Laying hens : La Gâtinaise
Do you like to raise laying hens? With the gâtinaise, you can have 200 to 250 eggs per year. She is also a good incubator. It has a good character. Zoom in on the characteristics of this ancient hen breed.
Its history
The history of the Gâtinaise hen is a bit long. Indeed, it originated in the Orléans forest, south of Paris. It comes from the Gâtinais region which includes the departments of Seine-et-Marne, Essonne, Yonne and Loiret. Hence the name Gâtinaise hen.
Genetically, it comes from the Gallic breed and the Bourbonnaise breed. In 1906, it was called the Gâtinais white hen. In 1909 the breed standard was described by an association. In 1940, the breed slowly died out in favour of those more adapted to industrial practices. Fortunately, in 1984, the Société avicole Brie et Gâtinais saved it from extinction.
Its appearance
In terms of appearance, the Gâtinaise hen is of average size. It weighs 2.5 to 3 kg. She has an elegant appearance with a well-developed, long and broad body. She also has a large and developed chest. Her back is slightly sloping, with no puffiness in the loins. She has strong thighs and smooth tarsi.
On the head, the neck is long and the face is smooth. It has a simple and thick crest with 5 to 7 teeth. The mumps, on the other hand, are oval. They are smooth and red. The Gâtinaise hen has dense white plumage.
Character and behaviour
The Gâtinaise hen stands out for its generous character or behaviour. Indeed, it is a very affectionate hen. It is a perfect pet. She attaches herself easily to people. It often stays by your side in the garden. She is also very popular with children. It is rare that children are afraid of her.
Thanks to her gentle character, she has no trouble living with the other animals in the barnyard. The Gâtinaise hen is a real mother hen to her chicks. She broods and protects her young wonderfully.
Maintenance
Being a hardy breed, raising a Gâtinaise hen is easy. Indeed, you don't need to do much to maintain it. For its food, you can give it an 80% multigrain mix. To complete its food, you can add crushed oyster shells, dried insects, food scraps, etc. The hen can also find the rest in its grassy run.
The Gâtinaise hen can be kept in a henhouse, in the garden or in the meadow. In all cases, you should provide ample space.
For the litter, it is recommended to change it every day to keep it clean. You can also change it once a week if you don't have the time. A big cleaning every month will also be mandatory for maintenance.
Its health
As with all animals, the health of the Gâtinaise hen must be looked after. To do this, you must first give it a good diet. You should also give it half a litre of water a day in summer.
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