Chickens are the most common domestic birds in the world, so they have a huge number of species. Some belong to the direction of the egg, others - to the meat, but there are rocks that can not be attributed to any of them. Read below about the exotic breed of Shabo chickens, its features and necessary conditions of detention.
Appearance history
Homeland of this breed of chickens is Japan. It is impossible to indicate even the approximate time of its appearance, however, it is reliably known that the Japanese shaboos or Japanese bantamocks were bred in the 15th-16th centuries, since as early as the 17th-18th centuries they were on the territory of China.
The purebred breed was introduced to European countries only in the 19th century, after which it came to Russia. In our country, the bird was considered too beautiful for slaughter, therefore it was bred for decorative purposes.
We advise you to get acquainted with the peculiarities of breeding such ornamental breeds of chickens as "Paduan", "Betnamka", "Brama", "Gudan", "Minorca", "Araukana", "Cochinhin", "Phoenix", "Pavlovskaya Golden and Silver".
She could be found on the backyards of aristocrats, as well as in poultry houses, where these chickens were side by side with equally beautiful birds. Shabo chick and to this day are considered more decorative breed than productive. 
Appearance and characteristics
Consider the appearance of the bird, as well as the main features of the breed.
Hens
It is difficult to confuse sabo with other breeds:
- The wings are long and may even touch the ground. However, they are lowered down, and do not pass along the body, as in most breeds.
- Chickens have a mundane body and tiny paws.
- The bird has a very small crest, which is divided into 4-5 teeth. Color is standard, red.
- Decorative appearance gives a rich palette of colors: chickens can have a golden, porcelain, red or black plumage. There are bizarre variations that have white feathers with black edging.
Petushki
Males are not large, but have their own characteristics:
- Males have powerful breasts, relatively large massive wings, which may also touch the ground, as well as very long feathers around the head and neck. Separately it is worth highlighting the presence of a thick feather cover on the paws.
- Roosters have a large tail that can be compared in length with the body.
- Comb and earrings are colored bright red. The comb is divided into 5-6 segments.
- The color palette is pleasing to the eye. On one individual you can find a real rainbow. Here and elements of brindle color, and pure white fluff, and notes of wheat color. The tail plumage resembles the color of a peacock, with the exception of characteristic drawings.
Familiarize yourself with the best representatives of ornamental, fighting, meat, egg and meat-egg breeds of chickens.
Advantages and disadvantages of the breed
Pros:
- Chickens consume little feed.
- Beautiful appearance.
- Great character.
- The presence of maternal instinct.
- The ability to get a third type of product - valuable feathers.
- Poor immunity.
- High mortality of young.
- Demanding conditions and quality of feed.
- Inability to keep with other breeds of chickens.
Breed character
This is a social breed that does everything together. Its representatives are alien to internal contradictions, as well as fights for food or females. Roosters together take care of the satiety and safety of chickens, driving away all uninvited guests. 
In the case of encroachment on the "wards", the bird engages in a fight even with a superior enemy several times in strength. For this reason, the owner should protect the "Japanese" from danger, otherwise the combat nature may be fatal.
It should be remembered that the cohesion of these chickens has a negative impact on relationships with other breeds. For this reason, it should be kept in isolation, otherwise permanent skirmishes cannot be avoided. However, the bird is not shy, therefore it is not afraid of people or domestic animals.
Important! It is impossible to keep separate individuals of the breed singly, in isolation from others, otherwise they will die and die.
Growing up and breed performance
As in the case of other breeds, full maturation occurs at the age of 5-6 months. Chickens start laying eggs, and roosters are able to fertilize females. 
The average egg production is 80 eggs per year, but in rare cases this figure can be 100-120 pieces.
Problems associated with egg production:
- The weight of an egg is only 28-30 g, which is almost two times less than that of ordinary layers.
- The rapid aging of the clutch. Already for 3-4 years of life productivity is significantly reduced, so the chicken must be rejected. Although the bird does not lose its attractive appearance, it is now impossible to use it to produce high-quality eggs.
The weight of an adult chicken is 450-500 g, and that of a rooster is 550-700 g. Shabo meat, in taste, resembles a partridge rather than a chicken. It is tender, tasty, and also contains a small amount of fat.
Content Features
Consider the requirements of the breed to the conditions of detention and food supply. 
