UMary Allen
Izinkukhu zinamahloni, zizalela amaqanda, futhi zinwaya othulini. Nakuba isithombe esithandwayo senkukhu singalungile, izinkukhu zihluke kakhulu. Umehluko wezidingo kanye nokuziphatha kwezinhlobo eziningi zezinkukhu mukhulu.
Ukugcina izinkukhu kuyimfashini. Kuwusizo ukuhlinzekwa ngeqanda cishe nsuku zonke – kanye nelilodwa elivela emthonjeni owaziwayo, ukuze ungakhathazeki ngezimo zokuhlala kwesikhukhukazi. Futhi inambitheka kangcono kunaleyo evela ekufuyweni kwezinkukhu. Uma ufuya izinkukhu, ingadi yakho ihlale imatasa. Ukubuka izilwane kuyajabulisa futhi kuyathakazelisa, ngoba zihamba cishe usuku lonke, zifuna ukudla, zilwela isikhundla, ukuzilungisa, ukunwaya noma ukuqomisana. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinkukhu engadini zidla izinambuzane ezinjengomkhaza, izintuthwane, amacimbi neminenke. Bavundisa utshani ngobulongwe babo bese befaka umbala engadini.
Kodwa akuzona zonke izinkukhu ezifanela wonke umgcini kanye nengadi ngayinye. Kunoma yikuphi, kuhle ukhethe inkukhu yozalo. Ngenkukhu ye-crossbreed noma i-hybrid, izimanga ezingathandeki zingenzeka ngaphandle nangokwesimo. Ezinkukhuni zozalo, izici zangaphandle ezifana nokuma komzimba, umbala wesikhumba nezimpaphe, kanye nezimpaphe zihlale zifana. Kodwa izici zangaphakathi ezinjengokumila kwemvelo, umbala, noma inombolo nobukhulu bamaqanda nazo azishintshile futhi ziyahlukahluka kancane esilwaneni ngesilwane.
Yazi Lapho Okhona
Njengamanje kunezinhlobo ezingaphezu kuka-150 ezisezingeni laseYurophu. Ngakho akukho ukuntula ukukhetha. Nakuba indlela yansuku zonke yohlobo ngalunye lwenkukhu icishe ifane, umlingiswa nezici zingahluka kakhulu phakathi kwezinhlobo. Ngaphakathi kohlobo, ngakolunye uhlangothi, kukhona ukuhlukahluka okumbalwa okungashintshwa kuphela ngezinga elilinganiselwe ngokuzigcina. Ngakho-ke noma ubani onquma uhlobo oluthile, uyazi ukuthi uzifaka kulo. Lapho uthenga izinkukhu, akufanele ubheke ngokuyinhloko umbala nokuma kwezilwane, kodwa ngezici ezifanele. Lena ukuphela kwendlela yokujabulela umngane wakho onezimpaphe isikhathi eside futhi ugweme ukuphoxeka. Kodwa unquma kanjani inkukhu evumelana nawe kanye nesimo?
Akuzona Zonke Izinhlobo Eziyi-Winter Hardy
Kufanele kucatshangelwe izimo zangaphandle. Uma kunesikhala esincane kuphela esitebeleni nasendaweni yokuzivocavoca, kuyalulekwa ukuthi uthenge uhlobo oluncane. Izinkukhu ezinjalo zithatha indawo encane, kodwa zikwazi ukundiza kahle. Nakuba izinkukhu ngokuvamile azikwazi ukundiza kahle, izinhlobo ezincane, ezingasindi zingathatha uhambo phakathi kocingo lwamayintshi angu-60. Ikakhulukazi ama-bantam ama-Dutch noma ama-Appenzeller ama-hood akhomba aziwa ngamakhono awo amahle okundiza.
Nakuba izinkukhu ngokuvamile ziyizilwane eziqinile, akuzona zonke izinhlobo ezikwazi ukumelana nezinga lokushisa elilinganayo ngendlela efanayo. Izinkukhu ze-Rhineland noma izinkukhu ze-Appenzell Bart, isibonelo, zibhekwa njengeziqinile kakhulu, zingakwazi ukumelana namazinga okushisa aphansi. Ngama-crest azo amancane, ayikho ingozi yokuthi ama-appendages azo obuso angaba yiqhwa. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iMinorcas, enezingqimba zayo ezinkulu ezimangelengele, ikhethekile ezindaweni ezishisayo. Ezindaweni zethu, kumele banakekelwe kahle phakathi nezinyanga zasebusika. Nokho, ngokuvamile, izinkukhu zibhekana kangcono namakhaza kunokushisa okukhulu. Izinga lokushisa elifanele inkukhu liphakathi kwamadigri ayishumi nesikhombisa namashumi amabili nesishiyagalombili. Khona-ke izinga lokushisa lomzimba wenkukhu lihlala lingashintshi.
