highsex chickens were bred by the Dutch in 1970 by crossing a white leggorn and New Hampshire. The task of breeders was to breed with high egg production, demanded by poultry farms.
Additionally, it was possible to reduce the weight of the breed and, consequently, the consumption of food, to achieve rapid growth, large eggs and a long period of high productivity. Breeders achieved all of their goals. As a result, the breed that came to the USSR in 1974 was widely used in poultry farms, first in the Crimea and later in the Tyumen region, after which it spread throughout the country.
Highsex is not a full breed, but a cross of chickens. This is a hybrid, so breeding at home is difficult.
Highsex chickens description
Highsex are high-productivity egg-laying chickens. The breed carries eggs almost every day and maintains maximum productivity for 2-3 years. The birds themselves are quite small - weigh no more than 2 kg. With such a small weight, chickens carry huge eggs - some reach up to 90 grams in weight.
A distinctive feature of the breed is a large red comb that hangs on its side. When buying an adult bird, you should pay attention to the legs - with age, yellow turns to gray.
A nice feature of the breed is its chickens. Already the daily chickens of Highsex can be distinguished from roosters. The plumage of hens and roosters is brown with reddish and beige hues.
Purpose and productive characteristics
Highsex chickens belong to the egg-laying direction, while the brown subspecies due to the greater weight and shorter term of maximum efficiency is attributed to egg-meat chickens.
The characteristics of the breed are as follows:
- the weight of the chicken is 1.5-2 kg;
- weight of a cockerel is 2-2.5 kg;
- productivity - 260-300 eggs per year;
- egg weight (average) 65-75 g;
- maturity - 4-4.5 months;
- the duration of maximum efficiency is 2-3 years.
Poultry breeders note that chicken from a 3-year-old bird is significantly tougher than meat from a 2-year-old chicken. Therefore, when using poultry in the meat-and-egg direction, it is recommended that the livestock be completely renewed every 2 years, without waiting for the end of the effective egg laying period.
Varieties
The breed is divided into 2 subspecies, differing in the color of plumage and some features:
- Highsex Brown;
- Highsex White.
Highsex Brown
They got this name due to the brown color of the plumage, which reminds many breeders of chickens at home of widely known rhodonites. They are small in size, but slightly larger than their white counterparts (hens up to 2 kg).
The peculiarity of the breed is the high resistance of young animals. About 95% of chicks survive to adulthood. The birds themselves are quite calm and, unlike the white breed, are less likely to respond to climate change.
Brown chickens are more egg-laying. With a slightly smaller egg size (60-70 grams), they are able to carry up to 300 pieces per year. Productivity is on average 20 eggs higher than white chickens. Thanks to this, this particular subspecies was most popular in poultry farms throughout Russia.
Highsex White
White subspecies chickens are smaller than their brown counterparts in size and usually reach a weight of 1.6-1.7 kg in adulthood. The plumage of birds is white. The breed is characterized by a red ridge.
As calm and phlegmatic as their brown counterparts, but because of their smaller size, they react more acutely to adverse weather conditions. The advantage of less weight is less feed intake. At the same time, farmers note a large survival rate of young animals - 90-95%.
The egg production of the breed is slightly lower than that of the Browns (and amounts to 260-280 eggs per year), but the weight of the egg is slightly more. Because of this, some birds may experience problems with the oviduct. The advantage in this case is lower cholesterol. Farmers also note that the White breed remains highly productive and lasts longer than brown hayseks.
Advantages and disadvantages
Highsex chickens have gained great popularity among farmers due to some characteristics:
- early ripening;
- high egg production;
- large eggs;
- low feed consumption;
- disease resistance;
- calm nature.
Among the shortcomings are noted:
- It is imperative to maintain optimum temperature and lighting, as well as some other features characteristic of hybrid breeds.
- Chur Hayseks can not be bred at home, they do not hatch eggs at all. When the eggs are incubated or replanted with other breeds, degeneration is observed - the offspring do not have the characteristics of their parents.
- The lack of self-preservation instinct in birds, which is why it is recommended to keep them away from large animals. Some birds tend to pluck feathers and bite, about which we will discuss ways of dealing a little lower.
How to choose the right one?
Domestic breeders and farmers buy both daily chickens and young birds. The purchase of one-day-old chickens is quite simple, especially since the hens already at this age differ from the plumage by their plumage. You can buy these chickens at poultry farms or in specialized stores. In this case, attention should be paid not only to the color of the plumage, but also to the shape of the beak. If it is bent, like a parrot, this indicates a disease of the bird, usually such chickens do not live to adulthood.
Buying young chickens can be carried out in the market. In addition, poultry farms sometimes organize exhibitions where you can also buy chickens. You should pay attention not only to the weight of the individual and the plumage, but also to the color of the legs: in young hens they are yellow.
