The hybrid breed of tetra chickens is a prominent representative of the meat and egg direction of broiler crosses. In fact, calling it a breed would be a stretch. Since this is an interbreed hybrid that has not yet been officially registered. This variety is successfully grown in more than 25 countries around the world. It was especially loved by farmers with small farms. Tetra chickens do not require a large area for walking, quickly gain weight, produce large eggs, and are resistant to most avian diseases.
Where and when were they released?
Tetra chickens appeared in 1966 in Hungary. Breeders involved in the development of these broiler crosses set certain goals for themselves.
It was important for them that the chickens not only gain weight quickly, like broilers. They also had good egg production. This variety of poultry received its name in honor of the research and breeding company where it was bred.
The peculiarity of this species is the survival rate of the offspring and the number of eggs produced. These parameters will be indicated in numbers below.
Unlike most broiler crosses, tetra chickens begin laying eggs early. Find out the characteristics of other varieties in the articles: “About broiler chickens: what they are and which are better” and “What are chicken crosses and how do they differ from breeds.”
History of the origin of the breed
The breed does not have a long history, since breeders bred chickens relatively recently. The exact year of creation is not determined, but it is known that it was about 40 years ago, although many other breeds of chickens were developed more than 100 years ago. Homeland - Hungary. Breeders sought to crossbreed a variety of chickens so that the result would be a productive hybrid with high egg production and excellent meat.
Scientists managed to achieve their goal; the Tetra chicken breed is unique. Laying hens very quickly gained well-deserved popularity and today they can be found in almost any country. Due to their unpretentiousness, they are bred even in miniature farms.
Appearance
Peculiarities
Tetra chickens have a classic appearance. In general, compared to other broiler crosses, they are quite miniature.
Representatives of this species have a small, rounded body, a small head with a yellow beak.
The ridge crowning the head has clear outlines. In shape it is leaf-shaped, in color it is bright scarlet. The neck is long, with developed muscles.
The tail is proportional to the body, also small in size, with several straight, vertical feathers. The legs are light yellow. The wings are pronounced and small. All the feathers covering the bird's body are soft to the touch.
Females can be distinguished from males even in infancy. The fact is that tetra roosters hatch with white fluff. While chickens have colored fluff.
Color
After the first molt, which occurs at 3-4 weeks, the color of the grown feather does not change as the bird grows older. The chickens remain a beautiful fawn color. The cockerels are white in most cases.
However, if the male has a brown color, then his feathers will be an order of magnitude brighter than those of the hens.
White tetra hens of any subspecies do not exist in nature.
Productivity
Tetras are early maturing hens. The first clutches appear at the age of 4-4.5 months. However, full puberty occurs a little later, at about six months. You should not rely on the first experiences of young chickens. There will be few eggs in the clutch; they will also be small in size and weight. But starting from the third or fourth clutch, the black cherry will begin to lay eggs steadily, and its productivity will pleasantly surprise the owner. Every year, quons lay 290-300 eggs weighing 60 grams. The shell of the products is light brown, with a golden tint on it.
On a note! Chickens are kept for 2.5-3 years. Then their productivity decreases sharply. The farmer needs to think in advance about replacing the livestock so that healthy pullets take the place of tired hens.
Tetra meat is a separate advantage of the breed. It tastes tender and juicy. The product is in constant demand on the market. In addition, meat can be eaten by everyone without exception, because it is dietary.
On a note! Chickens gain weight in record time. Already in the second month of life, the birds weigh one and a half kilograms, which is noticeable even from the photo. Each owner decides individually whether to raise the chicken further or send it to slaughter.
Sometimes chickens experience developmental delays, which indicates an incorrect diet. If you overfeed your pets or don’t give them enough food, this will immediately affect their growth, egg production and physical condition.
Productive characteristics
general information
Productivity is the main feature of tetra-N and SL chickens.
The hens mature quickly and begin to lay eggs in the middle of 4 months of life. There should be one cockerel for every 12 hens. Although chickens lay eggs regardless of whether there is a rooster nearby or not.
Egg production
Tetra-SL and N are meat-egg birds. As we wrote above, the parent bird of this hybrid is a white leghorn. It is capable of producing up to 330 eggs per year. Read the full description of these chickens in the article “About Leghorn Chickens: Characteristics of the Breed.”
