A Bielefelder Thread !

[texas75563]

DeannaA, this morning when I went out to check on chicks in the brooder, the heat lamp went out sometime last night. It is 38 degrees and drizzling rain here. Smallest chicks were huddled together but fine. If it ever quits raining I will change it out.

chick chick, I would say out of 3 days I get 2 eggs out of each bielefelder hen. I would say they lay large eggs. I wouldn't call them extra large. I just weighed 2 and 1 weighed 2.28ozs and the other 2.5ozs

 

[chick chick]

Do you keep track of your eggs? Wondering how well they lay? If they are going to eat "a lot" I want them lay a lot too. I don't have room for a large amount of chickens and want them to lay at least 4 a week in the summer and also lay something in the winter. My Marans are the best layers I have at the moment in the winter laying 3 or 4 a week. My Sussex and Barred Rock lay only 1 or 2 a week even with a light. I would appreciate any comments on how your hens are laying. Thanks

 

[Omegahillsfarm]

Has anyone had any problems with their Biefelders being sensitive to cold or anything else? I have several breeds all same age all together but the Bielfelders just aren't as stong and I have lost over half. No apparent problems but weightloss despite eating normally. I saved the last one by letting her sleep with me for a few days.

Hi DeannaA,

Our bielefelders are one of our most vigorous breeds. Of the hundreds we have hatched out I cannot remember loosing a single chick. I have not heard of anyone else loosing chicks either. Can you give some more info? Where are the housed? How many? Are they mixed with any other chicks? Type of feed? ect.. There are so many variables but you have to start somewhere and start ruling some things out.
Hope you can save the last one.

Hi DC Chicken: I have just started reading about the Bielefelder breed and am wondering about the egg size and production rate? Could you comment on the average size of the eggs (really jumbo?) and about how many you get in a week? I am more interested in this than in the weight of the birds. I understand they have a good disposition and that is important too. In the past I have purchased off of e-bay but had such a bad hatch rate I am looking to pick up some eggs from someone close to give them a try but before I do that I want to find out more about the egg production. I think they are a lovey bird to look at but pretty is as pretty does produce. I am interest in a real assessment on the breed instead of someone that is trying to sell me something. Any comments would be very much appreciated.

Do you keep track of your eggs? Wondering how well they lay? If they are going to eat "a lot" I want them lay a lot too. I don't have room for a large amount of chickens and want them to lay at least 4 a week in the summer and also lay something in the winter. My Marans are the best layers I have at the moment in the winter laying 3 or 4 a week. My Sussex and Barred Rock lay only 1 or 2 a week even with a light. I would appreciate any comments on how your hens are laying. Thanks

We average a little less than 2 eggs every 3 days per hen. Our fertility is above 99% and hatch rate is above 95%. Now if I could only find a way to get more hens to hatch than roosters...... The eggs are bigger than any of our other breeds. As for eating a lot of feed, we do not really see that big of a difference in our adult bielefelders from any other of our breeds. Now when they are chicks that is a different story. They will eat and eat and eat. But it eventually tapers off.


Here are some pictures we took yesterday of one of our pairs of bielefelders.

 

[chick chick]

Thank you for the egg count! Just wondering if that is long day summer count or short day winter count? How would you say they lay in the short day winters? I usually have a light to give them 14 hours of light. I appreciate your comments on the feed too. Good to know.
Thanks

 

[RainMom]

Thank you for the egg count! Just wondering if that is long day summer count or short day winter count? How would you say they lay in the short day winters? I usually have a light to give them 14 hours of light. I appreciate your comments on the feed too. Good to know.
Thanks

My Bielefelders are laying in the dead of winter here, no supplemental light or heat, and no slow down at all. I love these chickens! They are so gentle! My favorite breed ever!

Last week when I left the Bielefelders free range, the welsummer rooster in the neighboring pen started picking a fight thru the fencing. The Bielefelder rooster was all puffed up going at it thru the fence, and I reached down to pick him up to prevent him from harm- fully expecting him to be agitated and maybe even spur me. He just calmly accepted being picked up and relaxed right away. Considering he's probably 13 lbs, that's quite impressive!

Another thing I like- these guys far outweigh hawks, so thinking they are not going to fall victim when free-ranging.

.
I've got chicks hatching today and an abundance of hatching eggs to sell or put in incubator.

 

[chick chick]

Thank you so much for the information. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your comments. Everything I have read is so good about this breed and it just sounds to good to be true.
I had read so much about the Australorp breed being such good layers so I purchased some and they have been such a disappointment! I will never have them again.
The Beilefelders are expensive to purchase and I don't want to make a mistake. I also appreciate your telling me about your surplus for sale but I think Washington St is to far away from me to ship eggs or chicks safely all the way across the country. I always try to pick someplace close so I can pick eggs or chicks up. I have had very bad luck in shipping eggs and hatch rate.
Thanks again.

 

[ChickCrazed]

This sounds like such a cool breed! They do seem to be very expensive though! I think they just got added to my 2014 wish list!

 

[RainMom]

Thank you so much for the information. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your comments. Everything I have read is so good about this breed and it just sounds to good to be true.
I had read so much about the Australorp breed being such good layers so I purchased some and they have been such a disappointment! I will never have them again.
The Beilefelders are expensive to purchase and I don't want to make a mistake. I also appreciate your telling me about your surplus for sale but I think Washington St is to far away from me to ship eggs or chicks safely all the way across the country. I always try to pick someplace close so I can pick eggs or chicks up. I have had very bad luck in shipping eggs and hatch rate.
Thanks again.

Oh, no kidding! with the weather, there's no way I would ship across the county- they would end up chicsicles!

I truly love this breed. They lay brown eggs, which might not be egg-citing to some, but the very first eggs I ever got from mine were the size of leghorn eggs.

I live in the Pacific NorthWET and it's cold and drizzly for months on end in the winter. These Bielefelders are like energizer bunnies- they just keep on laying!

 

[chick chick]

They just sound great. The more comments I get the more I want some. Funny about the Chicsicles but so true. I just may have to go on a quest to find some in or around Maryland. Road Trip!!
Thanks again

 

[Omegahillsfarm]

Believe it or not we have been shipping more Bielefelders chicks and eggs the past 2 months to WA than anywhere else. I don't know what's up with the peeps up there but they want their Bielefelders!! Must be something in the water.