For many centuries, for people, there is nothing unusual in the fact that chicken is considered to be the sole source of meat and eggs. However, there are chickens who are bred not only for food, but also to decorate their yards.
One of these breeds and decorative chicken called sultanka, the features of the breeding of which we describe in this article.
History reference
It is believed that the Sultan, or Seral-Taook, was brought to the Turkish Empire, and its main purpose was to decorate the gardens of the Sultanate. In addition, some scientists suggest that this breed was the result of breeding, and its ancestor is domestic Pavlovsky chickens.
In early 1854, the chicken was delivered to England, after which it was distributed in many European countries. The first notes about this breed are found back in 1600, then in 1835 it is found in the writings of Linnaeus and Foith.
Did you know? On the imprinted photograph from the exhibition of 1881, the paws of the yellow sultan, while today's chickens of this breed have blue paws.
Characteristics and features
Due to their luxurious appearance, farmers mostly grow this breed as decorative bird. Chickens have a very calm character, which greatly helps with their maintenance, because even during high-profile exhibitions, individuals remain relaxed and calm. In addition, it is worth noting that the bird quite quickly gets used to its owner, after which it is almost always near it. 
Appearance
In comparison with other breeds of sultan hens, it looks like a completely small bird, which can be recognized by following features:
- color - the bird has only white feathers, while the rooster may have a slight yellowish plumage on the body. The main difference, which will help to recognize it among other chickens, is the presence of a tuft, cistern and small beard;
- rib cage - the cock of this breed has a wide and very convex ribcage, its trunk is shortened and wide, its back is raised and has magnificent plumage. The hen of the Sultanka breed is more rounded than the rooster, its breasts are a little deeper and denser;
- legs - this breed of chickens has only blue coloring on the limbs, while there is a lot of feathering on the legs. Sultanok must have five fingers on his feet;
- head “Sultans have a very small and short head with a huge tuft that is slightly larger in hens than in roosters.” The bird's beak is short, with a slightly curved shape, the nasal openings on it are slightly larger than those of ordinary chickens. The crest on the bird's head resembles curved horns; there is a small wedge-shaped beard, behind which are small lobes and earrings;
- neck chickens shortened and curved back, there is a small mane;
- tail the bird has a wide and lush, which is located at an average height of the body;
- wings the breed is rather long, at the same time they are pressed against the body of the chicken and slightly lowered down.
Character and livability with other birds
Sultanka possesses very calm and friendly character, but despite this, the chicken is known for its tremendous energy and level of activity. Owners of such chickens are advised to restrict bird access to their green areas. They are very friendly and do not arrange fights between their relatives or other birds in the hen house. Zoologists, to save the purebredness of this species, recommend keeping them separate from other breeds.
Check out other ornamental breeds of chickens: Chinese silk, Oryol, Paduan, Gudan, milfleur, appenzeller, bantamka, sybright, sabo.
Weight indicators
Since the adult individuals of the sultan have a relatively small size and great activity, we should not expect much weight from them. Thus, the weight of an adult chicken of this breed reaches 2 kg, while for a rooster it is 2.7 kg.
Puberty and annual egg production
Sultan, like all other domestic birds, has a very rapid puberty and reaches it at the age of 5 months.
But due to the fact that most chicken is bred as a decorative look, you should not expect high rates when laying eggs from it.
On average, an adult individual of the Sultan brings its owner 80-100 eggs per year. Birds carry small white eggs.
Did you know? The greatest indicators of egg production of sultan shows in the first two years of their life, after which they begin to decline gradually.
Hatching instinct
Despite its small egg production, sultanas are known as hens, which possess very good nasizhivaniya instinct. Moreover, these birds are often used for breeding crosses, so you will not need an incubator for breeding. In addition, they have a high percentage of fertility and egg safety, which is about 90%.
Thus, the breeding of this breed is not a problem; the only difficulty arises when buying sultanka eggs. The fact is that ordinary factories rarely grow these chickens, and when buying online there is a great chance to get a fake. Therefore, choose only trusted suppliers, carefully reviewing before all the reviews about them. 
Diet
Farmers who have on their farm chickens of this breed, it is necessary to carefully monitor their feeding. There are no special requirements for the diet of these birds, moreover, they eat much less than ordinary chickens, but it must be very diverse and balanced. The diet of chicken and adult chicken sultanki is slightly different, so we will focus on feeding each age generation in more detail.
Chickens
Nestlings of the sultanka are very strong and durable; under the right conditions of their housing and nutrition, their death does not exceed 10%.
Their diet is as follows:
- On the first day after the appearance of the chicken, well boiled eggs should become its food.
- On the second day, it is allowed to add some semolina or corn grits.
- On the third day, sour-milk products should be added to the diet of babies, the best choice for this is low-fat cottage cheese or sour milk.
