Kraienkoeppe Thread!

[Ray C]

Mine have yellow legs. Their eggs are the biggest of any of my breeds. Fertility is excellent with them too.

 

[familypendragon]

I'm one of maybe three or four keepers of Krainkoppen in Ireland. I keep black-breasted reds. They are phenomenal layers of very big eggs. I've read on a number of websites that hens are non-broody. However, I had a hen that went broody twice this year.

What color ear lobes do yours have out of curiosity? Here I understand they are supposed to have red but a large portion of ours are coming up with white. Mine all have white. Yellow legs though, so I guess that is something, LOL! They are also 27 weeks and still aren't laying, now I fear that with the season changing they still won't lay till NEXT Spring. *sigh*

 

[chickletteSarge]

Thing about animals.... They mature at their speed and time... No amount of hoping and wishing will ever change that!
I have waited over a year for one chicken to lay! A pain yes but we'll worth the wait!

 

[familypendragon]

Thing about animals.... They mature at their speed and time... No amount of hoping and wishing will ever change that!
I have waited over a year for one chicken to lay! A pain yes but we'll worth the wait!

Oh yeah, at least I have a few hens laying. Its hard to feed 150 birds and only get 3 eggs a day, LOL!

 

[Ray C]

What color ear lobes do yours have out of curiosity? Here I understand they are supposed to have red but a large portion of ours are coming up with white. Mine all have white. Yellow legs though, so I guess that is something, LOL! They are also 27 weeks and still aren't laying, now I fear that with the season changing they still won't lay till NEXT Spring. *sigh*

They have red earlobes. Give them time and they'll lay. Between moulting and a cold spell here at the moment, none of my birds are laying.

 

[chickletteSarge]

Oh yeah, at least I have a few hens laying. Its hard to feed 150 birds and only get 3 eggs a day, LOL!

wow I cant wait to have that many! 150?!? ok yea id be impatient too! shoot, with 150 birds id be eatin good till they start layin! lol

 

[familypendragon]

Most of them are all chicks between 4 days and 4 months. We are going through a devastating mystery illness right now though - sending 7 birds for necropsy on Monday to figure out what it is None of the Kraienkoppes have gotten sick though. I GOT MY FIRST EGG!! Today while I watched her, my Kraienkoppe Cleopatra laid her first egg for me

 

[familypendragon]

Got 2 Kraienkoppe eggs today!! Thanks ladies - only one left not yet laying. Come on Ripley!

 

[DTchickens]

If your Kraienköppe are like mine Familypendragon, you will have plenty of eggs. My birds started laying in February and other than slowing down (or stopping) for the molt I am still getting an egg a day from some hens who have finished the molt when all my other breeds have slowed down or stopped. Soon I plan on raising a lot since we're purchasing a cabnit style incubator soon, depending on setting hens resulted in a lot of losses for me (they hatch fine, they are excellent broodies and raise them for awhile but have proven to have poor mothering instincts usually resulting in dead chicks) and I've had issues with predators this year though that's been solved now. I've still got some pure Kraienköppe who seem to be decent size and type for their age (I like 'em anyway for American birds), and about 9 Malay X Kraienköppe. I intend on hatching as long as they're laying, so I should have plenty out of around 6 hens.


God bless,
Daniel.

 

[DTchickens]

I have neglected updating some of the photos recently (I don't visit poultry forums that much now.) This is not a good photo (cellphone made his legs look white, when they are yellow). But, I do like my birds even if they are hatchery stock. A lot of the F1's are looking promising as well but too young for me to judge just yet whether I will cull or keep them.



Though they need some tweaking (what can you expect from hatchery stock), when comparing with some European birds and the image I found that is supposed to be "Ideal type" I don't think they are terribly far off- maybe some from Europe can correct me.

"Ideal type supposedly"

For all of you English speaking breeders, if you'd like shoot me a PM or email some time and I will try to get you some more information on the breed if you need. I had a lot of articles regarding this breed sent to me by a kind German breeder and I have since translated these into English. I've also gotten the book "Kraienköppe und Zwerg-Kraienköppe, Orloff und Zwerg-Orloff" and "Twentse Hoenders" (the newest book written by Willem Molenveld).