The Oryol breed is considered one of the oldest in Russia, but so far it is of great interest to domestic poultry breeders-collectors. Chickens are famous for their stamina, meat productivity and unpretentiousness in the content. From the article you will learn the main characteristics of the breed, its advantages and disadvantages, as well as the subtleties of keeping and caring for poultry.
Breeding History
The homeland of the Oryol hens is not exactly known, but many historians are inclined to believe that representatives of this breed were brought to Russia from the Iran in the 17th century. Count Orlov-Chesmensky played a large role in the breeding and distribution of Orlovka, thanks to which this poultry gained immense popularity in 19th century Russia.
The progenitors of birds are considered Malay fighting and Persian chickens. Also directly involved in the formation of the species were the Russian Ushanka, the Thuringian and Bruges breeds. In 1899, the Oryol hens came to Western Europe, where they aroused considerable interest among the Germans and the British.
However, in the middle of the 20th century, many new foreign meat and egg breeds were brought into Russia. Orlovka turned out to be uncompetitive in front of them on an industrial scale and almost completely disappeared from poultry farms and private farms.
In the 50s, several poultry enthusiasts decided to revive the old Russian breed and took as a basis a cross between local hens and Orlovka, choosing the most suitable individuals in appearance. Breeding work lasted more than 40 years; as a result, the breed was restored to its original form.
Features of Oryol hens
In recent years, the popularity of Oryol hens has increased dramatically - laying hens can be found both in small poultry farms and in the yards of private farms. At the moment, there are 2 branches of the breed: Russian and German. The quality standards in Germany are different from the domestic ones; therefore, over the long years of breeding and breeding work, these stately birds have lost their original resemblance.
Orlovok is classified as a decorative and sport fighting breed at the same time. Despite their powerful appearance, these birds have a friendly and calm character. Layers do not differ in high rates of egg laying, but their colorful plumage and unpretentiousness in the content attract both domestic and foreign poultry farmers. Oryol chickens are stored in the VNITIP gene pool collection.
Appearance
Growth Orlovok usually does not exceed 60 cm, they are distinguished by well-developed muscles and strong bones. Medium-sized head, long neck and scruff densely feathered. The eyes are small, mostly amber or reddish-orange. In chickens, the beak is light yellow, short and hooked.
The crest at Orlovka is small, slightly flattened and tuberous. It is located on the forehead and almost hangs over the bird's nostrils. Ear lobes and earrings are underdeveloped, under the overhanging feathers of the tank it is quite difficult to consider them. The tail is medium length, well feathered.
Roosters have wide shoulders and well-developed muscular chests. Tanks and beard are slightly less developed than in hens. A curved large beak and a wide forehead make the Oryol roosters look like real predatory eagles, and powerful superciliary arches and deep-set eyes further emphasize this similarity. The tail is medium length, well feathered, located at right angles to the back line.
Color
The color of the plumage of poultry is very diverse. At the moment, there are the following subspecies of the Oryol hens: chintz, white and black, mahogany, brick, black and red. Most often, individuals of calico color are found. They are easily distinguished by a lush beard, consisting of white, orange and gray feathers.
The body and chest of calico roosters are black with white spots, the head and back are of a brick hue. The wings are clearly visible transverse stripes of black with a greenish tint. The tail is completely black, but the breed standard allows for a pair of white feathers in the upper braids.
Chickens have an identical color, but the color is not as bright as that of roosters. There are a lot of white feathers on the beard and nape. Light inclusions on the body are clearly delineated.
Of the monochromatic colors in our area, the most common are White Orlovka. In private poultry yards you can also find mahogany birds, whose body and head are brick-colored, and the tail is black with a green tint.
Character
The Oryol Rooster is the real owner of the poultry yard, ready at any moment to rush into battle. His appearance is full of dignity, he likes to walk around the house, proudly sticking out his powerful chest forward. If you decide to get a rooster of this breed, you can be sure that no other bird dares to encroach on the territory entrusted to it - it will give a worthy rebuff to anyone.
Orlovets inherited such a fighting character from his ancestors - Malay hens. However, do not think that roosters of this breed are pugnacious and aggressive. They get along well with other birds in the common poultry yard, but they don’t allow other cocks to be allowed to their hens. Layers are characterized by a friendly and complaisant disposition, rarely get involved in fights and quietly coexist with other birds.
Egg production
Chickens in the Oryol pore mature relatively late and begin to lay eggs at the age of 8 months. In the first year, about 180 eggs can be obtained from a young laying hen; for 2-3 years, this figure drops to 140 pieces. The eggs are medium in size, weighing up to 60 g. The color of the shell depends on the suit of the chicken and varies from cream to light pink.
Despite the fact that the productivity of Orlovka is average, poultry farmers note the high palatability of the eggs.
