A Bielefelder Thread !

[bayocum]

If anyone is worried about buying hatching eggs, purchase them from a trusted source like Omega Hills Farm (or any of the other people on BYC that posts actual photos of their chicks).  Or do what I did for my first Bielefelders and purchase chicks directly from GFF.

Great advice !

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

Yeh that would be funny, you can't tell no one man where u got these.

 

[bayocum]

Well, it finally happened today...we got our first Bielefelder egg.


That's a quarter, a Bielefelder pullet egg, two American Bresse pullet eggs, a mature Bresse egg, and a Basque Hen egg (2.2oz).
So if the eggs people have been receiving from a certain seller on RBA are larger than the egg on the left, there's a good chance its not what it claims to be...

Best,
Brice @ SF

 

[familypendragon]

Well, it finally happened today...we got our first Bielefelder egg. That's a quarter, a Bielefelder pullet egg, two American Bresse pullet eggs, a mature Bresse egg, and a Basque Hen egg (2.2oz). So if the eggs people have been receiving from a certain seller on RBA are larger than the egg on the left, there's a good chance its not what it claims to be... Best, Brice @ SF

You mean because the age of his pullets should not be older than yours right? If anyone has ever hatched a Bielefelder looking bird from his eggs then it is probably a cross of a Bielefelder roo (since they normally mature earlier than the females right??) and a "cheap New Hampshire Hen" like he suggested we do, right? I can tell you the eggs I got were quite large and looked about like the Barred Rock eggs I received previously. Here they are in fact - wish I'd taken another pic once I had them unwrappped. I always take pics as I unpack eggs in case I find them to be broken or damaged with rolling air cells so I can use the photos to file for insurance reimbursement through USPS. But once I had them open they were pristine so I didn't bother with more pics :/

 

[familypendragon]

Also, I sent in info to RBA using their contact form but have not heard anything back. It didn't even send me a confirmation or anything so I am wondering if it actually went through....?

 

[Papa Brooder]

Quote:


Yes, Mike from Elite Poultry had the oldest pair. I believe they started to lay in June. At that time, the eggs were quite small as I hatched them for him for the first couple of rounds of eggs. By late July they were about large size. I believe it was at least 6-8 weeks before GFF sold another pair after his?? Anyway, yes, an extra large egg is not likely to be pure at this point as I believe his would just about now be getting to that size. I believe the next sold pairs went to CPL on here as well sometime in January. I have heard more and more stories like this but usually they sell on Ebay and not RBA. Bummer. Let us know what you hatch. There is always a chance that there were some private sales we don't know about so who knows?

 

[familypendragon]

Yes, Mike from Elite Poultry had the oldest pair.  I believe they started to lay in June.  At that time, the eggs were quite small as I hatched them for him for the first couple of rounds of eggs. By late July they were about large size.  I believe it was at least 6-8 weeks before GFF sold another pair after his??  Anyway, yes, an extra large egg is not likely to be pure at this point as I believe his would just about now be getting to that size.  I believe the next sold pairs went to CPL on here as well sometime in January.  I have heard more and more stories like this but usually they sell on Ebay and not RBA.  Bummer.  Let us know what you hatch.  There is always a chance that there were some private sales we don't know about so who knows?  

None even developed a vein - weren't fertile. I cracked several open and saw no sign of fertilization. That was what initially made me suspicious. These were shipped within the state, had perfect air cells - not even saddled, and perfect yolks. Nothing - nada - zip - zilch. Meanwhile everything from my flock was giving me 100% hatches. So not an incubator issue. When I shared my disappointment is when he claimed they must have been x-rayed :/ Then suggested I do the "buy a GFF roo and a New Hampshire Hen and breed my own purebred Bielefelders" trick. Then I saw in the Rhodebar thread the same seller had done something similar on ebay with rhodebars. He claimed to be selling eggs from his GFF stock - but they confirmed it was not possible as the oldest ones they'd sold would only be a few weeks old. So - shady....

 

[bayocum]

You mean because the age of his pullets should not be older than yours right? If anyone has ever hatched a Bielefelder looking bird from his eggs then it is probably a cross of a Bielefelder roo (since they normally mature earlier than the females right??) and a "cheap New Hampshire Hen" like he suggested we do, right? I can tell you the eggs I got were quite large and looked about like the Barred Rock eggs I received previously. Here they are in fact - wish I'd taken another pic once I had them unwrappped. I always take pics as I unpack eggs in case I find them to be broken or damaged with rolling air cells so I can use the photos to file for insurance reimbursement through USPS. But once I had them open they were pristine so I didn't bother with more pics

Yes... that's exactly what I mean. My oldest hen was hatched in late February from Greenfire. Of course climate and feed can affect laying age, but I wouldn't imagine by more than a few weeks, tops. I know that none of the pullets this individual has are older than mine, because they are from the same hatch. Its interesting that you say they looked like Barred Rock eggs because I received a BR from this same individual in my "share" of the Bielefelder purchase. He sent a "slightly older cockerel" to keep the Bielefelder chicks warm. That did not end well...however, that "cockerel" is one of the best laying hens I have today.

Anyway, enough about that, I think we all get it now. Just excited that these massive birds started laying and really looking forward to my other ladies coming online.
All the best,
Brice @ SF

 

[DCchicken]

So I bought some shipped Bielefelder eggs from a trusted source and not from the back of a van in NYC. I have a nice R-Com Pro incubator. It has a program for hatching chickens that starts with 99.5 degrees and 46% humidity, turning the eggs once an hour. At day 18, it increase the humidity an stops the turner automatically. The nice thing about the R-Coms is that you can do a custom program (or change any of the settings from a menu without interrupting the current cycle. Should I change any settings or go with the chicken program?

I can't tell anything from candling so I decided to let them rest for about 12 hours. Should I also turn of the auto-tuner for a day or two or just go with the standard chicken program? I have not yet put them in the incubator because I have been busy with a shipment of chicks as well. Those did not end up so well. Five died. It's a wet, cold, and miserable day.

Or should I say this day is cursed and wait until tomorrow to start the eggs in the incubator? I have always told that fresher eggs are better than older eggs for hatching and I worry that by waiting, I may actually be doing more harm than good. Like I said, candling Bielefelder eggs seems to be difficult. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[familypendragon]

So I bought some shipped Bielefelder eggs from a trusted source and not from the back of a van in NYC.  I have a nice R-Com Pro incubator.  It has a program for hatching chickens that starts with 99.5 degrees and 46% humidity, turning the eggs once an hour.  At day 18, it increase the humidity an stops the turner automatically.  The nice thing about the R-Coms is that you can do a custom program (or change any of the settings from a menu without interrupting the current cycle.  Should I change any settings or go with the chicken program?

I can't tell anything from candling so I decided to let them rest for about 12 hours.  Should I also turn of the auto-tuner for a day or two or just go with the standard chicken program?  I have not yet put them in the incubator because I have been busy with a shipment of chicks as well.  Those did not end up so well.  Five died.  It's a wet, cold, and miserable day.

Or should I say this day is cursed and wait until tomorrow to start the eggs in the incubator?  I have always told that fresher eggs are better than older eggs for hatching and I worry that by waiting, I may actually be doing more harm than good.  Like I said, candling Bielefelder eggs seems to be difficult.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Based on all the advice I have been given here I now wait 24 - 36 hours with shipped eggs before I set them to let them settle. I can't say I have had any more success as pretty much all my shipped egg experiences have been pretty bad. I would faint if I ever got a 50% hatch rate on shipped eggs. Good luck!!