Leghorns passed on the quality of laying a lot of eggs to their “children.” As a result, tetra hens produce about 300 eggs in 365 days. And this is considered a high figure among most broiler crosses.
All eggs are neat oval in shape, with a brown shell. The yolk of eggs is rich yellow. Of course, if the birds were fed correctly.
How does the weight of eggs change?
Tetra hens begin laying eggs at the age of 4.5 months. The first oviposition does not contain large eggs. Since the chickens themselves mature a little later, closer to 21 weeks.
The weight of the first eggs is 45-50 grams. In nutritional value, these eggs are not inferior to the eggs of mature chickens. After maturation, the chicken produces eggs weighing 60-65 grams.
Molting and break in egg production
Tetra chickens begin molting in mid-October. The main advantage of these broiler crosses is that during the change of plumage they do not stop producing eggs, unlike most other chickens.
However, in the fall, the diet of laying hens should be reviewed so that they have the strength to lay eggs. It is necessary to increase the amount of vitamins and minerals in feed. Particular attention should be paid to the amount of calcium consumed by birds, which is involved in the formation of new feathers and eggshells.
Meat characteristics
Tetra chicken meat is very juicy, dietary, tasty and healthy.
It is different from the meat of most meat-and-egg type chickens. The fact is that the fats contained in it are very quickly processed by the human digestive system. And extractive components participate in the speed of the digestion process.
The meat of tetra broiler crosses contains a large amount of vitamin B. It has a beneficial effect on the human cardiovascular system.
Bird weight
The weight of tetra chickens in adulthood ranges from 2.5 to 3 kilograms. Cockerels weigh just over 3.5 kilograms.
It is undesirable to allow laying hens to become obese. This negatively affects egg production, and the health of the bird in general. In some cases, excess weight causes paw pathologies (gout, arthritis). And even the death of birds.
Chickens Tetra reviews
Reviews from those who kept this breed.
Below are some of the reviews from poultry farmers about the breed of Hungarian Tetra chickens:
Nelly, 34 years old: these chickens appeared in my chicken coop a couple of seasons ago. They are very friendly and quickly settled into their new place. The pullets began laying their first testicles at almost 5 months. At first they were small, but after a couple of months the weight of the eggs became the same as stated in the breed standard. The males gained weight of about 1.6 kg after 4 months of fattening. We didn’t keep them any longer, we sent them to slaughter.
Svetlana, 50 years old: I liked the Tetris chickens for their high egg production. We usually fatten the cockerels up to 4.5-5 months, and then slaughter them. Their meat is very tasty, tender, and not at all greasy.
Oksana, 49 years old: we are planning to raise our own chickens in order to have our own meat and eggs regularly. They advised me to breed Tetra chickens. We purchased one-month-old chicks, and within a few months the pullets began laying eggs. In total, laying hens laid eggs regularly for about two years, then their egg production decreased. The question arose about replacing the herd. And of course we again purchased chickens of this breed.
Keeping these birds does not cause much trouble for poultry farmers, and the high productivity of representatives of the Tetra breed fully justifies the costs of its maintenance and feeding. Therefore, those farmers who would like to receive both meat and eggs from their poultry should try breeding Tetra chickens.
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Content Features
Poultry house requirements
You don’t have to spend a lot of money raising tetra chickens. They are not demanding on living conditions. However, you need to know some of the features of their maintenance in order to avoid the occurrence of diseases or a decrease in egg production.
Chickens have no special preferences for habitat. They do not react to high or low temperatures. But they do not tolerate dampness in the chicken coop. To make the birds feel comfortable, it is recommended to change the bedding more often. And make sure that the temperature does not drop below -2.
Conditions for walking
Tetra chickens love to walk in the fresh air, so it is advisable to have an area next to the chicken coop with a 1.5 meter fence around the perimeter. Small birds are able to fly over lower fences.
The walk doesn't have to be big. Calculation of area for these broiler crosses: 1 sq. m for 3-4 individuals.
Ventilation and lighting
In the room for tetra chickens, lighting should be thought out. Its daily operating time is at least 13 hours. Laying hens need this length of daylight for normal egg laying. In the dark, females of this broiler variety do not lay eggs.
Ventilation in the room is also required. With ventilated air, many viral infections can be avoided. In addition, fresh air has a positive effect on the number of eggs produced.
