Paduan Chicken is a rare and incredibly beautiful type of poultry. It has a lush, ray-shaped tuft covering the entire head.
Padua known since antiquity. For a long time they were bought only for decorative purposes. Already in the 18th century, Russian peasants began to use the Paduans as layers and meat source.
Paduan is a breed of ornamental, egg-bearing, meat chickens. Italy is officially recognized as their birthplace. The exact place of origin is unknown. The earliest mention of these unusual poultry came to us from the Roman Empire.
In the animal hall of the Vatican Museum of Pius-Clement in 1927, two marble statues depicting crested chickens, the origin of which dates from the 1st-2nd centuries of our era.
Chicken most likely got its unusual name “Paduan” in honor of the small town of Padua, located in the Veneto region of Italy. This name was fixed for this breed of hens a few centuries ago. Padua already have time debt are valuable birds and traded. In the Italian city of Padua, they were bred in large numbers, selling abroad. Numerous buyers began to call their new pets in honor of the locality where they came from these wonderful birds.
General description of the breed Paduan
Chickens are light and elegant. All parts of the body are commensurate with each other. Bright plumage harmoniously distributed.
Ring size: rooster - IV, chicken - V. Medium sized head. The structure of the cranial bone is characterized by a significant protrusion on which the luxurious crest is located. In cocks, the crest looks like a mane, with thinner feathers on the sides and back. Crowned chicken resembles a ball, it is more compact.
The beard is well developed, it is evenly fixed and looks harmonious with the rest of the plumage. There is no comb in these chickens, this is necessary for optimal placement of the crest.
Earrings are also absent, they are replaced by a wide beard. The bill is massive, strong, slightly curved. The nasal openings protrude slightly above the general level. The color of the beak depends on the variety, often has a bluish tint.
The eyes are round, large, have a bright luster. The color may be dark orange or red, depending on the variety of Padua. The face has a rich red color, the lower part is covered with a lush beard. The neck is strong, arched, slightly curved, completely covered with plumage. Shoulders are strong, wide, semicircular.
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The body is slightly stocky, gradually narrowing from the shoulders to the tail. The body is almost horizontal, the torso is slightly elevated. Wings of medium length, held horizontally, tightly pressed to the body. The tail is long, wide, radiating from the center by individual braids. The tail forms an angle to the line of the back 40/45 ° in roosters and 30/35 ° in chickens.
The chest is rather full, well rounded, slightly protruding. Legs moderately long, without plumage, have four fingers. The skin color of the legs resembles a blue slate. The plumage is well developed, tight to the body, the shape of feathers is rounded. The skin is light, almost white.
Chicken Features
Chicken Paduan perfectly fulfills a decorative role.
Its unusual color, length and location of feathers fascinates many lovers of unusual species of birds and simple observers. Paduan bird can be a pet.
Paduans have a calm, balanced character.. By nature, very friendly, trusting and non-conflicting. If they live in a house where they receive a lot of attention, they begin to show individual character traits.
Often very intelligent, reasonable. If you treat Padua carefully, the bird can easily learn to eat from your hand, travel around the room or yard, climbing onto the shoulder or hand of the host.
Sometimes they are jealous, they can show the features of egoism, however negative emotions are rarely manifested in these birds. Paduans behave like ordinary domestic animals, their character and relationship with the owner directly depend on the attitude towards them.
Chicken almost omnivorous, but do not need to use this quality. Once the chickens eat something unusable, too fat, the product containing the infection, the bird immediately becomes ill.
Only a veterinarian can diagnose a disease and prescribe the necessary medicines. It is necessary to carefully monitor the diet of these chickens.
Varieties and photos
- White Paduan.
The plumage of these birds looks like a classic white livery of uniform uniform color. The color becomes darker in the tail area.
Defects: the presence of some black feathers in the mantle.
- Black Paduan.
The plumage of these chickens is colored with a black uniform uniform color, with roosters there are bright feathers of dark blue shades, especially in the tail region.
Defects: the presence of rare white feathers throughout the plumage.
- Silver Paduan.
White plumage alternates with black feathers. In chickens, the alternating color is evenly distributed throughout the body, in roosters it may be unevenly distributed over body areas.
Defects: the spontaneous distribution of white and black feathers. - Golden Paduan.
The plumage has a fawn color, alternating with black feathers. Coloring may be unevenly distributed throughout the body, sometimes separate large clusters of black and pale yellow color appear.
Defects: the presence of white feathers in the plumage, the wrong border of colors in the plumage.
- Paduan Chamois.
Yellowish brown feathers are bordered with white. In chickens, the coloring can be both uniform and distributed in various areas.
Defects: there are black feathers, there are irregular borders of white and yellowish-brown colors.
- Pygmy Paduan.
A reduced variety of classic Paduans. Their weight is less than that of ordinary Paduans. Chickens weigh up to 0.8 kg, roosters up to 0.9 kg. The average productivity is about 100 eggs per year.
Defects: small egg production, mostly decorative role.
Content and cultivation
Paduanov lifestyle can develop as well as in ordinary chickens. Padua live in special poultry houses or well-insulated barns.
In the cold season, in the room where the birds live, it is desirable to additionally warm the floor, you can mix the hay with peat and a thick layer to cover the floor with them. Chickens of this species should not be allowed to walk in the rain or in frosty weather, they are prone to colds.