- In addition, zoologists recommend from the first day to drink cubs sultanok glucose solution, which can be purchased at any pharmacy. Such an elementary diet in the first week will help to improve the survival rate of the chicken and significantly improve its health.
- After the first week, it is recommended to add at least 50% greenery to its daily diet, and with the achievement of one month of age it is already possible to add vegetables.
- Over time, the sultan can already be fed with ready-made feeds, since for normal growth and the fastest attainment of puberty they need a lot of calcium and protein.
Before the chicken reaches 10 days of age, it must be fed every two hours, after that it will have to be given food every 2.5 hours for a couple of weeks, and after reaching the age of one month - 5 times a day. From the first days after birth, chickens should always have fresh water with the addition of a disinfectant potassium permanganate.
Learn how to feed the chickens from the first days of life.
Adults
Despite the high level of mobility and decorativeness of the breed, their the diet is not much different from ordinary chickens. Moreover, they eat quite a bit. However, we still recommend taking a responsible approach to their feeding, because even a small amount of food must contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals for the normal existence of any living thing. 
The rules for feeding adult birds are:
- Food Sultanok, like any other chickens, should be varied, but at least 55% of the diet must necessarily fall on the dry grain of different species.
- You need to feed the bird 3 times a day, and the sooner you feed the chicken in the morning, the faster they will begin to lay eggs.
- When preparing wet mash, it is worth remembering that in the summer they deteriorate quickly and freeze in the winter, so the sultanas need such an amount of food that they can eat in half an hour.
- Greens, vegetables and root vegetables will help to restore the lack of vitamins in chickens. We also recommend to increase their number in the diet of birds in the winter.
- To obtain elements in the body of a given breed, it is necessary to give them sometimes chalk, crushed shell or fish meal.
- Fresh water and a gravel tray should always be present in the hen house.
Important! When feeding a sultan with corn, do not overdo it with its quantity, since in large doses it causes obesity in this breed.
Content Features
Despite the fact that solar turkey is the birthplace of these poultry, sultanks have adapted remarkably to our ever-changing climate for several centuries. However, when keeping them, farmers are still encouraged to follow some simple tips. 
In the chicken coop with walking
First, let's look at small recommendations for the care of chickens sultanka. The main conditions for saving the chicks born in the first month of their existence are dryness, warmth and cleanliness. The first 10 days after birth, you must keep the sultanok at a temperature of from +28 to +30 ° C, after which every day the temperature must be lowered by one degree until you reach +21 ° C.
Learn more about making a brooder for chickens, as well as a chicken coop for adult birds: how to equip, make ventilation, lighting, nests, paddock.
For adults, it is recommended to have a spacious and ventilated chicken house, while it must be dry, warm, and there should be no drafts. Inside the chicken coop for birds, you need to build a low perch on which they will be able to stay during the rest. At the same time on one meter of such a roost only 3-4 sultans can be accommodated.
Many experienced farmers recommend to fill the floor in the chicken coop with rubble, and on top of it to make a litter of dry leaves and peat, which must be updated periodically so that the chickens do not soil their feathers. It is also important to equip functional feeders and drinkers for birds, which should be securely fixed.
Important! Because of its luxurious plumage, which has the ability to get wet and dry for a very long time, the hen is not recommended to be let out on the street in rainy weather.
In winter, we advise you to heat the room where there are sultanka. Also, do not constantly keep chickens in the sun, because its rays harm their feathers. 
Is it possible to breed in cages
Because of their increased activity, the hens in question cannot live in cages. But if you still have to keep them closed, please note that for the sultanok you need a spacious place of detention, as well as constant walking.
Common diseases
Although this type of chickens is strong, but, like any other living creature, has a tendency to diseases that are better prevented in time than then spend time and money on treatment. Let's look at the most common diseases sultanok:
- because of its fluffy plumage, this breed is susceptible to infestation by parasites, to prevent which it is necessary to constantly carry out cleaning and disinfecting measures in their habitats;
Read also about the symptoms and the fight against parasites of chickens: ticks, peroed, lice, fleas.
- Another disease that is also characteristic of these chickens due to the lush clothing is bone disease and all sorts of arthritis. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to keep these birds in a dry and warm room;
- The last most frequent disease characteristic of this breed is vitamin deficiency. As mentioned above, even the chicken consumes little food, but its diet should contain all the necessary vitamins.
Advantages and disadvantages
TO pluses should include:
- beautiful and unusual appearance, as well as friendly character;
- simplicity in maintenance and cultivation;
- tasty and rich in meat and eggs;
- a well-developed brood instinct, which makes it possible to grow chickens for sale.
Main minuses when growing this bird are:
- small egg production;
- high susceptibility to infection by parasites due to copious plumage.
Video: hens breed sultanka
Reviews of poultry farmers on the breed sultan
Thus, the sultan is a good option for farmers who want to get beautiful and most importantly - easy-to-keep chicken.