Instinct of incubation
Chickens of the Oryol breed lack incubation instinct. Many poultry farmers do not consider this feature to be a drawback, since there are less and less supporters of natural incubation every year. In addition, during incubation, hens do not lay eggs, which is not economically viable.
If you decide to breed chickens without an incubator, then the best option would be to put Orlovka eggs in a nest of a brood hen of another breed.
Advantages and disadvantages
Poultry farmers in Siberia and other regions with a harsh climate often prefer the Oryol chickens, as they easily adapt to various environmental conditions without losing productive qualities. Also, the advantages of the breed include:
- decorative appearance;
- good meat performance;
- endurance;
- unpretentiousness in the content;
- high palatability of meat products.
This breed has its drawbacks:
- decrease in egg laying in laying hens with age;
- slow bird growth;
- late maturation of laying hens;
- poor plumage of chickens, which creates some difficulties when growing them.
Despite all the advantages, on an industrial scale Orlovok is not bred. At the moment, breeders have bred a lot of meat and egg breeds with higher productivity indicators. Most often, Oryol hens can be found in small houses, where they are bred more for decorative purposes.
Content Features
The flexible nature of Orlovok allows them to be kept in the same room with other birds. If you decide to purchase not only hens, but also a rooster, it is advisable to provide them with a separate dwelling. Orlovets will not tolerate competitors on its territory, so fights in the chicken coop are inevitable. If it is impossible to organize a separate place of detention, then divide the territory with a partition.
In the middle lane of Orlovka, winter frosts can easily endure in an unheated room, but if the temperature drops to -30 degrees or below, a heater should be installed in the chicken coop. In regions with severe winters, it is advisable to pre-insulate the walls of the chicken coop with mineral wool or extruded polystyrene foam.
If you are interested in how to make a chicken coop yourself, then you can read this article.
The size of the premises for the chicken coop depends on the number of poultry and should correspond to 5 heads per square meter. m. The chicken coop floor should be covered with bedding made of straw, sawdust, dry moss or peat chips. In winter, the thickness of the litter layer must be increased to 40 cm in order to insulate the room. In spring, the litter is cleaned, disinfected, and the floor is dried, and then a new one is laid.
Care
Oryol hens are not demanding in care, but for good performance, laying hens should provide comfortable living conditions. Mandatory elements of any poultry yard are:
- feeders;
- drinkers;
- nests for laying eggs;
- perch;
- walking area.
When choosing feeders and drinking bowls, it is important to consider that the beak at Orlovka is short and strongly bent. It is better to choose shallow wide containers that are placed either on the floor of the house, or suspended around its perimeter.
You can read how to make a drinker with your own hands here.
As nests for laying eggs, you can use small wooden boxes or baskets, the bottom of which is covered with straw or hay. For every 5 layers, 1 nest is equipped. Do not forget about the perch - a place for resting and sleeping birds. Experienced poultry farmers recommend making it from wooden bars with a section of 50x50. Such poles are installed in the darkened part of the chicken coop at a height of 80 cm from the floor.
The walking area is most often equipped directly near the chicken coop on the south side. In size, it should occupy at least 50% of the area of the poultry house. The walking patio should be fenced with a galvanized grid 2-2.2 m high, so that Orlovka could not fly over it.
Some farmers release chickens for walks in the garden and orchard, where they eat weed sprouts and exterminate slugs and pest larvae.
Feeding
For a good mass gain Orlovka needs a varied diet. In the diet of poultry, various grain feeds, juicy greens, root vegetables and dairy products must be present. 3-4 times a week, you can offer laying hens moist mixers, consisting of crushed boiled potatoes with steamed barley. There you can add fish waste, bone and meat and bone meal.
Uncleaned buckwheat is sometimes desirable to be added to the main feed. It contains a large amount of iron, which positively affects the egg production and muscle development of poultry. Also in the diet should be present and mineral additives, such as table salt, sand with shells, limestone (fraction 0.5-1.5 mm).
Ready-made industrial feed mixtures, which already contain vitamin supplements, proteins and minerals, will also be a good option. It is important to monitor the availability of fresh drinking water in drinking bowls. Place them so that the bird can come up at any moment and quench your thirst unhindered.
Breeding
To succeed in breeding Orlovka, it is necessary to take into account some of the nuances of this breed. At the moment, to find purebred birds that fully meet the standards is quite difficult. Their breeding is mainly carried out by professional poultry farmers and participants in various bird shows.
It should also be borne in mind that the Oryol layers reach maturity quite late, so it makes no sense to get chicken under 2 years old. Unsuitable for breeding are birds that possess:
- low weight for his age;
- insufficient plumage of the neck and nape;
- thin beak;
- inappropriate subtype color.
For incubation, large eggs of the correct shape with a dense shell are selected. They must be fresh, shelf life - no more than 5 days. For hatchery, it is advisable to use special incubators with microclimate and temperature control.
We recommend reading an article about the features of incubation of chicken eggs.
