Siberian white guinea fowl - birds, characterized by attractive appearance, excellent productive indicators, unpretentiousness in leaving. It is believed that the breeding of this breed on its site is a profitable and at the same time fascinating business. The article discusses the characteristics of the breed and the requirements for breeding.
Origin of breed
The name of the breed itself "says" that Siberia is the birthplace of the bird. A bird appeared in the city of Omsk. Initially, in Russia, birds were considered decorative animals, the meat of which was not accepted for use because of the dark color. In addition, the egg productivity of guinea fowls was much lower than that of chickens. For this reason, it was completely unprofitable to breed these birds.
After the Second World War, several scientific institutes decided to raise Siberian guinea fowl at once, including the All-Union Research Institute of Poultry, the Institute of General Genetics of the USSR Academy of Sciences, the Siberian Scientific and Technical Institute, and the Siberian Research Institute of Agriculture. Scientists wanted to get a breed with fair skin and high productive qualities. Some of them managed to solve this problem.
The light shade of guinea fowl was recessive, that is, it did not appear when crossed with other individuals of the usual color. To consolidate it, a long and painstaking work was required, in which birds that appeared as a result of a natural mutation with a delicate creamy white hue were used for crossing. The breed was officially registered in 1978.
Description and characteristics of the bird
Siberian white guinea fowls differ from their gray-speckled relatives not only in the color of their plumage. They have very light paws and skin with a pink tint. Birds are in some ways considered albinos.
The birds have a small white head with a splash of blue. Under the chin is a purple bag ("beard"). Guinea fowl earrings are large, dense and fleshy, pale pink in color. The head rests on a long, poorly feathered neck. A distinctive feature is a gray, small beak, slightly bent down at the tip.
The massive trunk is located on short legs with pale metatarsus. The body is elongated, reaches 45-50 centimeters in length. The chest is muscular and well developed. The back smoothly turns into a short, inexpressive tail, down. The Siberian guinea fowl has small wings adjacent to the body.
Productive qualities
Siberian white guinea fowl is distinguished by good productive indicators. It is especially famous for its high egg production, because more than 25% outnumber laid eggs of other breeds that are bred in our country. Birds not only grow rapidly, but also gain weight rapidly.
One female lays about 80-90, sometimes 100 eggs weighing 50 grams per year. Fertilization of eggs is 75-90%. The weak point of the breed is high mortality among chicks, it reaches up to 47%.
The weight of an adult bird varies within 2 kilograms. At 2.5 months, the young guinea fowl weighs about 900 grams. During this time, she eats food, consuming a little more than 3 pounds.
The Siberian guinea fowl has tasty, nutritious and tender meat. Guinea fowl carcass contains 10-15% more meat than chicken carcass. Guinea fowl meat contains a minimum of fats, a maximum of iron, with a deficiency of which the level of hemoglobin in the blood decreases.
Character and lifestyle
Siberian guinea fowls are non-conflict animals. Most breeders note the positive quality of Siberian guinea fowls - a calm and balanced disposition. These birds are able to get along with other breeds and establish contact with all the inhabitants of the house.
Farmers note the main drawback of the bird - its excessive timidity. Guinea fowl often react to extraneous noise, strangers - begin to scream and behave hysterically. Animals get used to a new place for a long time, react poorly to any changes in conditions of detention, do not like changes.
Siberian guinea fowl can hardly be called manual. If you try to take her in your arms, the guinea fowl from a calm animal turns into an aggressive beast: it starts to break free, hiss viciously and even scratch. If the owner tries to hold the bird by the feathers, she will not spare herself and will try to break out at all costs. This character trait can negatively affect the incubation of eggs, which is why experienced breeders slopes to use an incubator or laying hens for these purposes.
Care and maintenance
Siberian guinea fowl are considered unpretentious birds. They can survive in almost any conditions. They have a calm disposition, are hardy and viable. Birds are not afraid of cold and temperature changes, are unpretentious in food, can live on walks, in enclosed spaces or even in cages. These and other qualities make the breed valuable to farmers.