It is advisable to ventilate the chicken coop daily, morning and evening. When keeping large numbers of chickens, it is recommended to install a special ventilation system.
Other nuances
Since tetra chickens are of medium height, the perches should be at a distance of 50 centimeters from the litter. It is not advisable to neglect them, since these birds respect perches and spend a lot of free time on them.
There is no need to equip personal nests for each hen. They lay eggs in the nest they saw first.
Chickens love to clean their feathers in ash or sand. Ash is preferable because it creates a thin layer on the surface of the feathers. This prevents insects from penetrating the down and biting the bird. Chickens use sand to clean their beaks and crops.
The chicken coop is disinfected 2-3 times a year. The entire indoor surface is treated. Special solutions are used to destroy pathogens.
Frequent illnesses
Tetra chickens have good health and good disease resistance. More often, the diseases that affect them are carried by parasites.
For preventive purposes, the poultry house is regularly cleaned, birds are inspected and disinsection is carried out - the destruction or prevention of ectoparasites and other insects with special preparations.
Egg-laying hybrids
Geneticists have created 3 lines of chickens with egg production. They are suitable for keeping both in the farmstead and on large farms. Laying hens have a long production cycle.
Tetra SL LL have red feather color. White spots are allowed on the cover, which are randomly scattered throughout the body. The belly is light. The tail is short. White feathers emerge from the tail.
Chickens have a dense underbody layer of light down. The physique is fit, like that of all egg-producing individuals. The comb is leaf-shaped, small. The earrings are round. The comb and earrings are red. The beak and tarsus are light yellow.
Wearability begins to develop from 4 months of age. The masonry increases already from 2 weeks. The cyclicity is prolonged, the pauses between productive periods are shortened. The bird is kept for 90 weeks.
During this time, the laying hen produces 425 eggs of 73 g each. The hens do not differ in weight. Their body weight is 2.5 kg. Feed use for 1 laying hen – 114 g.
Tetra L SUPER B chickens are distinguished by their white feather color. The birds are small in size, weighing 1.5 kg. The comb of chickens is leaf-shaped and falls to the side. The body is loose, elongated, which leads to a low horizontal fit.
The tail feathers are wide, the tail is directed upward. Wings down. Egg production at 72 weeks is 325 pcs., at 80 weeks 365 pcs., 65 g each. Later it begins to decline. One laying hen eats 105 g of feed daily.
More on the topic: Why do chickens go bald?
The AMBER line of tetra chickens has a fawn feather color. Her physique is more muscular than that of a bird with red plumage. Based on body weight, it can be classified as an egg-meat group. The hen weighs 3 kg.
Productivity at 60 weeks is 247 pcs., at 72 weeks – 308 pcs., at 80 weeks – 348 pcs. The weight of the egg depends on the laying period. At 32 weeks - 62 g, at 80 weeks - 67.1 g. Economical use of the feed supply is noted. There are 147 g of grain mixture per individual.
Egg-producing birds are kept on litter or in cages. The method of placing chickens does not affect productivity; They can be kept both on litter and in a cage. Laying hens show high productivity when using feed from breeders.
The parent flock does not consist of chickens; the offspring do not exhibit parental characteristics. The livestock is sold for meat at 90 weeks. Poultry farmers note the good quality of the carcass. The meat is not fibrous, juicy, dietary. Laying hens do not tend to accumulate fat.
Feeding
Basic requirements
Feeding birds needs to be given special attention. There is nothing complicated in choosing a diet. But like other broilers, tetra chickens are prone to overeating. And, accordingly, to obesity and problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, you should follow a diet.
Considering that chickens have meat and eggs, calcium and protein products should be present in the diet. You can prepare the food yourself. It must be nutritious and contain up to 20% protein.
It is recommended to allocate no more than 120 grams of feed per day for each laying hen. Chickens should also consume fresh grass if it is a warm season. In winter it will be replaced with grass hay.
The diet must include vegetables. They are usually mixed with feed.
Diet tips
The diet of Tetra-N and SL should contain a variety of cereals. The amount of each grain can be varied, but wheat and millet should be consumed daily by the chicken.
To prevent the bird's crop from becoming clogged, it must consume broken shells and ground chalk. Therefore, containers with them should be in visible places.
It is recommended to include sprouted wheat in the diet. It is useful for broiler crosses. It must be given at least 2 times a week.
