Chickens Forverk are a breed of meat and egg purposes. The main feature of birds is their high productivity and unusual appearance. The breed attracts breeders with a special temperament - calm and patient.
History of the origin of the breed
German breeders have worked for many years to create interesting and high-quality hybrids. At the end of the 19th century, scientists decided to conduct another experiment to create an amazing breed of chickens. Their goal was to produce a species of bird that could bear a large number of eggs, had juicy and tender meat.
1912 - the year when the breeders created the breed, the same year became a period of standardization. The locals liked the birds, and not only for their high egg production, but for their attractive external characteristics and balanced disposition.
Characteristics and description of the Forverk breed
The German woman looks unusual, so she can decorate any poultry yard.
External signs
Features:
- the size of the body is non-standard for chickens: the body is large, wide sides;
- big back;
- round belly;
- the legs are inexpressive, two small wings adjoin the body;
- the feather cover is thick, there is a small amount of down;
- the tail of roosters is large, in females it is slightly smaller and not so dense;
- unusual color: necks and tails are black, other feathers are brown or red;
- round head, oval-shaped ears;
- straight comb with red earrings;
- chickens weight 2 kg, males - 3 kg.
Character
The bird's temperament attracts many farmers. Chickens inherited an imperturbable disposition from their parents, they do not shout over trifles, do not run around the yard and do not make scandals. Birds are not afraid of noises, screams or other farmer's actions. Shocks endure without consequences for immunity, sometimes it seems that these birds are not afraid of anything at all.
Forwerk chickens become attached to the owner, so problems may arise in connection with their move. Males do not fight, with the correct ratio of roosters and chickens, poultry farmers will see mutual understanding and peace in the poultry yard.
Puberty and egg-laying
Layers begin to hatch eggs at about the age of six months, but with the beginning of this period, the chickens do not stop gaining weight and continue to "gain weight" for the next 8-12 months.
Egg production is average. German women lay small eggs with yellow shells. The weight of one varies within 50 g, large specimens are selected to create young animals.
The moment of the best productivity in layers occurs in the 1st year from the moment of entering puberty. This year, females are able to give the farmer about 170 eggs, the next years this figure drops rapidly.
Incubation instinct
Experienced breeders know that the lack of maternal instinct is not an obstacle in the process of breeding chickens. Using a special incubator and several skills will help replace a real chicken.
In the process of breeding this breed, chickens have lost the genes responsible for the maternal instinct. Farmers may hope that it is their bird that will become the exception and nurse their children, but practice shows the opposite. It is better to stock up on an incubator or use a good hen of another breed of birds.
Invalid characteristics
The breed was bred for a long time and it is impossible to lose its main characteristics. Poultry farmers are careful in selecting purebred Forwerk.
Unacceptable signs of the breed of chickens:
- the presence of feathers of a different color;
- triangle-shaped body;
- pink earrings;
- white paws;
- dark eyes.
Weak and sick chickens with sparse plumage are not allowed for breeding. Such insignificant characteristics, after several generations, will certainly appear, and instead of high-quality beautiful birds, you will get simple rustic ones with a usual rural color.
Conditions of detention and care
German women are not particularly whimsical in content, but they need comfort and normal conditions for existence.
Arrangement of a chicken coop
Chickens are disgustingly surviving frosts, so they need to be kept in a cozy warm room. It is possible to breed chickens in cold regions, only for the winter the room where they live should be heated. All holes in the walls and in the floor need to be repaired. Make the floor warm immediately, or install warm mats.
The perches are placed low - 0.5 m from the floor surface. Chickens need nest boxes. They are located in the dark part of the room. For 5 individuals - 1 nest. In order for birds to clean their feathers from parasites, they need a container filled with sand and ash.
One of the important conditions for the normal living of layers is the presence of a large number of drinkers (how to make a drinker yourself, read here) and feeders (how to make a feeder, it is written here). For 1 bird - 0.12 m of feed tape.
Indoor microclimate requirements:
- The temperature is not lower than +10 degrees Celsius.
- Humidity - 60-65%. At high rates, there is a risk of infection and spread of various infections.
- Lighting duration - 12-14 hours. In the summer season, natural sunlight is good through the windows. In winter, special lamps are installed.
Farmers must maintain sanitary conditions in the premises, otherwise the birds get sick. Containers for water and food are cleaned every day so that harmful microflora does not begin to develop. The rug is shaken out from the floor and changed 3 times a year.
Feathers should not get dirty, so the sawdust is turned up to the full depth weekly. A layer of bedding material is added monthly.
General cleaning is carried out once every six months. All surfaces of the room are treated with special solutions against microbes and infections.
Sulfur bombs can be used to help kill the fungus. This is allowed only during the absence of birds.
Walking
Representatives of the breed can do without walks, but they need fresh air especially in summer. Movement and walking strengthen the immune system and have a positive effect on the metabolism of chickens.
An aviary for German women is installed on the south side. The poultry yard is covered with a canopy, it protects birds from rain and burning sun. The height of the mesh fence must be at least 2 m.
Chicken Forwerk is released for walking only in calm, sunny weather. The mark on the thermometer should not fall below -1 degrees Celsius. In winter, birds are kept in a chicken coop.