Content
Despite the general unpretentiousness of the Haysex breed, they need to create good conditions in order to increase productivity. Birds can be kept both in the chicken coop and in enclosures or cages, but it is necessary to provide the bird with enough space. It is important to take care of a comfortable temperature so that the chickens do not freeze and do not overheat.
Experts recommend keeping birds in the yard, in households. a room with sufficient area. In this case, the bird itself will find some greens and other organic food, which positively affects the quality of the eggs. At poultry farms, chickens are kept in a cellular way, without the possibility of walking, therefore, in addition to the standard balanced feed, they are fed with a large number of active additives.
As a result, maximum productive efficiency is achieved, the chicken carries a large number of eggs, but their quality suffers. To get tasty and healthy eggs, you need to create comfortable conditions for the chickens.
Arrangement of a chicken coop
To ensure a comfortable temperature in the house, it is necessary to equip a warm floor. Usually straw or sawdust is used for this, they are spread in a layer of at least 15 cm.
The bird is demanding on lighting, so for the chicken coop, you should use the building with windows and equip it with several lamps. Daylight hours for adult birds last about 17 hours, and for chickens - 22. Birds do not tolerate cold very well, so you should not forget about the warming of the house and the installation of heaters.
To prevent biting, farmers use red lamps. In addition, sand or ash containers are used to clean feathers.
The room for chickens should provide them with enough space, not less than 1 square. m for 4 chickens. Roosters for chickens and nests are equipped at a height of about 60 cm from the floor, so that it is convenient for the bird to jump.
Nests should be in cozy, dark places. To make the chickens more willing to find places for laying, experienced breeders put a tennis ball in them. In addition, bright colors should not be used in the house to increase egg production.
It is noted that the masonry instinct in Highsex chickens is dull, so some birds must be accustomed to nesting. This requires watching the chickens who do not want to rush to the nest, and as soon as the chicken sits rushing to the floor, move it to the nest.
To preserve eggs, care must be taken to control large pests. To protect against mice and rats, they use tools ranging from mousetraps and cat hair to carbide and electronic rodent repellents.
Each chicken coop should have a feeder and a drinking bowl, sufficient in size and convenient for poultry.
Additionally, read how to make a chicken coop yourself.
Cleaning
Highsex chickens are quite resistant to disease, but you should not rely on this alone. To prevent disease, the chicken coop should be equipped with good ventilation. The stale air promotes the breeding of bacteria and viruses.
Also, nursery with the remains of grain and drinkers can become a breeding ground for infection. Therefore, when cleaning, pour the remaining food and change the water.
Mechanical cleaning of the house is carried out on average once every 2 weeks (if the bird is kept open and goes outside - once a month). In addition to replacing the water and cleaning the feeders, the accumulations of litter and feathers from the floor and other visible surfaces are removed, the top layer of the litter is replaced, and the nests are cleaned.
In addition to mechanical cleaning, it is necessary to regularly disinfect the chicken coop. Usually it is carried out 2-3 times a year using special equipment. In no case can you wash the chicken coop with household products, as well as chlorine: their composition negatively affects the health of chickens, and the smell simply scares the bird.
It is recommended to purchase special products, and in their absence - thoroughly rinse the house with water and soda. In extreme cases, apple cider vinegar or lime is used.
How and what to feed?
In poultry factories, Highsex chickens are fed exclusively with feed at the rate of 105-110 grams per day. They are rich in trace elements and provide maximum egg laying of the bird, however, they are quite expensive.
Therefore, at home, you can choose a different, less expensive diet. Adult chickens are fed 3 times a day, their diet is slightly different from other breeds. The basis is taken:
- wheat, oats or barley;
- corn;
- legumes.
The feed is poured in such a quantity that the chickens ate everything in 30 minutes.
Do not overfeed the bird, as this can lead to the appearance of too large eggs and problems with the oviduct, which is typical for the breed.
The remainder of the grain should not be acidified, so as not to become seedlings of infection. To increase efficiency, fish, greens, various meal or vegetables are added to the diet. Do not forget about trace elements.
When a bite occurs, a little feed sulfur is added to the diet of the bird. Calcium has a special effect on egg quality. When lacking this substance, hens become lethargic, and their eggs become very fragile. Breeders recommend feeding the eggshell to the bird, and also, when a weak egg is found, use calcium as a dietary supplement.
When buying chickens at a poultry farm, the poultry diet should be changed gradually, starting with industrial feed and smoothly moving to the mash.
Breeding
To maintain efficiency, the number of chickens changes every 2-3 years. Experienced farmers often cut chickens every year to get tasty young meat. The meat of poultry, which is more than 2 years old, becomes tough, rubber.
