UMary Allen
Iinkukhu ziintaka ezibeka amaqanda amaninzi. Siyazazi iinkukhu zasefama okanye ezisuka evenkileni. Apho sithenga iinkukhu ukuze sizitye. EJamani, sivame ukuthetha ngenkukhu, e-Austria yenkukhu. ESwitzerland, sifuna igama lesiFrentshi elithi Poulet. Kwakhona sifumana iibhokisi ezinamaqanda enkukhu kwiishelufa.
Sithetha ngeenkukhu kubomi bemihla ngemihla. Kwibhayoloji, kukho umyalelo weGalliformes. Ezi ziquka ezi ntlobo zilandelayo: i-partridge, izagwityi, i-turkey, i-capercaillie, i-pheasant, ipikoko, kunye nentaka yasekhaya. Xa sithetha ngeenkukhu sisoloko sithetha ngeenkukhu zasekhaya.
Kwezolimo, iintaka zasekhaya zibalwa phakathi kweenkukhu. Inkunzi ibizwa ngokuba ngumqhagi okanye umqhagi. Imazi yisikhukukazi. Xa isandul’ ukuvela, ibizwa ngokuba sisikhukukazi. Amantshontsho abizwa ngokuba ngamantshontsho.
I-Bantam inobunzima obumalunga nesiqingatha sekhilogram, ezinye iinkukhu zifikelela ngaphezu kweekhilogram ezintlanu. Imiqhagi isoloko inzima kancinci kuneenkukhu. Iinkukhu zinxiba iintsiba njengazo zonke iintlobo zeentaka. Nangona kunjalo, zinokubhabha nje kakubi kwaye ubukhulu becala zihlala emhlabeni.
Iphuma phi inkukhu yasekhaya?
Inkukhu yasekhaya sesona silwanyana siqhelekileyo ebantwini. Ehlabathini kukho umndilili weenkukhu ezintathu kumntu ngamnye. Iinkukhu zethu zikhuliswa kwiinkukhu zase Bankiva.
Inkukhu yaseBankiva yinkuku yasendle ezalelwa eMzantsi-mpuma Asia. Ukuzala kuthetha ukuba abantu bebesoloko bedinga ezona nkukhu zibalaseleyo ukwenza amantshontsho. Ezi zinkukhu ezibeka awona maqanda kakhulu okanye amakhulu. Okanye ke iinkukhu, ezityeba ngokukhawuleza. Kodwa unako ukufuya ezona nkukhu zisempilweni. Zavela ngolu hlobo ke iintlanga ezahlukeneyo.
Ziphila njani iinkukhu zasekhaya?
Xa iinkukhu zihlala simahla efama, zitya ingca, iinkozo, iintshulube, iinkumba, izinambuzane kwaneempuku. Iinkukhu nazo ziginya amatye athile. Njengoko izihlunu ezijikeleze isisu zifinyela ngesingqi, amatye acola ukutya.
Bahlala ngokukhululekileyo bengamaqela. Iqela elinjalo lihlala lineqhude elinye kunye neenkukhu ezininzi. Kukho ulawulo olungqongqo phakathi kweenkukhu. Kubizwa ngokuba kukugqogqana ngenxa yokuba izilwanyana maxa wambi zigqogqana ngemilomo yazo. Eyona nkukhu ikwinqanaba eliphezulu ilala kwindawo ephezulu kwaye ikhethe okona kutya kulungileyo. Yiyo loo nto kufuneka usasaze ukutya kwenkukhu ngokubanzi ukuze kungabikho imilo embalwa.
Nangona kunjalo, iqela elinye leenkuku efama liya liqatsela. Iinkukhu ezininzi ziphuma kwiifama ezinkulu. Iinkukhu ezingahlali ndawo ziphila kakuhle. Ngoko unomthambo wangaphandle wemihla ngemihla. Embindini kukho iinkukhu ezihlala eshedini. Bahlala kumgangatho weholo. I-Caging yeyona nto ingaqhelekanga. Iinkukhu zihlala nje kwimivalo okanye naphantsi kwekheji.
Zeziphi iintlobo ezahlukeneyo zeenkukhu zasekhaya?