If chickens are walking in the open, in case of rainy weather, it is necessary to build a canopy for them, and in winter weather do not allow drafts in the house.
The room in which the Paduans live should be well insulated. Do not allow low temperatures and drafts, then the birds will be healthy in the cold season.
Choose the perfect feed for your pets. Suitable dry complete feed. Carefully review its composition before purchase.
The composition of the granulated feed should include grains, fodder, sunflower cake, vitamins. Do not buy food with the addition of dyes, growth hormones, additives to improve the taste.
It is not necessary for your birds, harmful additives impair their immunity and the usefulness of the eggs they produce. Pay attention to the nutritional value of purchased feeds, the optimal protein content is 15%, fat 5%, amino acids, calcium, copper, ash, vitamins and minerals must be contained.
For feeding chickens great grain oats, corn, wheat, millet.
An important feature in the Paduan watering is their long beard. When they drink water from ordinary drinkers, feathers of the beard get wet, which causes their deformation, discomfort for chickens.
As a result of the constant wetting of feathers, dirt adheres to them, with microorganisms contained in it, which can cause the appearance of parasites.
To avoid this, it is necessary to purchase a nipple drinker. When a bird drinks from such a drinker, only its beak contacts with water, as a result, the feathers remain dry, which protects the chicken from infections.
Always buy clean food from trusted companies. Frozen, sour food, the presence of harmful microorganisms in it can lead to intestinal diseases.
The best prevention is keeping the birds clean. If the bird is already sick, you should immediately begin treatment. For example, a severe but common disease of coccidiosis is cured with the help of sulfadimezin with a dosage of 1 mg of the drug per 1 kg of feed.
In cold weather, warm feed will be very useful for your chicken. For this perfect peas, lentils, beans. Giving their chickens need to be steamed in the evening. In severe frosts, the ideal warm food for your birds is corn, rich in proteins, carbohydrates and fats.
To improve disease resistance, use premixes containing vitamins, amino acids, necessary chemical elements.
To strengthen the immune system, do not forget to periodically give chickens greens. The amount of green depends on the brightness and usefulness of eggs.
If your chickens are free-range, they should have access to greenery. Chickens living in your apartment, daily, give fresh greens or sow it in a pot, another container especially for your pet.
Do not let the Paduan have everything that they see. It is necessary to limit their access to food products that are unsafe for them. If, however, the chicken is poisoned, clean the goiter. This can be done manually, if necessary, apply the probe.
Specifications
Weight: rooster - 2.1-2.5 kg, chicken - 1.5-2.0 kg. There is a dwarf species of Paduans, his representatives weigh less than one kilogram.
Annual production: 120 eggs per year. Mass of eggs: 50 g.
Breeding features
It is recommended to hatch Padua chickens in an incubator, because the Paduans themselves rarely incubate eggs.
When the chicks hatch, wait until they are completely dry, only then remove them from the incubator. Prepare for newborn chicks a place with a temperature greater than 29 ° C. Small chickens need a warm room, at lower temperatures they will die.
The laying for chickens can be made of fabric or paper. Do not place chicks in a cold place. The floor they walk on and the temperature in the surrounding room must be warm.
The first ten days feed the little chicks once every two hours. Use an egg mixture (finely chopped hard-boiled egg), special compound feed for chicks.
Chickens eat cottage cheese, boiled millet, wheat, corn, potatoes, carrots. All food must be filtered through cheesecloth to remove excess moisture. On the third day, the chickens can already eat fresh greens.
Do not allow any dirt to clog the feed. Place the feeder on the edge of the room reserved for small chicks. If dirt appears, immediately remove it from the feed.
Once the chicks have reached the age of 6-8 days, carefully begin to lower the temperature every week by 2-3 degrees, until the need for heaters is over. Additional heating is necessary to clean up when the chickens reach the age of 20 days in the summer and 30 days in the winter.
When the chicks are a month old, start adding mash to the diet. They consist of a grain mixture with greens, for smaller chickens pounded boiled potatoes are perfect.
Where to buy in Russia?
- Paduan chickens can be ordered at the farm “Bird Village". Located in the city of Kurgan, st. Omsk 144. Call +7 (916) 795-66-55
- A large selection of dwarf Paduanov offers a private farm "Fun ripples". Located near the city of Pereslavl-Zalessky. Call +7 (919) 575-16-61
Analogs
Chicken Paduan has no analogues, its aesthetic features are not transmitted by other species of birds. There are breeds of chickens that remotely resemble Padua, due to the presence of a not so lush, but characteristic tuft.
Russian crested chicken - an old breed of chickens, was bred in Russia by peasants through breeding. Efficiency up to 200 eggs per year. On the head is a rather wide crest, expressed by long feathers, diverging on all sides.
Pavlovskaya chicken - breed of chickens bred in Russia. Annual productivity to 150 eggs. Attracts bright coloring plumage and high frost resistance. A distinctive feature is also a long crest. Quite narrow at the beginning, consists of a large number of feathers, so it looks like a bunch. Usually magnificently rises above the head, falling from two parties.
Conclusion
Features breeding, maintenance and feeding of unique birds Paduanov has a number of features. It is necessary to approach the care and prevention of diseases with full responsibility, to ensure that Paduan has all the conditions for proper development and living. Paying your pets due attention, taking care, you will get healthy birds with good productivity.
