A Bielefelder Thread !

[RFR of CA]

Mine should be laying in about a month. I will test for fertility then start sending out eggs by mail. We are in CA.

 

[texasmomma]

Okay now that people have had this guys for a few years just wanted to confirm a few things.

1) Has anyone had an aggressive (with people) rooster? Or are the generally people friendly?

2) Seems they start to lay at around 6 months right?

3) Food consumption drops back to almost normal after they get to full size?

4) At what point do they reach full size (for eating)?

5) Do they really have a good laying rate?

6) Do they tolerate heat well?

7) Anything else you would add about this breed?

Thank you in advance.

1) Mine are actually quite lovely. I have 3 roosters right now, and they are about 13 weeks old. One of them is not as nice at the other two, but it's mostly because he's a food hog. None of them have ever been mean to me or my children. They are not as people friendly as my legbars, but they are quite gentle and do not mind being picked up or handled.

2) Don't have any layers yet.

3) No idea. I ferment, so I get the most out of my food. It seems that around 9-10 weeks, I needed to fill the feeder less often. They are very good at foraging.

4) One of my 13 week old roos is 4 and a half pounds. I have one that is larger than him. I expect that we can butcher between 16 and 20 weeks.

5) No idea yet.

6) They seem fine here in Texas. They are not panting any more than the legbars or the basque that I already have.

7) I love these chickens. They are very gentle and easy to be around. I am a tad worried about how they are going to interact with the legbars once I put them all together. So far, free ranging hasn't been wonderful since the legbars go after the bielefelder hens and the bielefelders don't do a great job of defending themselves. I hope that changes soon. They are all about the same size at this point. I love that they are auto-sexing and that they get so large. I think that we will be able to use these chickens for our backyard flock quite nicely. I will miss the blue eggs once the legbars quit laying. Well, they aren't really laying now, but when they are too old to lay. LOL

 

[Sylvester017]

I'm glad you posted about the panting in the heat! I had noticed it in my flock with the Bielies and was worried there was something wrong with them!!! I guess it makes sense, they are so "bulky" and that bulk probably creates a lot of natural heat, which is why they do so well in the cold. That bulk is a bit of a detriment in the heat though!

GaryDean26 on the Breda thread told me that the lighterweight chicken breeds and bantams seem to do better in his TX heat of 112 days. His lighterweight Breda did fine but his deaths occurred from the heavier dual-purpose breeds. We don't get 112 weather but we do get to occasional low 100s so we have a pop-up canopy with legs buried in the ground to keep from para-sailing away, several shady low-ground lean'tos, a doghouse, and an Orbit Mister under the canopy in the yard when the temps get beyond the 90's - all our breeds like hanging out under the canopy and water mister. We also mix Gatorade into the drinking pans for added electrolytes. There are electrolyte products sold in feed stores but in an emergency we used Gatorade to supplement the water. There can be digestive issues from produce, cold watermelon or cantaloupe treats during heatwaves so we offer plain Greek yogurt as a digestive aid.

 

[ChickCrazed]

GaryDean26 on the Breda thread told me that the lighterweight chicken breeds and bantams seem to do better in his TX heat of 112 days. His lighterweight Breda did fine but his deaths occurred from the heavier dual-purpose breeds. We don't get 112 weather but we do get to occasional low 100s so we have a pop-up canopy with legs buried in the ground to keep from para-sailing away, several shady low-ground lean'tos, a doghouse, and an Orbit Mister under the canopy in the yard when the temps get beyond the 90's - all our breeds like hanging out under the canopy and water mister. We also mix Gatorade into the drinking pans for added electrolytes. There are electrolyte products sold in feed stores but in an emergency we used Gatorade to supplement the water. There can be digestive issues from produce, cold watermelon or cantaloupe treats during heatwaves so we offer plain Greek yogurt as a digestive aid.

We also will occasionally get up near 100 but I got concerned when it was not even quite 90 and they looked miserable and were panting. I don't know how they will handle 100 degrees (BTW my Hedemora's were also doing better than the Bielies). I did give them electrolytes and I had a box fan on them. LOL talk about spoiled. I have given them a lot of shade outside but they prefer to hide in the coop all day - and it is much cooler outside with the breeze. I'm hoping they get past that and start to spend more time in the run at some point. They are 19-20 weeks old. I didn't know about produce causing issues in the heat, that is good to know! I am planning on freezing some jugs of water to put in the waterers when it gets that warm again.