Breeding a hybrid at home is not possible, so chickens are purchased at the poultry farm. Large breeders sometimes buy eggs and grow them in incubators. Highsex birds themselves never hatch eggs because of a lost maternal instinct.
Growing chickens
The best time to buy chickens is late spring or early summer. This period is characterized by long daylight hours and high temperatures. This facilitates the maintenance of young animals and allows you to save on food.
The necessary conditions
At first, the chicks should be under round-the-clock lighting; after a few days, the length of daylight hours for them can be reduced by an hour. It is necessary to carefully monitor the temperature - the chicks can not tolerate cold and overheating, so the temperature should not fall below 22 degrees or rise above 28.
During the growth of males, they are usually kept separate from chickens. Chickens need more trace elements, while males can be fed with simpler foods. On average, at 3-4 months, the males are gradually planted to the hens. It is known that it is not necessary to do this right away, because a sharp replanting of a cockerel can become stress for Highsex chickens, which will cause egg production to temporarily decrease.
Males are replaced by younger ones every 16-18 months, on average 1 rooster is taken for 8-10 hens.
Like an adult bird, when breeding young animals should provide good ventilation and cleanliness in the chicken coop.
How to feed?
It is advisable to feed the chicks with factory feed, especially during growth. Small chickens can be fed with a grain mixture. This ensures stable growth and high survival. In case of feeding with grain, microelements, as well as sour-milk products, fish, greens and boiled eggs are actively added to it.
Young animals are fed more often than adult birds. Up to 2 weeks, chicks are fed 6 times a day, up to 2 months - 4 times.
To prevent diseases in the house, disinfection is also carried out, and potassium permanganate is sometimes added to the water.
Highsex chickens diseases and their prevention (vaccination)
Highsex chickens have good natural immunity and are resistant to disease. However, as with any other bird, you need to carefully monitor its condition: a sluggish or aggressive bird is most often sick and needs to be isolated from the rest of the livestock. In addition, the main symptoms of chicken disease are:
- excess or insufficient water consumption;
- sore throat;
- lack of appetite;
- exhaustion.
To prevent the spread of infections, it is necessary to immediately isolate diseased individuals from chickens in which there are no symptoms. After that, transfer everyone to an enhanced diet, add antibiotics to the food or drinkers.
In addition, you should carefully check the feed, the house itself, to find out what could cause the infection. Often the sources of infection are rodents or other pests. If traces of rodents are found, actions are taken to prevent their entry into the house and to the feeders.
Due to innate immunity, most vaccinations are not given to these birds.
With a large population, vaccination against Gamboro disease (20–25 days), Newcastle (5 weeks) and paralysis (when symptoms appear) is mandatory.
Vaccination of chickens can be carried out both using the services of a veterinarian, and independently. Prevention is carried out depending on the type of vaccine and the desired effect using:
- vaccinations;
- drinking water injection supplements;
- instillation into the eye (intraoculation);
- dipping the beak into the liquid (instillation). A particularly popular way of planting small chicks (up to 7 days).
However, the main measures for the prevention of diseases are good conditions for keeping birds: comfortable temperature, adequate lighting and open space of the house, good ventilation, proper nutrition and timely cleaning and disinfection.
Reviews
Oleg Anatolyevich, farmer. A few years ago, a friend advised me to buy chickens at a poultry farm. For the experiment, I bought 2 dozen Highsex Brown. These hens are really more often than ordinary egg breeds, almost every day in the egg, and in care they do not differ much. Pleased with large eggs, sometimes even with double yolk. Now every year I go to the market, buy 2 hundreds of chickens. Almost everyone survives.
Svetlana Yuryevna, veterinarian. I encounter Haysex quite often, but basically I just vaccinate - these hens rarely get sick. Some owners are even surprised that the chicken is already immune to a particular infection. She treated chickens a couple of times for hypothermia (of course, old birds easily tolerated 8 degrees in the chicken coop, and these are heat-loving). Once there was a difficult case with an infection. It turned out - rodents. The breeder poisoned the rats, and the diseases receded; there was no need to cut the bird.
Igor Andreevich. I bought a dozen two-week-old white Highsex chicks on the market. Chicks at first became sluggish, ate badly. One died the next day. I thought it was a hoax, I threw the money in vain. It turned out - stress from hypothermia. He brought the box into the house, warmed it up - they seemed to have departed. They started to rush early, I was not ready for this. The first few days had to collect eggs throughout the barn. Then the hens got used to it. They lay well, 2 eggs in 3 days on average. It’s been almost 3 years now, but it’s a pity to cut it: they are racing so far, while they themselves are small, there’s not much meat left.
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Highsex chickens are a high-quality hybrid of egg direction. When properly maintained, these birds are highly productive. Small content difficulties associated with thermophilism and a special diet are fully compensated by high survival and immunity.
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Russia. City: Syktyvkar
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