A Bielefelder Thread !

[bluejean55girl]

Okay, I thought about the Point of Lay Problem .... Yesterday I had realy too much time b/c of the political different situation in my coop, I had to comfort my Schnute (my oldest rooster). A Putsch that occured in the early hours yesterday, pushed him from his throne and left him with a broken beak. After he had the emergency operation to save the rest of his upper beak, he was not keen to go back and face the life of a ordenairy rooster. So we sat together in the sun for houres. And while Schnute complaint about the unjustice that happend to him and how ashamed he was to show himself to the hens with only half a beak, it came to me... well, I think I have the answer:
Fat. Normally my concern is to get enough fat on my chickens b/c of the long broody periods and the long winter here. But Bielefelder have a much lower energy level and are not prone to broodiness. So maybe DesertChic fat problem in roosters and the egg problem is one and the same problem. Too much food. Fat hens are bad layers and they have problems in the summer. At least everyone told me so.

bine, yes, I would agree on the fat problem in the roosters and the egg problem would be the same. this is why I had asked about the protein levels of the fat roosters. (cattle have these same problems when too fat).

added:

desertchic, it is very apparent that you take exceeding well care of your birds or your roos would not have had the fat. I'm in no way picking on you.

also I happened to come across in ebay from a maline breeder (that lives in far east texas) that he noted that the malines did NOT do well in the texas heat. (far east texas is highly wooded)...

so the intolerance of heat in the biels would have be suspected of both genetics and environment?

 

[bluejean55girl]

Okay, I thought about the Point of Lay Problem .... Yesterday I had realy too much time b/c of the political different situation in my coop, I had to comfort my Schnute (my oldest rooster). A Putsch that occured in the early hours yesterday, pushed him from his throne and left him with a broken beak. After he had the emergency operation to save the rest of his upper beak, he was not keen to go back and face the life of a ordenairy rooster. So we sat together in the sun for houres. And while Schnute complaint about the unjustice that happend to him and how ashamed he was to show himself to the hens with only half a beak, it came to me... well, I think I have the answer:
Fat. Normally my concern is to get enough fat on my chickens b/c of the long broody periods and the long winter here. But Bielefelder have a much lower energy level and are not prone to broodiness. So maybe DesertChic fat problem in roosters and the egg problem is one and the same problem. Too much food. Fat hens are bad layers and they have problems in the summer. At least everyone told me so.

poor schnute, that fight sure got him. will he stay separate from the flock temporarily? or will he be able to go back at all?

 

[DesertChic]

bine, yes, I would agree on the fat problem in the roosters and the egg problem would be the same. this is why I had asked about the protein levels of the fat roosters. (cattle have these same problems when too fat).

added:

desertchic, it is very apparent that you take exceeding well care of your birds or your roos would not have had the fat. I'm in no way picking on you.

also I happened to come across in ebay from a maline breeder (that lives in far east texas) that he noted that the malines did NOT do well in the texas heat. (far east texas is highly wooded)...

so the intolerance of heat in the biels would have be suspected of both genetics and environment?

I think there's logic to this. (And I took no offense, but thanks for you comments anyway.) Egyptian Fayoumi and Australorps were bred in hot climates and tend to excel in those environments. It stands to reason that birds bred to thrive in a colder environment would struggle when introduced into a hotter climate and vice versa.

My one hope with my current flock of Biels is that they may have the same reaction to our desert climate that we humans do...namely, our blood thins. People joke about how 'native' Arizonans will be bundled up in coats and boots when the temps fall below 60, while snowbirds visiting here from colder climates will be running around in shorts and flip flops. It's true! After living here for several years I was sent to Utah for training and was positively miserable from the cold, while my training partner from Minnesota never word anything heavier than a long-sleeved T-shirt. So...now that my flock has survived one long, hot summer and a fairly mild winter, I'm watching them closely to see if they're more tolerant of the heat this summer. So far they've already done better on some 90 degree days here, but this is winter/spring 90 degree days, not looooong summer 90 degree days, so there could still be a huge difference in their tolerance in the next few months. All I can do is watch and wait.

 

[bluejean55girl]

I think there's logic to this. (And I took no offense, but thanks for you comments anyway.) Egyptian Fayoumi and Australorps were bred in hot climates and tend to excel in those environments. It stands to reason that birds bred to thrive in a colder environment would struggle when introduced into a hotter climate and vice versa.

My one hope with my current flock of Biels is that they may have the same reaction to our desert climate that we humans do...namely, our blood thins. People joke about how 'native' Arizonans will be bundled up in coats and boots when the temps fall below 60, while snowbirds visiting here from colder climates will be running around in shorts and flip flops. It's true! After living here for several years I was sent to Utah for training and was positively miserable from the cold, while my training partner from Minnesota never word anything heavier than a long-sleeved T-shirt. So...now that my flock has survived one long, hot summer and a fairly mild winter, I'm watching them closely to see if they're more tolerant of the heat this summer. So far they've already done better on some 90 degree days here, but this is winter/spring 90 degree days, not looooong summer 90 degree days, so there could still be a huge difference in their tolerance in the next few months. All I can do is watch and wait.

yep, I grew up in north Dakota and left at 18, been living in texas since 1977, and still have an easier time adjust to the winters here, than the heat.

3 days adjustment for winter, still hate the heat.. which is why I live north of north texas up in the panhandle.

don't know how well I could adjust at this time to live back in the Dakota winters... and have the luxury not to find out.. ha

 

[bluejean55girl]

7 peeps.. two more males in incubator with one pip

 

[Saris]

7 peeps.. two more males in incubator with one pip

D'awwwww

 

[texasmomma]

so the intolerance of heat in the biels would have be suspected of both genetics and environment?

I think is a combination of a very large bird developed in a different climate and some environment. My chickens are almost 2 years old. They do not do especially well in the summer heat. They are laying machines right now. They had a short molt this fall and then nothing. It was pretty hot. Then, at some point this December, they started laying like crazy.

I also have some biel/cream legbar crosses that are laying like crazy right now, too. During the summer, I'm more likely to get eggs from the cl's than the bielefelders. All are fed the same.

 

[bluejean55girl]

I think is a combination of a very large bird developed in a different climate and some environment. My chickens are almost 2 years old. They do not do especially well in the summer heat. They are laying machines right now. They had a short molt this fall and then nothing. It was pretty hot. Then, at some point this December, they started laying like crazy.

I also have some biel/cream legbar crosses that are laying like crazy right now, too. During the summer, I'm more likely to get eggs from the cl's than the bielefelders. All are fed the same.

I agree

 

[DesertChic]

7 peeps.. two more males in incubator with one pip

Oh, wow! You're hatch almost exactly mimics my own Biel hatch. They're absolutely adorable, but that's a lot of cockerels. I wound up butchering all but the two best of mine.

 

[bluejean55girl]

7 peeps.. two more males in incubator with one pip

I wish to get started on the right foot...as I only have the 3 girls, all three will be keepers, I'm assuming? that the better boys for color have the dark defined back bands and white spot on head. also the boys need the grey color on the wings?

since they are now hatched.. I'm not eggsactly "counting my chickens before they hatch"