If you need advice on how to make your own chicken coop, then read this article.
Nutrition
Productivity will increase with well-formulated nutrition. In the warm season, the breed is fed twice a day: in the morning and in the evening, provided that the chickens are free-range during the day and can eat pasture. In the winter season, the need for food increases, and the birds need three meals a day.
The food is based on cereals. The menu includes millet, oats, buckwheat, millet and barley. Vitamins are obtained from vegetables. They can be given carrots, beets and pumpkin.
Experienced poultry farmers prepare dried herbs for the winter. Greens are added to the feeders. Chickens need vitamins and various useful additives, they increase egg production and strengthen the immune system.
Best Nutritional Supplements:
- a piece of chalk;
- yeast;
- shredded shells;
- bone and meat-and-bone meal;
- herbal flour.
To improve digestion, small containers with crushed gravel are placed near the food containers, it helps to improve and speed up the metabolism.
Molting period
In autumn, the duration of daylight hours is significantly reduced, respectively, the body of birds reacts to this, which is manifested in the onset of molt. There are periods when this process is postponed to winter, it all depends on the region where the birds live, as well as on the conditions of their keeping.
During molting, it is necessary to monitor the temperature in the room - in frosts, birds do not need to be released outside, so as not to harm their well-being.
As a result of molting, a short halt in laying occurs. As soon as the number of feathers resumes, the birds will begin to lay eggs, as before. If you lost feathers in the fall, then in winter the chickens will lay, but not as actively as in spring and summer.
Herd replacement
In the 1st year of life, chickens bring the maximum number of eggs, then their volume decreases by 25% every year. The livestock should be replaced every 2 years.
Breeding
Forverk females reach sexual maturity at 6 months, males a month later. When creating one family, it is enough to have 1 rooster and 8 chickens. The largest eggs are selected for incubation, the weight of one is about 60 g. An incubator or hen of a different breed of hens is used.
After laying the eggs in the incubator, the chicks appear after 3 weeks. Babies are extremely sensitive to sudden changes in temperature. The chicks are immediately placed in brooders with a special heating system. They keep the young in a brooder for about 3-4 weeks, this is due to the fact that the plumage process takes a very long time in babies.
The temperature is lowered by 2 degrees weekly so that the chicks get used to the environmental conditions. After that, the chickens are transferred to the poultry house, however, they are kept in a separate room from adult chickens until the end of molting.
Young Forverk breed is born black with yellow heads. The color of the feathers changes. First, orange feathers appear on the wings, then on the whole body.
In the video below, the breeder shows the Forwerk chicken breed and talks about its breeding:
Chick care
Young animals are fed 15 hours after birth. The first dish is a boiled egg. After that, feeding is carried out every couple of hours. The diet includes: low-fat cottage cheese, millet, fresh herbs, root vegetables. Mineral supplements are especially important for chickens: chalk, meal, fish and bone meal.
For 1 sq. m fits 13-15 chicks.
As the birds grow, the territories increase. In a small area, healthy and strong birds offend the weak. Youngsters need sun and warmth, so they can't do without a walk. The correct housing conditions and a well-chosen diet will help to grow a strong and healthy livestock of the Forwerk breed.
Diseases
The breed has a strong immune system, so birds are rarely attacked by diseases. Often they are associated with an illiterate diet and hypothermia, which provokes a weakening of the immune system. The lack of useful trace elements provokes ailments with plumage, in some cases is fraught with attacks of cannibalism.
The Forwerk breed needs frequent preventive measures, which consist in competent vaccination.
Farmers should make sure that chickens do not interact with wild fauna that carry bacteria and infections. For this, the yard for walking is fenced with a net. Bird inspections are carried out regularly and parasites are removed using special means.
Advantages and disadvantages
Benefits of Forwerk chickens:
- active growth of young animals;
- juicy and tender meat;
- unpretentious care;
- unusual appearance, including feather color;
- calm character.
Disadvantages of Forverk chickens:
- sensitivity to sudden temperature changes;
- lack of maternal instinct.
The breed is suitable for growing in small yards, the small cost of keeping livestock can bring you great benefits in the form of eggs and meat.
Reviews of poultry farmers about Forverk chickens
Olga, 35 years old, cook, Moscow.It has long been a dream to open my own small establishment with delicious food. There was only one problem - to find a good supplier of meat and eggs. I decided to try to grow the Forwerk breed on my site. The description of their productivity was fine with me.
My husband and I built a chicken coop, bought young growth, looked after, fed. The hens brought a lot of eggs in the first year, then productivity decreased, and the herd had to be replaced. The poultry meat is tasty and tender. At the moment, we decided to increase the number of birds in our bird yard.
Konstantin, 56 years old, biologist, Sochi.Forverk chickens have won my heart long ago. They are very friendly and calm, sometimes it seems to me that they love me and miss me. There is 1 cock and 8 hens in the yard. I started to get eggs, I'm happy with the productivity. The only negative is that molt lasts a long time.
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Today it is very difficult to find representatives of the Forverk breed in Russia. Only a few nurseries can offer such chicks. In Europe, there are many more birds of this breed. German women can adapt to our climate, but breeding them in the northern regions is not recommended.