Chicken Breed Focus - Bielefelder

I have a Bielefelder roo and hen that were hatched this summer, and I absolutely love them! They are BIG birds - the biggest in my flock (a mixed bunch of production reds, Marans, Limousin, Sussex...) but by far the most gentle.

I have had three roos previously, (two production reds and one Sussex) and all have ended up in the pot, for being too agressive with my hens. But Ben the Bielefelder is completely different! He is the first roo I have had that has really cared for his girls, and he goes out of his way to look after them. He calls them over when he finds food - even special treats like sweetcorn - he doesn't eat it, but keeps picking it up and dropping it for the girls. He also comes running to see what's wrong whenever he hears one of the girls shouting, he checks on them on the nest to make certain that they are ok, and he runs up to separate any scuffles that break out between anyone! I couldn't believe it when I saw it for the first time - he literally pushed inbetween the two birds that were facing off and calmed the whole thing down!

He is also a wonderful influence on the two other roos in my flock (Black Copper Marans a few weeks younger than Ben). He tolerates them really well, and although he occasionally chases them off one of his favourite girls he never really does them any harm - just the odd peck to make certain they know who is boss!

Although he is still nervous of me (I was given Ben at 6 weeks old and he had never been handled before he joined my flock) he is getting better, and tolerates being stroked and handled at night. He has just started to eat out of my hand during the day - it's only taken 7 months! His mate, Chipmunk (not an original name I know, but she's the only female Bielfelder chick I've ever had!) was hatched by one of my broody hens, and I have handled her since day one, so she is much better. I can easily approach her and pick her up whenever I want to, although she has a habit of pecking at me if she thinks I want to touch her! It's not agressive, but just her way of saying 'I don't think I really want you to do that'. Once I pick her up she's fine - doesn't struggle at all, just waits patiently for me to do whatever I want to do and put her down again.

Ben, looking magnificent as usual
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love.gif






Chipmunk deciding (as usual) to photobomb my picture of Ben
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Chippers looking at me suspiciously ("is she going to try and pick me up?")

 
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I have a Bielefelder roo and hen that were hatched this summer, and I absolutely love them! They are BIG birds - the biggest in my flock (a mixed bunch of production reds, Marans, Limousin, Sussex...) but by far the most gentle.

I have had three roos previously, (two production reds and one Sussex) and all have ended up in the pot, for being too agressive with my hens. But Ben the Bielefelder is completely different! He is the first roo I have had that has really cared for his girls, and he goes out of his way to look after them. He calls them over when he finds food - even special treats like sweetcorn - he doesn't eat it, but keeps picking it up and dropping it for the girls. He also comes running to see what's wrong whenever he hears one of the girls shouting, he checks on them on the nest to make certain that they are ok, and he runs up to separate any scuffles that break out between anyone! I couldn't believe it when I saw it for the first time - he literally pushed inbetween the two birds that were facing off and calmed the whole thing down!

He is also a wonderful influence on the two other roos in my flock (Black Copper Marans a few weeks younger than Ben). He tolerates them really well, and although he occasionally chases them off one of his favourite girls he never really does them any harm - just the odd peck to make certain they know who is boss!

Although he is still nervous of me (I was given Ben at 6 weeks old and he had never been handled before he joined my flock) he is getting better, and tolerates being stroked and handled at night. He has just started to eat out of my hand during the day - it's only taken 7 months! His mate, Chipmunk (not an original name I know, but she's the only female Bielfelder chick I've ever had!) was hatched by one of my broody hens, and I have handled her since day one, so she is much better. I can easily approach her and pick her up whenever I want to, although she has a habit of pecking at me if she thinks I want to touch her! It's not agressive, but just her way of saying 'I don't think I really want you to do that'. Once I pick her up she's fine - doesn't struggle at all, just waits patiently for me to do whatever I want to do and put her down again.

Ben, looking magnificent as usual
wink.png
love.gif






Chipmunk deciding (as usual) to photobomb my picture of Ben
roll.png





Chippers looking at me suspiciously ("is she going to try and pick me up?")


Loved hearing about your rooster Ben, he sounds like the perfect roo!
 
I just got into this breed my chicks are still young, but I can still speak to this post. I got this breed for many reasons. The large stature is not only stunning but it would take a big hawk to want to tackle with this big roosters. They are tame so you don't have to worry about fighting or crazy birds every time I walk by. Then it comes to the autosexing trait, who wouldn't want to only raise hens if you could. And they are a rare breed, so there is a big demand for chicks.
 
NorthFLChick I love my Bielefelders. I have never had any luck with roosters - they have always ended up being too aggressive with my girls, and since I keep my birds as 'pets with perks' a rooster has never been essential to my flock.

However my husband fell in love with Bielefelder roos when we saw one at a friend's house, and I have to admit that Ben is everything she said he would be. None of my other roos have ever been as gentle and as caring as Ben is with my girls (and also with the other roos in the flock) - I think I have finally found my perfect rooster!
love.gif
 
NorthFLChick I love my Bielefelders. I have never had any luck with roosters - they have always ended up being too aggressive with my girls, and since I keep my birds as 'pets with perks' a rooster has never been essential to my flock.

However my husband fell in love with Bielefelder roos when we saw one at a friend's house, and I have to admit that Ben is everything she said he would be. None of my other roos have ever been as gentle and as caring as Ben is with my girls (and also with the other roos in the flock) - I think I have finally found my perfect rooster!
love.gif

He certainly is a handsome guy too!
 
Hi, I just joined today and was happy to find a thread on Bielefeder. I own a roo and 3 hens which hatched in July of 2015. No eggs yet but the roo has started to crow. So far I have found them to be the fastest growing breed that I have ever owned. They are in a coop of their own and are by far the biggest eaters and poopers of any of my birds. I occasionally let them out of their area to free range with the Orpington and they are fine but my Amerecauna and my Guinea fowl will pick on them. I'm wondering if I might still get eggs this winter or if I will have to wait till the spring for that. I'm anxious to hatch some eggs but to date the roo has shown no interest in the girls.
 
My guess is you'll get eggs around February and will get them all year . Id wait till the eggs get bigger before incubating . My rooster show more interest in the girls when allowed free range time
 
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