Inkukhu akufanele nje ivumelane nendawo eyizungezile kodwa nabanikazi bayo. Uma ungumuntu ophilayo, ukuthola inzalo ezolile kuzokwenza okungaphezu kokunxephezela. Njengoba isimo sazo somqondo sivame ukudluliselwa ezilwaneni, izilwane ezinolaka zingaba novalo, zibhakuze, futhi ngokunokwenzeka zizilimaze kule nqubo. Yiqiniso, umnikazi angathonya ukumethemba kwesilwane kuye. Kodwa-ke, ngeke abe nempumelelo efanayo kuzo zonke izinkukhu, njengoba ezinye izinhlobo ngokwemvelo zisola kakhulu kunezinye.
Izinhlobo zezinkukhu ezivela e-Asia, njenge-Ko Shamo, zibhekwa njengezethemba kakhulu. Izinhlobo zaseMedithera, ngakolunye uhlangothi, zivame ukuba namahloni futhi zigodliwe, kuyilapho inkukhu ye-Appenzeller i-pointed-crested izenzele igama njengenkukhu ethanda ukwazi futhi esheshayo. Labo abanezingane kufanele bakhethe uhlobo oluzolile. Lezi zilwane zivame ukwethembana futhi, ngemva kwesikhathi sokuzijwayeza, zize ziqale ukudla okusanhlamvu ngesandla futhi zivumele ukuthintwa lapho zigijima.
Uma ufuna ukugcina izinkukhu zamaqanda, akufanele ufuye uhlobo olwaziwa ngokuthi luyafukamela. Ngoba lapho izinkukhu “zijabulile” (ama-broody), azibe zisazalela amaqanda. Ikakhulukazi ama-Orpingtons namaChabos athanda ukuhlala phezu kwamaqanda. I-Leghorn kanye namaNtaliyane baziwa njengabahlinzeki abahle kakhulu bamaqanda. Isikhukhukazi saseJapan siphethe irekhodi lokuzalela amaqanda angama-365 ngonyaka.
Imoshelwe Ukukhetha Kombala
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uma ufuna ukuzuza enyameni yenkukhu, kufanele uthole izinkukhu ze-Mechelen. Uhlobo lwaseBelgium lunesisindo somzimba esingaphezu kwamakhilogremu amane futhi luqinisekisa ukuthoswa okukhulu ebhodweni. Uma ungeke ukwazi ukunquma ukuthi uyawafuna yini amaqanda noma inyama, kunconywa uhlobo lwezinjongo ezimbili. Lokhu kufaka phakathi izinhlobo ezifana ne-Welsumer enamaqanda angu-160 ngonyaka noma i-Sussex enomphumela wamaqanda angu-180 ngonyaka.
Uma ukhathazekile ngokuhlanzeka kwezilwane, akufanele ukhethe uhlobo olunezinyawo ezinezimpaphe. Ngezinsuku ezimanzi, lezi ziletha umswakama nokungcola okwengeziwe ehhokweni, futhi umlimi wezinkukhu kufanele afinyelele imishanelo namafosholo ngokufanele.
Uma usunqume uhlobo, ulahlekelwa ukukhetha kombala wezimpaphe - futhi lokhu manje kuwumbuzo wokunambitha. Izimpaphe zenkukhu ziza ngemibala eminingi. Unokukhetha okuningi ngama-Wyandotte amancane anemibala engama-29 njengamanje. Yiqiniso, izinkukhu zingabantu ngabanye, futhi ngisho noma ezinye izinhlobo zinezici ezijwayelekile zezimpaphe, ayikho inkukhu noma iqhude elifana nelinye.
Noma ngubani ofuna ukuthola izinkukhu futhi ongakanqumi uhlobo oluthile uyacelwa ukuba avule ikhasi. Izinhlobo eziyisithupha nezici zazo ezijwayelekile zichazwe ekhasini elilandelayo. Uma ufuna ukwazi okwengeziwe ngayo, incwadi ethi “Hühner und Zwerghühner” ka-Horst Schmidt ovela endlini yokushicilela yase-Ulm iyisinqumo esihle.