 

[Sylvester017]

We also will occasionally get up near 100 but I got concerned when it was not even quite 90 and they looked miserable and were panting. I don't know how they will handle 100 degrees (BTW my Hedemora's were also doing better than the Bielies). I did give them electrolytes and I had a box fan on them. LOL talk about spoiled. I have given them a lot of shade outside but they prefer to hide in the coop all day - and it is much cooler outside with the breeze. I'm hoping they get past that and start to spend more time in the run at some point. They are 19-20 weeks old. I didn't know about produce causing issues in the heat, that is good to know! I am planning on freezing some jugs of water to put in the waterers when it gets that warm again.

Juvies might use the run more if there is a perch in it or a heavy log on the ground or a small lean-to to sit under or a roof cover over the pen. Chicken nature is to seek shelter/hiding rather than being in open areas when at rest. Our chickens sometimes hang out in their coop but it's mostly open wire so there's a lot of ventilation. During heatwaves we open the back of their nestboxes and loosely tarp the back for privacy - it keeps the boxes from getting too hot when they're in them trying to lay their eggs.

Hedemoras are lighterweight than Bielies so I'm inclined to believe GaryDean26 when he associates the ability of a chicken's lighter weight to handle heat better. Our Silkies breeze through heat and cold while the LF are uncomfortable. I feel so sorry for our fluffy Ameraucana (my avatar) as I watch her panting in the slightest rise in temps.

 

[DCchicken]

We also will occasionally get up near 100 but I got concerned when it was not even quite 90 and they looked miserable and were panting. I don't know how they will handle 100 degrees (BTW my Hedemora's were also doing better than the Bielies). I did give them electrolytes and I had a box fan on them. LOL talk about spoiled. I have given them a lot of shade outside but they prefer to hide in the coop all day - and it is much cooler outside with the breeze. I'm hoping they get past that and start to spend more time in the run at some point. They are 19-20 weeks old. I didn't know about produce causing issues in the heat, that is good to know! I am planning on freezing some jugs of water to put in the waterers when it gets that warm again.

My Bieles are in coops surrounded by 5 acres of 60'+ tall trees. But it was still 91 in the shade today. They were miserable. I might try freezing water jugs tomorrow. Thanks for the tip.

 

[ChickenPresence]

Thank you for the rooster collar idea. The boys are living a grand life in the country but I will keep this in mind the next time I end up with a Rooster

 

[Going Quackers]

We also will occasionally get up near 100 but I got concerned when it was not even quite 90 and they looked miserable and were panting. I don't know how they will handle 100 degrees (BTW my Hedemora's were also doing better than the Bielies). I did give them electrolytes and I had a box fan on them. LOL talk about spoiled. I have given them a lot of shade outside but they prefer to hide in the coop all day - and it is much cooler outside with the breeze. I'm hoping they get past that and start to spend more time in the run at some point. They are 19-20 weeks old. I didn't know about produce causing issues in the heat, that is good to know! I am planning on freezing some jugs of water to put in the waterers when it gets that warm again.

All my chickens have been hot as of late from the silkies right through the Bielefelder .. i just ensure all the 'kids' have shade access and plenty of water, cool watermelon is a well liked treat.

 

[Sylvester017]

Thank you for the rooster collar idea. The boys are living a grand life in the country but I will keep this in mind the next time I end up with a Rooster

I know someone who takes in spent older layers and unwanted roosters and she finds pet homes for them so they don't go into a stew pot. Very rare to love animals that much - to be such a good steward of castaways - it's not the easiest or cheapest task to save those precious birds - so sad that they get cast away after producing eggs for so many years. I understand raising some for food but not killing ALL of them!

Glad your boys have a roomy home. My friend has a contact in the high desert where she rehomes her more aggressive layers or unwanted cockerels.

 

[VistaSRJ]

I currently have 14 Bieles, 9 pullets and 5 cockerels. They just turned 6 months old, and 5 of my 9 pullets have started laying in the past week! I am super excited about it. The pullets are 5-6 lb, and the cocks around 7 lb at this time. Photos don't do them justice- they are so much prettier in real life .



Is there a SOP for this breed written in English?