The rules for the care and maintenance of guinea fowls can be found on our website - here.
Room requirements
Any room is suitable for growing Siberian guinea fowl. In summer, an ordinary barn can become a home for birds, and for year-round winter maintenance you can not do without a chicken coop, well insulated, where all the required conditions will be met:
- In order for the birds to tolerate the winter period well, it is necessary to arrange a deep litter in the house, using hay, sawdust, peat or shavings.
- Install perches in the house at a height of 50-70 cm from the floor. One guinea fowl accounts for 25-30 cm of roost length.
- Usually birds choose nooks to lay eggs, so installing nests is a futile affair.
- It is imperative to equip a hole with a size of 30x30 cm in the house. It must open outward so that the animal can freely go free, and the farmer, when the door is opened, does not accidentally injure the animals.
In the house they put a bathtub with wood ash or fine sand. Swimming in the ashes is a favorite occupation of guinea fowls.
Walking yard
Siberian birds feel great in closed houses and cages, but providing a walking range for birds will allow birds to feed on pasture, which will significantly reduce the cost of feeding animals. Guinea fowl like to feast on Colorado beetles, locusts, caterpillars, weevils, butterflies and other malicious pests of the fields, even small rodents. In this case, the birds do not rake the garden, causing damage to the roots of plants.
An aviary is required next to the house, enclosing the area with a net of at least 2 meters high. Birds fly well, and the net will not allow them to get out. The area of the enclosure depends on the purpose for which the farmer contains guinea fowl. To obtain a quality fertilized egg, each individual has at least 15 square meters of territory.
In winter, birds walk in the snow, which is why they often freeze their paws. Hay or straw lined in a walking yard will help to avoid this.
Feeding and mode
Siberian guinea fowl are also not demanding on the diet. They are able to eat any plant or animal food. When forming a diet for birds of this breed, it is necessary to follow all the same recommendations as for egg-oriented chickens.
The specific composition and volume of feed depends on the conditions of keeping the bird, including whether it has the ability to go on a walk or is kept indoors. If the bird grazes in the fresh air all day, it will independently get the bulk of green food and products containing protein (various insects). In this case, you will need to feed her only once a day, in the evening.
It is recommended to use different dry grain mixtures or wet mixers as feed. Some breeders prefer to save time, because they feed guinea fowl with high-quality compound feeds. In addition to food, birds must constantly have access to clean and fresh water - warm liquid is added to the drinkers.
In the absence of walking, guinea fowls need to provide a complete and balanced diet. The main component of the feed is fresh herbs and various insects. In addition, the menu should contain vegetables, combined feed and food waste. Mineral supplements are not in the last place. It is advisable for birds to give crushed shell, river sand, chalk, fine gravel. These products not only provide the body with calcium and minerals, but also improve the digestive system.
For a guinea fowl to gain 1 kilogram of live weight, it needs 3-3.3 kg of feed. Different feeds are distributed in the diet approximately according to the system proposed in the table:
Feed type | Percentage in diet | The amount of feed per one individual per year |
Mineral supplements | 4% | 2 kg |
Green grass | 20% | 10-12 kg |
Root vegetables and other vegetables | 9% | 4-5 kg |
Animal food | 7% | 3-4 kg |
Grain and feed | 60% | 30-35 kg |
Birds that are locked must be fed at least 3 times a day. Young animals need more food - they feed 4 times a day. Taking into account the fact that any changes in the conditions of detention can cause shyness of guinea fowls, it is necessary to feed them strictly at the same time. More information on the proper feeding of guinea fowls can be found in the next article.
Is it possible to keep a guinea fowl with other birds?
Due to its peaceful nature, keeping white guinea fowls with other birds in the same room is usually not a hassle. In any bird community, the appearance of new birds can initially lead to conflicts. This is especially true of roosters, accustomed to defend their supremacy. Guinea fowl are very friendly, because they are kept in a pack and do not give offense to anyone.
