Breeding chickens is a very common phenomenon, in our country they keep poultry to meet their own food needs, that is, to get meat and eggs, or as a source of income. And here, for example, in Vietnam a unique and rare breed of hen “Ha Dong Tao” has been preserved, which were originally bred as fighting chickens. We will talk about the history and features of this breed today.
Breed history
"Ga Dong Tao" or "Elephant Hens" were bred in Vietnam more than 600 years ago. Initially, these unusual birds were intended to participate in cockfights, which used to be common entertainment in Asia. It is worth noting that neither then nor now equal to these roosters in strength, fear and courage simply can not be found. But interest in such entertainment has long subsided, and the breed has been preserved, now such birds are grown for ornamental purposes and for meat, as a great delicacy.
Unfortunately, there is no information about which breeds were involved in breeding. Today, these chickens are the national treasure of Vietnam, and their breeding is encouraged and supported by the state.
Familiarize yourself with the best representatives of chicken meat, meat-egg, egg and decorative breeds.
Important! There are very few representatives of the "Ha Dong Tao" breed, only about 300 chickens live around the world, most of which, of course, are in their historic homeland.
Description and Features
These birds can not be called ordinary, they are unusual in everything: the appearance, character and weight are significantly different from the usual in our view of chickens.
External data
The exterior of these birds certainly will not leave anyone indifferent. Ga Dong Tao has huge massive paws, they reach 7 cm in diameter for roosters, and not more than 5 cm in hens. They are covered with warty growths and are colored in red and yellow.
The plumage of these chickens is absolutely consistent with their usual climatic conditions, due to the fact that they are very hot in their homeland, they have no undercladders, and the feathers cannot be called too thick. Color, as a rule, four-color, it is present in black, red, brown and wheat colors. 
The "elephant chickens" are also atypically stacked, the proportions of their bodies are more comparable to the body of the dog than the layers we are used to. The head of “Ha Dong Tao” is very massive in relation to the body, on it is an overdeveloped wavy nut-shaped crest, and catkins are very voluminous, round and dense, with numerous pimples. On the head of feathered birds, there are the same pimples as on the crest and earrings. The eyes are colored brown-orange, and perseverance and aggression in the eyes, especially of males, are impressive and terrifying at the same time.
Indocours, which have completely no feather cover on their neck, are distinguished by their unusual appearance.
Did you know? In Southeast Asia and China, chickens began to grow at home another 7000-8000 years BC.
Weight indicators
"Elephant chickens" differ in large body mass. Roosters of this breed weigh 5-8 kg each, and the chickens are only 1.5-2 kg behind.
Character
This item deserves special attention. The character of the representatives of "Ga Dong Tao" is truly uneasy. They are cocky, aggressive and hot-tempered, so they can be of some kind of danger to people. But with their relatives they are very cute, negative people and aggression are caused only by people and birds of another breed.
Important! Despite the heavy weight and the awkward physique, “Ga Dong Tao” run fast enough and can easily overtake the person who they think is a threat. Therefore, in contact with these birds, you must be incredibly vigilant.
Poultry owners will be interested to learn how to build a chicken coop with their own hands.
But even these emotional and hot-tempered birds can be approached. And if you show authority and show them who is the boss, it is even possible to build and manage friendly relations with them. Specialists in breeding breeds claim that they can even be trained.
Hatching instinct
Due to the large weight of the hens, chicks are most often grown in an incubator. The heavy chickens of this breed are endowed with maternal instinct, but because of the large size they are often very clumsy and crush their eggs. Therefore, it is safer to grow a new generation in artificial conditions.
Puberty and egg production
Chickens "Ga Dong Tao" late reach sexual maturity, it occurs in 7-9 months after birth. Eggs representatives of this breed do not lay very willingly, only 60 pieces per year. And this amount is barely enough to save the species population.
We recommend to learn about the benefits of chicken eggs, as well as whether you can drink or eat raw eggs.
VIDEO: CHILDREN GA DONG TAO
Price
Quarters with character and extraordinary appearance cost a lot, just a couple of birds will cost $ 2500-3000.
Did you know? It is scientifically proven that chickens have their own language of communication. Scientists claim that they have been able to decipher more than 30 sayings of these birds, which most often describe their desires or needs. So clucking and crowing is endowed with meaning and always means something.
Difficulty breeding
Breeding "Elephant Chickens" is quite difficult, which is why outside of Vietnam they are very rare. First of all, it concerns the very low immunity of birds and even hatching eggs. Layers are terribly susceptible to almost all diseases, so they will need numerous vaccinations.
It is necessary to carefully prepare for the transportation of hatching eggs and chicks, it is imperative to take into account the temperature and humidity during transportation. But even artfully designed trips often result in the death or illness of birds.
Ha Dong Tao is accustomed to a hot and humid climate, which they will certainly need to provide, and it is clear that in order to do this in Europe or the CIS countries, they will have to not only work but also spend money.
But all these difficulties are surmountable, and problems can be solved, especially since there are examples of successful breeding unusual quotes in Europe and even Russia.
Diet
Feeding Vietnamese chickens also has its own specifics. Although the needs of chickens completely coincide with the needs of broilers.
Learn more about the features of feeding broiler chickens, how to keep them and what breeds are best to breed.
For growth, development and weight gain, they need animal and plant proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Useful and nutrients should be balanced, which can be easily achieved when feeding with special feeds for young animals, and as a supplement in the menu there should be mineral vitamin complexes.
Food for "Elephant Chickens" should be rich in nutrients and nutrients, and the diet should be varied and balanced. The menu of birds should contain cereals and grains, greens, meat and fish trimmings, worms, insects and larvae. Experts recommend feeding chickens "Ha Dong Tao" 3 times a day.
Important! Unbalanced nutrition of adult birds "Ha Dong Tao" can provoke cannibalism, so the diet of birds should be constantly kept under control.
Now you know about such an unusual breed of chickens as "Ga Dong Tao". Of course, to grow these birds outside their homeland is not an easy task. But if you have the desire and the reserve of patience, you can overcome the difficulties and breed incredibly spectacular chickens that will not leave anyone indifferent. Moreover, these birds are equally valuable for breeders who value them for decoration, and for gourmets, who have to taste the delicious meat of this rare breed.Reviews