Iinkukhu ezizalayo zigcinelwa amantshontsho azo. Inkukhu kunye ne-rooster ke ngoko zikhethwe ngononophelo kwaye zidibaniswe. Inkukhu yasekhaya yinkukhu yokuzala, kodwa kukho iindidi ezininzi ezahlukeneyo. Oku kuxhomekeke ekubeni kufuneka kuveliswe inyama okanye amaqanda. Iinkukhu ezizalayo aziphili ngokwahlukileyo kuneenkuku ezizalelayo okanye iinkuku. Ngenxa yokuzala kwicala elinye, kukwakho nezilwanyana ezininzi ezigulayo nezibuthathaka ezingasasetyenziswayo.
Izikhukukazi ezizalelayo zazizalela amaqanda amaninzi kangangoko. Ngo-1950, isikhukukazi esikwaziyo ukubeka amaqanda amalunga ne-120 ngonyaka. Ngo-2015 kwakukho malunga namaqanda angama-300. Oku kulingana namaqanda amathandathu ngeveki. Ziqala ukubeka amaqanda kwiiveki ezingama-20 emva kokuqandusela. Emva kweeveki ezimalunga nama-60 ziyabulawa kuba amaqanda aya esiba mbalwa. Oko akusenamvuzo kumfama weenkukhu.
Iinkuku kufuneka zityebe ngokukhawuleza ukuze zikwazi ukulungiswa ekhitshini emva kokuxhelwa. Imiqhagi kunye neenkukhu zisetyenziselwa izitya zenkukhu. EJamani zibizwa ngokuba yiHähnchen, eOstriya yiHendl, naseSwitzerland zibizwa ngokuba yiPoulet. Iinkukhu ezityetyisiweyo zixhelwa emva kweeveki ezine ukuya kwezintandathu. Emva koko iba yikhilogram enye enesiqingatha okanye ezimbini ezinesiqingatha.
Zizala njani iinkukhu zasekhaya?
Iinkukhu ziyawazisa amaqhude xa sele elungele ukukhwelana. Isikhukukazi siyagoba kwaye sibhaqe umsila waso usiba phezulu. Umqhagi ukhwelisa isikhukukazi ngasemva. Umqhagi emva koko ucinezela i-orifice yakhe ezikhukwini. Emva koko amadlozi akhe ayaphuma. Iiseli zamadlozi zifumana indlela eya kwiiseli zeqanda ngokwazo. Iiseli zesidoda zinokuhlala apho ukuya kuthi ga kwiintsuku ezili-12 kwaye zichumise iiseli zeqanda.
I-germinal disc yenziwa ukusuka kwiseli yeqanda echumileyo. Ukusuka koku, intshontsho liyakhula. Ithatha umthubi weqanda kunye nayo njengokutya. Ikwabizwa ngokuba yi-yolk. Oku zisongelwe ngohlobo lwesikhumba, njengelekese ephepheni layo.
Idiski ye-embryonic ihlala phezu kolu lusu lubonakalayo. I-albumen okanye i-albumen ijikeleze ngaphandle. Iqokobhe eliqinileyo lilandela ngaphandle. Nabani na oqhekeza iqanda elingaphekwanga unokubona i-embryonic disc kwisikhumba esicacileyo malunga ne-yolk.
Kuthatha iiyure ezingama-24 kuphela emva kokuqhama de isikhukukazi sizalele iqanda laso. Emva koko iqanda elilandelayo lilungele. Uqhanyiswa kunikezelo lweeseli zamadlozi. Ukuba isikhukukazi sihlala ngaphandle kweqhude, okanye ukuba unikezelo lweeseli zesidoda luphelile, amaqanda aya kukhula. Ungazitya, kodwa azivelisi mantshontsho.
Isikhukukazi kufuneka siqandusele iqanda elibekelweyo kangangeentsuku ezingama-21. Oku kunokwenziwa nakwi-incubator enobushushu bokwenziwa. Ngeli xesha, i-embryonic disc ikhula ibe lintshontsho eligqityiweyo. Inqaku elincinci likhule emlonyeni walo, i-hump. Ngale nto, intshontsho libetha iqokobhe leqanda kwaye lenze inotshi macala onke. Yandula ke ityhale iziqingatha ezibini zahlukane ngamaphiko ayo.
Iinkukhu zi-precocial. Bakhawuleza bema ngeenyawo baze bayokutya ukutya nonina. Ngoko akuyomfuneko ukuba bondliwe ngabazali babo njengezinye iintaka ezininzi. Isikhukukazi sikhusela amantshontsho aso kwaye siwakhokelela emanzini nakwiindawo zokutyisa ezifanelekileyo. Umqhagi awuyikhathalele inzala yakhe.