Growing chickens
In an incubator, chickens hatch for 20-21 days. After birth, they are placed in a large box or box, on the bottom of which they place sawdust or hay. Change this litter daily.
Chicks of the Oryol breed are characterized by a relatively low survival rate and require constant attention. They grow slowly, plumage appears late. Chickens do not tolerate high humidity and cold, are prone to colds.
The chicks do not adapt well to changing environmental conditions, so in the first days of life they must be kept in a room warmed up to +35 degrees. By the end of the first week, the temperature is reduced to +32. Therefore, the house should be cooled a couple of degrees every week. The optimum temperature for young animals is +23 degrees.
In the first week, chickens are fed every 2 hours. The best food for them during this period will be crushed boiled eggs, corn and barley groats, cottage cheese, juicy greens, grated carrots and boiled potatoes. Further, the diet is expanded every 3-4 days, adding new products and crushed cereals. The number of meals is reduced gradually - by the end of the third week they should remain 4.
If you prefer to use industrial compound feeds, then carefully select them based on the age of the chickens. The first 10 days of chicks are fed with warm boiled water at about 30 degrees. By 3 weeks of age, it is gradually cooled to +18. Vitamins by age and probiotics are usually mixed in to drink for better digestion.
Molting
The natural physiological process of dropping feathers can seriously scare an inexperienced farmer. In densely feathered Orlovs, it is especially noticeable, since during molting, laying hens almost completely lose their beard and tanks. In chickens older than a year, molting usually takes from 4 to 8 weeks.
Seasonal molting can occur in spring, summer and autumn. The first 2 pass almost imperceptibly, and their occurrence depends on the climatic conditions of the region where the bird is kept. Autumn molt is the most ambitious, as the feathers are updated throughout the bird's body. Most often during this period, laying hens cease to lay eggs.
How to choose a purebred bird?
Purebred Oryol chicken must fully comply with the approved standard. Marriage of breed can be determined by:
- underdeveloped plumage on the head;
- the presence of a hump;
- small bird growth;
- insufficient weight for age;
- narrow back and chest;
- the presence of residual plumage on the fingers and metatarsals;
- brownish body color;
- black beard;
- thin thin beak.
Buying such birds is not worth it, as they will not correspond to the characteristics of the breed and may simply disappoint you. At present, there are a lot of subsidiary farms in Russia where you can buy selection chickens and hatchery eggs of Orlovka. At specialized exhibitions you can also meet collectors involved in poultry breeding, and guaranteed to get purebred chicken.
In the video presented, the breeder talks about the breed of chickens "Orlovskaya":
Frequent diseases
Oryol chickens with proper care rarely get sick. If you still notice symptoms of malaise in layers, you should correctly establish the diagnosis and begin treatment promptly.
The most common noncommunicable diseases of the Oryol hens and methods for their treatment
Disease name | Main symptoms | Treatment |
Avitaminosis | General malaise, weight loss, loose stools, decreased egg production, crest pallor, lethargy. | After a blood test, the doctor will prescribe a complex of missing vitamins and minerals that need to be added to the chicken in food. |
Tenovaginitis | Lameness, lethargy, refusal of food, swelling in the joint area. | Introduction to the diet of poultry juicy greens. |
Gout | Diarrhea, fecal discoloration, impaired motor function, joint swelling, fever. | Drinking 2% aqueous solution of bicarbonate salt, 0.25% urotropine. |
Abdominal dropsy | An increase in the volume of the abdomen, a change in its shape, shortness of breath, lethargy. | In mild forms of the disease, fluid is pumped out from the abdominal cavity and diuretic therapy. |
Cloacite | Diarrhea, cesspool inflammation, the appearance of hemorrhagic ulcers, weight loss, lack of oviposition. | Treatment of cloaca with 1% Rivanol solution, lubrication with terramycin ointment, Levomekol. |
Gastroenteritis | Depression of consciousness, scallop blue, loss of appetite, diarrhea, fever. | Diet, including fermented milk products, solutions of iron sulfate 0.2%, potassium iodide 0.02%. After assessing the condition, the veterinarian can prescribe antibiotics to the bird: Tetracycline, Neomycin. |
Reviews of chickens of the Oryol breed
Irina, 38 years old, amateur poultry breeder, Krasnodar Territory. I got my Oryol hens at the exhibition, I really liked their appearance. They rush well, are not demanding in leaving. I am completely satisfied with my choice.
Alexander, 46 years old, farmer, Arkhangelsk region. Many breeding problems, the eggs are small. Chickens grow very slowly. I think that they are not profitable in content, I decided to deduce.
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Oryol chickens are gradually gaining their former popularity, and at the moment, many poultry farmers would like to have a purebred stately bird in their farm. Despite the average performance, with good care, the chicken is carried even in winter, and poultry meat is famous for its excellent taste. Birds grow slowly, but the weight of an adult chicken can reach 5 kg.