Tetra chickens gain weight well when they consume lightly roasted barley. It also helps to increase egg production.
Birds should always have clean water in their drinking bowls. A couple of times a week you can feed chickens with an antibacterial solution. It consists of 1 gram of potassium permanganate dissolved in a liter of water.
Sexual maturity of chickens
This species is one of the few that begin laying eggs early. The first clutches can be noticed when the birds reach the age of 4 months, although in terms of physical indicators the birds mature much later. At the very beginning, each hen lays eggs that are small in size and weight (46 g), and then the product becomes larger and larger, and its weight eventually reaches 61 g.
Delayed development (sexual maturity) of the Tetra species is a very rare occurrence, although there are cases when a hen lays eggs for the first time at the age of 6 months. This can happen if the chicken has a poorly balanced diet and does not receive enough calcium and vitamins. Also, Tetra chickens can become obese, which can negatively affect their development, the taste of the meat and, of course, their productivity.
The percentage of productivity is very high among other species. One chicken can lay more than 300 eggs in a year, and that’s the minimum! The eggs are usually brown, but light brown is rare.
Many experts and farmers believe that this species has the most delicious meat. Firstly, there is practically no weight loss during slaughter, and secondly, if the chicken is not obese, the meat will turn out soft and juicy.
Breeding
Puberty occurs in each chicken at an individual time. But, in most cases, the tetra is fully mature by 5 months. Although they begin to lay eggs 15-30 days earlier.
It will not be possible to breed these broiler crosses on your own. The thing is that these are interbreed hybrids. They are received only in special conditions under the supervision of specialists.
Therefore, you will have to purchase hatching eggs directly from the supplier that breeds tetra chickens. And breed their offspring through artificial incubation.
The second and less troublesome option is to buy already grown chickens from a trusted breeder.
The survival rate among tetra chicks is high. By following simple rules for caring for chickens, you can save 97% of the brood.
Frequent illnesses
Pure-blooded birds often have strong immunity, while hybrids and crosses get sick and die. But Tetra chickens are an exception. Excellent immunity is an advantage of birds. Laying hens very rarely get sick, the main thing is to adhere to the basic rules for keeping and caring for birds and carry out preventive measures.
The livestock most often suffers from harmful insects. Birds are saved from them by constant treatment, preventive consumption of anti-parasite products in food, and regular examinations are also required.
The main signs of sick birds: poor appetite or complete refusal to eat, feather loss, constant drowsiness or excessive activity, change in color of droppings, decreased egg production.
Care and feeding of young animals
In the first 4 months, tetra chicks grow rapidly. Therefore, it is advisable to immediately provide them with a spacious brooder. Or set aside a warm, dry place in the chicken coop. To avoid injury to the young by adult chickens, the pen for the chicks must be fenced.
For heating and lighting in the first couple of months, you can use an IR lamp. It is better to make the bedding from fine sand. Chicks may choke on sawdust or straw.
From days 1 to 5, hatched chicks are fed up to 12 times a day. Then the number of feedings is gradually reduced.
The diet of young animals in the first week consists of boiled eggs and corn porridge. Later, combined feed for chickens, fermented milk products, and boiled vegetables are introduced into the menu.
After a month, the tetra chicks can be gradually transferred to an adult diet. And after another 2-3 weeks - add them to adult chickens.
Diet of an adult herd
In order for laying hens to be productive and always remain beautiful, they need to eat well every day. The amount of dry food for one black chickweed is about 80 grams. In addition to wheat, oats, corn, and other grains, it is necessary to serve the black whooping whales with vegetables, herbs, and foods containing animal proteins.
We will consider feeding recommendations below.
- Organize your diet so that the intervals between meals are about 5-6 hours. The optimal regime is three meals a day, with the possibility of regular walking.
- Wet mashes are good, nutritious mixtures containing a variety of substances. Cook only as much as the chickens can eat at one time. The consistency of the mash is also important - it is advisable to cook them so that they are crumbly and not viscous.
- Mineral supplements - chalk, shell, or special preparations - are needed daily, especially during the period of active masonry - in spring and summer.
- Vitamin supplements help improve egg production, increase appetite and protect the winged flock from problems with plumage.
- Small pebbles must be served in a separate container. This “delicacy” helps birds digest food and better absorb valuable components from it.
