A Bielefelder Thread !

[texas75563]

I would go with 2nd egg from left being the Bielefelder egg.

 

[otakalhasas]

I would go with 2nd egg from left being the Bielefelder egg.

I agree. My Biels girls lay medium size, medium brown eggs (they are less than a year old). The biggest hint I get when determining who laid what is that all three of my Biels (from two different blood lines) lay what I call "torpedo shaped" eggs. Longer and narrower than marans eggs but with good weight.

 

[scandiafowl]

I would check with Greenfire Farms, or the Rare Bird Auction. It's an expensive purchase...

That's ok. Am looking forward to expanding the flock.

 

[sroy]

Just got a couple of babies the other. Such sweet little piggies. Gosh they can EAT!

 

[DesertChic]

Just got a couple of babies the other. Such sweet little piggies. Gosh they can EAT!

These chicks most definitely love to eat, but they do become more feed efficient as they get older.

 

[sroy]

I'm hoping their big appetite will encourage my brahmas to eat a little better. Picky little brats

 

[suncatcher]

Hello all! This will be my "winter" reading material, all about Biels! I am looking to add size back into my flock and hope to have one pen of purebreeds, so is down to Malines, Barred Hollands or Bielefelders! Getting conflicting info though on size of this breed. Do roosters weigh ten pounds???

 

[DesertChic]

Hello all! This will be my "winter" reading material, all about Biels! I am looking to add size back into my flock and hope to have one pen of purebreeds, so is down to Malines, Barred Hollands or Bielefelders! Getting conflicting info though on size of this breed. Do roosters weigh ten pounds???

My "small" Biel rooster weighs between 8.5 and 10 lbs depending upon the time of day when I weigh him. He's got decent breast and thigh meat. My "large" Biel rooster weighs between 9 and 11 lbs. and stands nearly 3 ft tall, but he's got a very long keel and little breast meat for his size. If you're looking for a meat breed, the Biels can be highly variable in their body structure in my experience. This breed also tends to eat A LOT of food while in their primary growth stage, but eventually taper off considerably as they approach maturity.

 

[suncatcher]

Thanks for the info, I am looking to add a breed for dual purpose, eggs and meat. Are the hens good layers?

 

[DesertChic]

Thanks for the info, I am looking to add a breed for dual purpose, eggs and meat. Are the hens good layers?

Mine are not, but I know of many people on this thread who have had far better luck than I've had. My best laying Biel didn't begin laying until 40-weeks old, but gave me jumbo-sized eggs from the start. Unfortunately she succumbed to heat stroke this past summer...the only bird I lost in my mixed flock. My second best Biel hen didn't begin laying until nearly 10 months old, and although she'd started giving me jumbo-sized eggs right from the time she reached point of lay, four times per week, as soon as she started to molt she completely stopped laying again. It's now been 3 weeks since she gave me an egg, but she's feathering out all at once so I'm hopeful she'll pick up again soon. My third Biel hen started laying at 20 weeks, but was horribly inconsistent, often took lengthy breaks from laying for no apparent reason, and has only laid very large torpedo eggs that I've been unable to hatch chicks from.

My Biels are absolutely wonderful pets and I would recommend the breed to anyone who wants truly affectionate, sweet and social chickens, but they are completely intolerant of high heat. I've spent the past two summers conditioning mine to be able to tolerate 90 degrees in the shade with a stream of water to stand in, but it's still very hard on them. If you live in a cooler climate I suspect they will fair much better.

I hold my two Biel roosters in high regard for how they look after the flock. BUT...I personally think there are better dual purpose breeds out there...at least for those of us living in places like the desert southwest. Personality-wise the Biels are wonderful, but if you're looking for true dual purpose bird you may want to consider other options. That said, the crosses I've made from my Biels (crossing with both Australorps and Naked Necks) have been quite impressive in both egg laying and meat. There's definitely good genetics there to work with. Maybe with intensively focused breeding you could improve their dual purpose qualities.