Climate and thermal conditions
It should immediately be said that it is impossible to maintain this breed in a cold climate, because the bird is not able to adapt to it. Due to this feature, it is profitable to breed these birds only in the central and southern regions of the temperate climate zone.
Did you know? In chicken society there is a hierarchy in which the rooster performs many functions. He, as the most important, controls the awakening, prevents conflicts, and also "tests" the feed.
An optimal temperature should be maintained in the hen house all year round. In the cold season it should not fall below 16-18 ° C, otherwise the bird will freeze. Despite the presence of thick plumage, the chickens will still suffer from the cold, which will result in disease and the death of most of the livestock. 
Nutrition
Since the hens of this breed consume small amounts of food, the feed must be of high quality, nutritious, and also contain vitamins and minerals. Save on food is not worth it, because it will affect the quality of eggs and the immunity of the population.
Chickens
The diet of chicken shabo is no different from the menu of young animals of other breeds. This means that from the first days of life, babies are given corn grits, after which they are transferred to specialized quality blends, which include minerals and vitamins.
Learn how to feed and grow chickens.
It is imperative that young animals receive these substances in a timely manner, otherwise they will have poor immunity, which will lead to death. 
In addition to specialized feed, you can give:
- greenery,
- low-fat cottage cheese,
- boiled vegetables.
Important! It is forbidden to feed the earthworm chickens, as they are carriers of infections and parasites.
Adults
The basis of the diet - cereal mixtures, which include several cereals (wheat, barley, corn). 
Additionally give:
- fresh greens
- boiled potatoes,
- small cottage cheese,
- hay flour,
- meat and bone meal,
- mineral supplements
- salt.
In order not to complicate the task, you can purchase ready-made high-quality feed. During the acquisition, it is imperative to clarify that the composition should contain a lot of vitamins and minerals.
Also in addition to the diet of chickens injected wheat germ.
Housing equipment
During the preparation of the chicken coop it should be noted that the bird does not tolerate:
- increased air humidity
- drafts,
- sudden changes in temperature.
This suggests that the room should have good thermal insulation, any cracks in the walls should be absent. Ventilation is carried out only with the help of special devices that do not create strong air flows.
We recommend reading about how to choose the right chicken coop when buying, how to equip it, how to make ventilation in the chicken coop, as well as how best to heat the chicken coop in winter.
Regardless of the material with which the floor is covered, the presence of warm clean bedding is mandatory. You should also install a bath with sand to eliminate the appearance of parasites.
Important! It is forbidden to use foam granules (balls) as bedding.
As for the roosts, the standard width (4-5 cm) is used. They should be placed at a height of 150 cm so that the bird is comfortable. The long length of the wings allows you to roost without problems.
Video: practical tips on building a chicken coop In the warm season, provide free or limited walking of the bird. Since the birds have rather long wings, they can even fly over a high fence. For this reason, in summer it is better to keep chickens in open enclosures than to provide protection against the escape and attack of birds of prey.
Diseases and how to deal with them
Since the health of chickens in chickens is weak, in this respect they also need meticulous care.
Read more about chickens and their treatment methods.
Parasitic diseases
In this case, we are talking about both external parasites and internal:
- external include lice, bedbugs and fleas, which violate the integrity of the skin;
- to the internal include various worms.
The following drugs are used to treat worms:
- "Piperazin",
- "Flownvet",
- "Levomizol-plus".
It will be useful for you to read about how to get rid of ticks, lice, worms and fleas in chickens.
You can also give shredded needles - with a slight infection.
To get rid of fleas and ticks, these drugs are used:
- "Front Line",
- "Stomazon",
- "Advantage".
Infectious diseases and colds
Given that this breed of chickens is deprived of persistent immunity, problems with infectious and non-infectious diseases of the common cold are a serious problem.
For this reason, during the cold weather, chickens are given:
- drug "ASD-2" to stimulate the immune system;
Learn how to give the hens the drug "ASD fraction 2".
- Weak antibiotics for the prevention of diseases caused by microorganisms.
Did you know? A chicken egg shell consists of calcium, therefore, with a serious shortage of this mineral in the bird's body, they will be formed either with a thin shell or without a shell at all.
When planning to get chabab hens, you must first carefully weigh the pros and cons. This breed has rather low productive qualities, therefore it loses to most species of poultry. For this reason, the "Japanese" are often divorced for decorative purposes, or in those regions where the cost of care can increase the profitability of the content.
