A Bielefelder Thread !

[RollTideChicken]

I understand, I just thought auto-sexing to auto-sexing would work. Like, when you cross Bielefelders with Legbars, you get auto-sexing green egg layers. However, their auto-sexing is more similar to each other than that of Barred Rocks (dark base with double barring, whereas Bieles and Legbars are e+ with double barring), so perhaps the BR is just too much of a wild card.

And it may, for 1 generation, but then that's called sex-link. Do you know if the mixed line maintains the auto-sexing with the Biel x Legbar after the first gen?

 

[LittleDinosaur]

And it may, for 1 generation, but then that's called sex-link. Do you know if the mixed line maintains the auto-sexing with the Biel x Legbar after the first gen?

It should, in theory, since they auto-sex via the same principle (double barred roo over single barred hen with wildtype e+ genetics), at least as far as I know.

 

[TSP]

This is my Bielefelder cockerel, my kids named him Cogburn. He’s just a little under 10 pounds at about six months. I’m wondering how big he’s actually going to get, as he is much larger than his brother who is only a month younger. I have him and his brother in with nine pullets. These were hatched out at my house, half on November 8th and half on December 11th. We got our first pullet egg this morning, but most of the pullets have combs that are getting bigger and red right now. We had 6 other cockerels at hatch. One died unexpectedly a month or so ago of unknown causes, just found dead in the coop one morning. The others went to friends who keep mutt flocks and liked the size and coloration of these guys. By fall, I should have reports from several of them as to what you get when you cross a Biel with (insert breed here), but mostly they’ll be large, dual purpose backyard birds. I have a couple of Easter Egger hens left over from last year and I don’t intend on hatching out any of those crosses, but do wonder what would result from that genetic roll of the dice.

 

[renk777]

Odd question...I purchased 2 bieles months ago at a local farm. Not sure what line they are but adults all looked liked typical bieles. Seller showed me a separate pen of a new line she had brought in and the hens were darker...less of the typical pattern in the plumage. I picked out 2 chicks (not sure which line they were from) and brought them home. They're about 3 months old now and still look as they did when we got them...like Welsummers...not like Bielefelders. I've had biele roos in the past and I know the hens are darker but by now, I expected to see the typical biele pattern in the hens...just darker than the roos I had in the past. Every pic I see online looks nothing like my girls. They look Welsummerish :/ Did this seller unwittingly get Welsummers or some line of backyard-created-biele-wannabes and thinks she's got Bielefelders? She only sells bielefelders and Ameraucanas. If they don't get the typical biele pattern until much older, I won't worry but if they should have it by now, let me know. Is there any way to tell if they are Welsummers as opposed to Bieles? Or if seller put Biele roo over new line of 'bieles' of questionable background, is there a way to tell that my girls are hybrids of the 2? Thanks!

 

[renk777]

One of my Bielefelder hens now 12wks

Mine are 12 weeks and look nothing like her. I've suspected for weeks I was sold welsummers or a hybrid. I specifically sought out/paid for bieles. I'm really annoyed. We only have room for 10 large birds at a time...we've had more but we think the birds are happiest with the space we can provide if we keep flock at 10. So I was very careful picking breeds and #

 

[renk777]

In reference to last 2 messages, I posted elsewhere online and on BYC and it looks as though my hunch was right and I have Welsummers. They weren't part of my plan for my small flock and I'm bummed but it is what it is. Maybe someday, I'll get my bielefelders :/

 

[LittleDinosaur]

In reference to last 2 messages, I posted elsewhere online and on BYC and it looks as though my hunch was right and I have Welsummers. They weren't part of my plan for my small flock and I'm bummed but it is what it is. Maybe someday, I'll get my bielefelders :/

Yeah, I'd say those aren't Bielefelder hens unless they are from a really poorly bred line. Guess you'll know for sure when they start laying eggs. Red Wellie eggs or brown Biele eggs.

Question, how did the chicks look when you bought them? Being an auto-sexing breed, the chicks are obviously different at hatch. Or was the pen you picked from pullets only? Welsummer chicks are all chipmunk, so you're lucky they were pullets and not cockerels.

 

[renk777]

Yeah, I'd say those aren't Bielefelder hens unless they are from a really poorly bred line. Guess you'll know for sure when they start laying eggs. Red Wellie eggs or brown Biele eggs.

Question, how did the chicks look when you bought them? Being an auto-sexing breed, the chicks are obviously different at hatch. Or was the pen you picked from pullets only? Welsummer chicks are all chipmunk, so you're lucky they were pullets and not cockerels.

I got them around 5 weeks old so they were mostly feathered. Because I didn't want roos or the legbar/biele crosses she had tried, I chose the darker birds available from the pen that had the 5 and 6 week old Bielefelder chicks. She directed me to which pens were Bielefelders.

 

[Sylvester017]

@renk777
If you do wind up with Wellies at least you'll have nice dark brown or pretty speckled brown eggs in your egg basket!

 

[SBFChickenGirl]

Hey guys! I'm new to Bielefelders! Going to try and work my way through this thread.