A Bielefelder Thread !

[Saris]

They're almost done with their final juvie molt, c'mon ladies!

 

[DesertChic]

They're almost done with their final juvie molt, c'mon ladies!

They're looking great! Mine are currently enduring a heavy summer molt. Most of my chickens look like I've spent the past month beating them with a broom.

 

[Aziara]

So excited right now!! I just won auction on rare breeds for 4 Bielefelder chicks! Can't wait

 

[Faraday40]

So excited right now!! I just won auction on rare breeds for 4 Bielefelder chicks! Can't wait

Congrats! You will love your new bieles.

But what I really wanted to ask about is your avatar pic. What kind of bird is that? Is it common in the desert? I saw those very pretty birds once when visiting my in-laws in Henderson, NV. They nested in MIL's rosemary bushes then each morning a trail of them would walk along the landscaping walls to go out for the day & returned using the same path each night. I thought they were so unique and took a bunch of photos. We have nothing so spectacular here in the Midwest. All my MIL could tell me about them is how they're a nuisance & poop along the walls. She said she was going to remove her rosemary bush too- because of all the unwanted visitors.

I love her, but we have a diff approach. I enjoy being in nature & growing my own food. She prefers "sanitary" foods from the grocery store and nature is just too messy. That's why it should be left alone & outside. LOL She just cannot understand why I would want to eat buggy backyard fruits or own chickens. I still love her dearly and we simply go out to eat when getting together. (She has many food allergies so I prefer not to cook for her. My kids are used to fresh vegetables. When Grandma served us beans from a can, my children made a huge fuss & told everyone that the beans had spoiled.)

 

[DesertChic]

Congrats! You will love your new bieles.

But what I really wanted to ask about is your avatar pic. What kind of bird is that? Is it common in the desert? I saw those very pretty birds once when visiting my in-laws in Henderson, NV. They nested in MIL's rosemary bushes then each morning a trail of them would walk along the landscaping walls to go out for the day & returned using the same path each night. I thought they were so unique and took a bunch of photos. We have nothing so spectacular here in the Midwest. All my MIL could tell me about them is how they're a nuisance & poop along the walls. She said she was going to remove her rosemary bush too- because of all the unwanted visitors.

I love her, but we have a diff approach. I enjoy being in nature & growing my own food. She prefers "sanitary" foods from the grocery store and nature is just too messy. That's why it should be left alone & outside. LOL She just cannot understand why I would want to eat buggy backyard fruits or own chickens. I still love her dearly and we simply go out to eat when getting together. (She has many food allergies so I prefer not to cook for her. My kids are used to fresh vegetables. When Grandma served us beans from a can, my children made a huge fuss & told everyone that the beans had spoiled.)

That looks like a Gambel's Quail. We have them all over the place here in AZ, and recently one of my egg customers brought me a newly hatched chick she'd rescued but didn't know what to do with. I cared for it for a week before taking it to a wildlife rehab center so it can grow up with it's own kind.


Newly hatched...fluffed, but unable to walk very well.


One week later and already flying around.

 

[Aziara]

Congrats! You will love your new bieles.

But what I really wanted to ask about is your avatar pic. What kind of bird is that?

Thanks! I'm really excited, if you can't tell

Bieles just fit so many of the criteria I had for the perfect chicken. Friendly and sweet? check. Good layers? check. Beautiful plumage? check. Big enough to make a good meal out of when they stop laying? check.

The autosexing function is incredible too, no such thing as 'straight run' with these lovelies!

As for my avatar, the artist says it's a California quail, but it could very well be a Gambel's. The two are very, very similar. I just thought a fancy quail with pearls on was the cutest thing ever

. (Too bad it wasn't a coturnix quail, that's what I raise)
Original artwork:
http://www.deviantart.com/art/Society-Quail-57386252

 

[DesertChic]

Thanks! I'm really excited, if you can't tell

Bieles just fit so many of the criteria I had for the perfect chicken. Friendly and sweet? check. Good layers? check. Beautiful plumage? check. Big enough to make a good meal out of when they stop laying? check.

The autosexing function is incredible too, no such thing as 'straight run' with these lovelies!

As for my avatar, the artist says it's a California quail, but it could very well be a Gambel's. The two are very, very similar. I just thought a fancy quail with pearls on was the cutest thing ever

. (Too bad it wasn't a coturnix quail, that's what I raise)
Original artwork:
http://www.deviantart.com/art/Society-Quail-57386252

Congratulations on your win! You're going to love this breed.

And yes, your avatar is the California Quail. I'm sorry for the confusion...my response regarding the Gambel's Quail was specifically referring to @Faraday40 's photos in her post.

 

[Coop de Grass]

Quote:
That is one gorgeous little chick!

 

[Aziara]

My babies are in the mail. I'm obsessing over the tracking...Hoping they're not too hot, too cold, too scared...

 

[DesertChic]

My babies are in the mail. I'm obsessing over the tracking...Hoping they're not too hot, too cold, too scared...

This is precisely why I don't ship chicks, and generally don't order chicks through the mail...only hatching eggs. The stress from worrying about them is just too much for me. You have my empathy.