A Bielefelder Thread !

[bluejean55girl]

How goes

One of my Biel hens took ill last night and remains so this morning. My brain has been going full-speed all night trying to figure out what's wrong. Right now I'm thinking it's either a sour crop, or she's egg bound, as this girls has always had some issues with laying eggs. I'm gearing up to check for sour crop, but if that's not it.....


Right now I'm just really grateful for two new Biel chicks and two NN/Biel chicks, three of which are pullets. 

how goes it for your Biel hen?

 

[Coop de Grass]

We're looking at 11 days left to go! Funny we haven't given any German names yet.

Our first Bielfelders were a pair of hens. The first name was Jessica as in Beal. But we couldn't come up with another name so there was also Jessica 2. We finally decided on Schnitzel, which is why we now have German food names. I think that Spaetzle will be the next one.

Good luck with your hatch!

 

[DesertChic]

How goes
how goes it for your Biel hen?

So far, so good. I'm still not sure what had her down...maybe just too hot since it's been in the 90s???? I massaged her crop for a while this morning, which she actually seemed to really enjoy, but didn't get anything out of her to indicate that sour crop was indeed the problem. She didn't lay an egg today but by late morning was behaving more normally and by tonight was back up on the roost for bed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I was worrying unnecessarily.

 

[Sylvester017]

So far, so good. I'm still not sure what had her down...maybe just too hot since it's been in the 90s???? I massaged her crop for a while this morning, which she actually seemed to really enjoy, but didn't get anything out of her to indicate that sour crop was indeed the problem. She didn't lay an egg today but by late morning was behaving more normally and by tonight was back up on the roost for bed. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I was worrying unnecessarily.

I don't mind worrying unnecessarily. 9x out of 10 it turns out nothing but the 1x out of 10 problem makes the worrying and watching worth it. If a hen doesn't improve in a couple hours I take them into the kitchen to watch them. I have a Silkie that has respiratory issues and if she's not acting spunky I immediately go into "watch" mode. If I didn't worry, I'd have a dead chicken by now. Glad your girl showed improvement!

 

[Sylvester017]

Double posted

 

[alflowers]

My chicks a week later. They are four weeks old today. The possible Bielefelder hybrid is the middle chick in this photo, the chick on the left in the second photo and the chick on the right in the last photo. Getting photos of them is much harder now so I had to put them in a tub to grab a few pictures.

 

[Sylvester017]

My chicks a week later. They are four weeks old today. The possible Bielefelder hybrid is the middle chick in this photo, the chick on the left in the second photo and the chick on the right in the last photo. Getting photos of them is much harder now so I had to put them in a tub to grab a few pictures.

I have food in my hands and the chickens come running! The minute they see my camera they flee - what's up with that?

 

[Red Banks]

I have food in my hands and the chickens come running! The minute they see my camera they flee - what's up with that?

Body language is different so they think something is wrong. Bet your voice isn't the same either...... LOL Chickens!

 

[Reyvaughn]

I think this week is the last week I am going to be hatching out of my own eggs. I have 12 pullets hatched and more than likely around the same number of cockerels now, with over 3 dozen in the 'bator or ready to go in the 'bator Friday night. I think I will be selling some hatching eggs if the girls keep laying as they are. They seem to have finally found their groove and I am getting 2-3 eggs a day. It's about time! The eggs still aren't jumbos, but it's fine. They are still pullets at 10 months.

The cockerel that was getting an attitude and tried attacking my husband has a new trick. There is a small run attached to the breeding quad's pen and when I close them in at night, I have to bend down to lock the pop door. He waits for me to do so and has acted like he's going to attack me. I have to have a kid go in and push him back so I can lock the door. So, I am pretty sure he's going to get replaced. I tolerate far more than I should form my bantams, but I won't take that crap from a near 10lb cockerel. The attacker is the one in my avvie.

The chicks from these guys are flighty, just like their parents were (the #3 cockerel with the partial white sickle feather still is deathly afraid of us). I think it's safe to say at this point Bielefelders have let me down majorly in the temperament department. I literally have the exact polar opposites of what Bieles are supposed to be.

I am actually considering letting the Bieles go at this point and just getting some egg layers. I think the bantam Cochins are enough of a project for me at this point. Or maybe I'll go back to Ameraucanas. All my Ameraucanas were calm and the boys were sweet (from the one line, but not the other).

 

[Sylvester017]

Body language is different so they think something is wrong. Bet your voice isn't the same either...... LOL Chickens!

Maybe next time I can camouflage the camera with a lettuce leaf

!!!