Breeding chickens is a profitable business. But before you buy chickens, you should think about what you want to get from them: eggs, meat, or both at the same time. And depending on the decision made, purchase meat, egg or meat-and-meat birds.

But there are also crosses, which are also very profitable to grow. Bright representatives - chickens Master Gray (Master Grizzly). This species is interesting in that it gains weight like broiler chickens, and egg productivity is like that of the best layers.

Breeding history

The Hubbard holding is known all over the world, its head office is located in France, and also has branches in the USA, Germany and many other countries. The company is engaged in breeding new chicken breeds. She is the official owner and author of the bred Master Gray chickens (there is an erroneous version of the name of the breed - Mr. Gray chickens).

Rooster Master Gray

The branches are engaged in the distribution of hatched eggs from the hatchery around the world. Russian poultry farmers get them from Hungary.

But from what breeds the Gray chickens were obtained, the specialists of the Hubbard company do not report, this is their trade secret.

Note! Crosses are not a new kind of chicken, but hybrids obtained from crossing several breeds or lines of poultry. Outbreeding is carried out only on an industrial basis under the supervision of specialists in a specific technology.

Description and characteristics

Foxy Chick (breed of chickens): description

These hens are characterized by a gray-white color of plumage, a darker shade on the neck, on the tail and on the tips of the wings. Against the background of a light body, a beard and a scallop of rich red color stand out effectively. In physique, the thoroughbred hens Master Gray is a breed of chickens, the description of which is significantly different from other crosses: the birds are much taller, the body is longer, the back is wider, the limbs are powerful. The wings are of medium length, pressed to the body. The tail feathers are small even in males, which is typical for broiler chicken breeds. A leaf-shaped scallop with denticles.

Important! Master Gray roosters must be kept in a heated chicken coop during the winter, otherwise their combs will freeze.

In chickens of this species, the body is almost as large as in roosters, and is very similar to the figure of females of the broiler variety. The limbs are strong and powerful, bright yellow in color, and the nails are light. The bone skeleton of this poultry is distinguished by its strength, since the body weight of the crosses is greater. The chest is wide, well developed, therefore, after slaughter, a lot of delicious, tender white meat is obtained from each carcass.

The weight of an adult male reaches 6.5-7.2 kg, and that of females - 3.7-4.1 kg.

The head of chickens is smooth, red in color, on which the bristles are white. Large eyes have an orange iris, but the beautiful appearance of Master Gray roosters and hens is best seen from photographs.

Chickens Master Gray

Newborn chickens have white fluff with a slight yellow tinge, however, there are already darker feathers on the tips of the wings, and a gray spot on the head. After a few days, the youngsters begin to grow baby feathers, the color of which is not as rich as in adults, but already the same as it should be according to the breed standard.

The character of the crosses is calm, even the roosters are not pugnacious, therefore they calmly get along with other inhabitants of the poultry yard. In addition, the Master Gray breed is distinguished by its patience, a calm attitude to the conditions of detention, an imperturbable attitude to changing owners.These birds are not shy, layers for nothing stressful situations, after which other breeds stop rushing or lose their appetite. With a properly selected diet and proper care, laying hens lay at least 200 eggs per year, and for record holders this figure can reach up to 290-300 pieces per year. The mass of the egg at the beginning of egg production is about 60 g; in an older bird, the weight reaches 70 g.

Important! When buying chickens, remember that young animals of the Master Gray breed never have a colored color.

Chickens of this breed are considered early maturing, since they begin to lay eggs from 4 months, and also gain a good body weight. Therefore, Master Gray crosses are beneficial for breeding not only in private households, but also in poultry farms.

Layers of this species do not have a maternal instinct, but it does not matter when breeding this breed, because their offspring will not have all the characteristics inherent in parents. Therefore, it is possible to hatch offspring from the eggs laid by the Master Gray layers, but it will not meet the standards.

Features of breeding chickens Master Gray

Orpington (breed of chickens)

It is easy to raise the offspring of these poultry from eggs, an incubator and eggs from the manufacturer are enough.

Note! Another plus is a high percentage of hatchability of young animals (above 95%).

Newborn chickens have heightened immunity, so they do not die during transportation. The survival rate is above 97%. The main thing is the correct conditions for keeping and feeding young animals. If the diet is compiled according to all the rules, then a couple of weeks after birth, the chicks can weigh more than 500 g.

Master Gray young

Chicks should always have fresh feed in their feeders because they have an increased appetite. And this is natural, because by 4 months the young gains about half the weight of an adult.

What kind of diet should chickens have? The daily menu for chickens up to 45 days can be composed of:

  • milled grain of wheat (and other cereals);
  • chopped greens;
  • vegetables;
  • cottage cheese;
  • eggs.

Adults are unpretentious in their diet, so they are fed about the same as other breeds of broiler chickens.

Important! There are practically no problems in breeding this breed, the main thing is to keep this bird in a warm room in winter, where it is not damp and there are no drafts.

Breed advantages and disadvantages

Moscow black breed of chickens

The advantages of this type of poultry are obvious:

  • early maturity, the onset of egg production from 4 months of age;
  • high rates of meat and egg productivity;
  • calm disposition, nothing affects productivity;
  • beautiful appearance.

There are practically no disadvantages of this species, but it is worth remembering that it will be more difficult to withdraw this species at home, since you will have to go to Hungary for eggs for the incubator, where the supplier closest to Russia is located.