Hoenders / Fowl | Krapfontein
Volgens argeoloë het die Kaalnek hoenderras sy oorsrpong in Maleisië vanwaar dit dwarsoor die wêreld versprei het. Dit is gevolglik moontlik dat hierdie hoenderras deur die Hollandse Oos-Indiese Kompanjie in die 17de eeu reeds na Suid-Afrika gebring is.
Daar is twee tipes kaalnekhoenders naamlik die suiwer Kaalnek wat ‘n volledige kaal nek het en die baster Kaalnek wat ‘n klossie vere aan die voorkant van die hek het. Kaalnekke kom in ‘n verskeidenheid kleurpatrone voor.
In Frankryk word die kaalnekgeen in kommersiële pluimveeproduksie aangewend en wel om drie voor die handliggende redes:
Kaalnek hoenders het 30% minder vere in vergelyking met gewone geveerde hoenders. Hulle benodig gevolglik minder kos om dieselfde liggaamsmassa as gewone hoenders te bereik, deurdat minder energie benodig word vir die produksie van vere.
Daar is minder vere om tydens die slagproses te verwyder, wat op sy beurt die proses versnel en energie-besparend is.
Kaalnekke is meer weerstandig teen hitte as hul geveerde eweknieë.
Die Kaalnek hoenderras kan as ‘n dubbeldoel ras beskou word aangesien dit ewe goed eiers en vleis produseer.
Die Ovambo is ‘n tipiese inheemse ras wat oorspronklik in die noordelike gedeelte van Namibië, spesifiek in Ovamboland, gevind word. Hulle is veelkleurig en die kleurpatroon varieer tussen bruin, geel en swart. Hulle is redelik klein. Hierdie eienskappe help die ras om hulself te kamofleer en dien as beskerming teen roofdiere. Die Ovambo is aggressief en rats; dit kan muise en klein rotte vang en vreet. Hulle vlieg goed en slaap gewoonlik hoog in ‘n boom in ‘n poging om vyande en roofdiere te ontglip.
Hierdie ras is die eerste keer deur ‘n vee-arts, Dr Naas Coetzee wat hierdie kenmerkende hoenders in Vendaland in die noorde van die Limpopo Provinsie opgemerk het, beskryf. Alhoewel soortgelyke hoenders later in Qua-Qua in die Vrystaat asook in die Wes-Kaap gevind is, het die naam Venda behoue gebly.
Vendas is veelkleurig met wit, swart en rooi as oorheersende kleure. Roos-kamme en vyf tone aan elke poot is nie ongewoon nie. In teenstelling met ander inheemse hoenderrasse, is die Venda redelik groot. Dit lê redelik groot eiers. Die henne is goeie broeiers en het ‘n baie goeie moeder instink.
Die Potchefstroom Koekoek is ontwikkel deur kruisteling tussen die Swart Australop en die Wit Leghorn en word as ‘n plaaslik ontwikkelde hoenderras beskou. Die naam Koekoek beskryf die kleurpatroon eerder as ‘n spesifieke ras. Die Koekoek kleurpatroon word as ‘n varieteit erken en is teenwoordig in soveel as nege verskillende hoenderrasse. Die Koekoek is ‘n geharde dubbeldoel hoender wat bruin eiers lê en en ‘n aantreklike diepgeel kleur vleis het.
According to archeologists the Naked Neck breed originated in Malaysia from where it spread all over the world. It is therefor possible that the Dutch East India Company introduced Naked Necks to South Africa in the 17th century.
There are two types of Naked Necks namely the pure bred type which has a completely naked neck and the crossbred type which has a tassle on the front part of the neck. Naked Necks have a variety of colour patterns.
In France the naked neck gene is used in commercial poultry production for three obvious reasons:
Naked Neck chickens have 30% less feathers when compared with fully feathered birds. They therefor need less food to produce the same body weight as less energy is used to produce feathers
They have less feathers to remove when they are slaugtered, which saves a lot of time and energy
Naked Necks are more heat tolerant than the fully featherd variants
The Naked Neck chicken breed can be regarded as a dual purpose breed because it produces eggs and meat equally well.
The Ovambo is the typical local breed found in the northern part of Namibia and specifically in Ovamboland. They are multi coloured, varying from white to brown, yellow and black and they are fairly small in size. These characteristics aid in camouflaging and protection from predators. The Ovambo is very aggressive and agile. It can even catch and eat mice and young rats. They can fly quite well and roost in the top of trees in an attempt to avoid predators.
This breed was first described by a veterenarian, Dr Naas Coetzee who noticed these distinctive chickens in Vendaland in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Although similar chickens were later identified in Qua-Qua in the Free State as well as in the Western Cape, the name Venda has been retained.
Venda chickens are multi-coloured with white, black and red predominating. Rose coloured combs and five-toed feet are not uncommon. In contrast to the other indiginous chicken breeds, the Venda is fairly large. It lays tinted eggs of a generous size. The hens are broody with a good mothering ability.
The Potchefstroom Koekoek was developed from crosses between the Black Australop and White Leghorn and is recognised as a locally developed breed. The name Koekoek describes a colour pattern rather than a breed. The Koekoek colouring is recognised as a variety and is present in as many as nine different breeds. The Koekoek is a hardy, dual-purpose breed. It lays brown eggs and at slaughter it has a very attractive deep yellow meat.