It is advisable to plant the bird at night, to monitor the level of its aggressiveness for several days. Those who start a conflict are isolated. Calm lives birds that are planted with other breeds of chickens. Also in the team are well perceived chicks chicks hatched hatched chicken.
The joint maintenance of guinea fowl with chickens has many advantages:
- Both birds are allowed to feed with the same feed, which significantly saves time and allows you not to waste time servicing animals.
- In winter, this number of birds is much warmer, they together protect the chicks.
- Guinea fowl are bad hens. Hens happily hatch guinea fowl chicks.
But not without negative points:
- Guinea fowls sometimes behave too loudly, because of which the cries of animals can frighten away chickens that hatch eggs.
- Crossing between birds of different species can occur.
- Roosters and male guinea fowl are prone to regular conflicts.
- Guinea fowl are birds used to rushing in more than one place. Chickens can take a bad example and begin to rush not in the nests, but lay eggs to those that were guinea-demolished.
In the chicken coop, additional nests are required, and in the house where guinea fowl live, they are not necessary. In all other respects, the arrangement of the premises is practically no different. The same applies to the formation of diet, walking, content.
Unlike chickens, guinea fowls need walks every day, therefore when replanting guinea fowls, it is necessary to attach an aviary next to the house to a chicken enclosed by northern winds and bad weather.
Is it profitable to breed a Siberian guinea fowl?
If there is a ready-made outbuilding on the estate’s territory, the cost of arranging it will be about 10-15 thousand rubles. This amount is designed for the purchase of wooden products, including lintels and crossbars, nests. Feeders and drinking bowls are made from improvised means.
One guinea fowl costs about 60-70 rubles, so for a hundred farmers will have to pay 6-7 thousand rubles. 3-3.5 thousand rubles are spent on food per month. You can not do without a grain crusher, worth 5,000 rubles.
To engage in the cultivation of guinea fowls you will need to spend about 24-33.5 thousand rubles. If you buy an incubator, the costs will be much higher, because an incubator for 96 eggs costs 4-6 thousand rubles. Read more about incubation of guinea fowl eggs here.
Profits come from the sale of meat carcasses, feathers, down and egg products. But it will be possible to recoup costs and profit from breeding white guinea fowls no earlier than in 4-4.5 months. For example, the average cost of 1 kilogram of meat carcass is 500 rubles. When selling 100 carcasses weighing 2-2.5 kilos, the profit will be 100-125 thousand rubles, taking into account the sale of feathers and down. The same amount includes the sale of eggs.
If you correctly and seriously approach the issue of breeding Siberian guinea fowl, this can turn out to be a profitable business that will bring good profit, which is enough for expansion and for a good life. But first of all, the farmer will need to study the characteristics of the breed, to figure out how to properly feed the birds, to care for them.
Reviews
Today, farmers respond positively to Siberian guinea fowl, preferring this breed.
Nikolay, 32 years old, farmer. My wife and I started breeding guinea fowls more than five years ago. First, ordinary (gray-speckled) guinea fowls were introduced, and then they acquired an incubation egg and a Siberian white guinea fowl was bred in the incubator. Today we deal exclusively with this breed. We get 80-90 eggs a year from birds. We sell products to summer residents arriving for the summer period. Only by selling eggs do we manage to recoup the content of the entire livestock.
Margarita, 45 years old, housewife. I always wanted to keep the birds in my yard. Not so long ago I came across a white guinea fowl, originally from Siberia. Immediately found on the network information on feeding, care and maintenance. I realized that with the breeding of birds there will be no difficulties. Guinea fowl in this color look simply extraordinary. My husband and I are satisfied with the number of eggs that give laying hens a year - and they leave for sale, and we have enough for food. We also sell meat carcasses, bird feathers. It is very beneficial to breed guinea fowl.
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Siberian white guinea fowl are attractive birds that are more often calm in nature, unpretentious in maintenance and nutrition. Troubles rarely arise with them, only if the birds are scared - then a lot of noise comes from them. The rest of the breeding guinea fowl brings a good profit.
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Ukraine. City: Kryvyi Rih
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