A Bielefelder Thread !

[TNBielefelder]

Bielefelder normally lay all winter without light programm as long as they have a coop with a window / roofed run and don't sit all day in the dark. On winter solstice we have 7 1/2 hours day light but winter skys here are often heavy clouded and that can slow down the egg production or/and color of eggs. Like with most birds sudden temperatur drops are a reason to stop laying.
Most hens begin between 28 and 32 week, but you can have extrem late starters. Earliest was a hen that lay a small test-egg with 6 month, then stopped and restared three weeks later. Latest was a hen that hatched in late June and started laying in April, but I think that was a case of an extrem bully victim. She began to lay after she was rehomed.
If you want to monitor the hens for production abilities I would begin with the check of the egg-gap of the pubic bone and note when the gap begins to widen, b/c I often thought I knew who layed an egg but some of my hens really tricked me by sitting on a nest with an egg from an other hen and singing as if she had layed. After checking the egg-gap I realized that some of my young hens like to practice sitting and singing. I know my Barbus are a strange breed, but I think most poullets are interessed in nest boxes, nest building, sitting in the boxes and singing way before they start to lay the first egg.

Bine thank you so much for that valuable first hand information. I hope it is an encouragement for anyone who's pullets are close to that age but not yet laying. Its good to know that 28-32 weeks is not uncommon for the German Bielefelders to lay their first egg and that you can experience as much as three weeks gap between first egg and the full laying cycle to start. This lets us set realistic expectations for our Bielefelders in America.

 

[TNBielefelder]

Bine got another question how long will Bielefelders continue to lay? At what age will the hens stop being productive?

 

[Faraday40]

Here's my lovely roo. I brought him in to measure & he's over 65cm tall (about 26"). He'll turn 6 mo in a few days.

 

[otakalhasas]

Very stately!

 

[Bine]

How long do they lay?..... good question. In the first two years the production rate should be good production years. Most sources here note that the number of eggs in the first two years are constant. but they will not lay as long as the Westphalian, the Totleger are famous for laying eggs for many years, but I would calculate with 3 years.

PS: They may do okay for much longer, but talking about feed economics I would be surprised if it would turn out to be longer than three years.

 

[DesertChic]

Here's a photo of my other Biel cockerel. He's got a sprig on his comb which keeps him from being a good breeder, but his personality is amazing. This guy loves to snuggle and will sit on my lap for hours if I let him. He's also now selected his own little harem, comprised mainly of my Dorking-mix girls (also in this photo), and treats them like gold. This guy...he's now a pet and member of the family. I hope he lives a very long, healthy life.

 

[DesertChic]

And here's the first three of the four Bielefelder over Buff Silkie chicks. (Bosch, pictured above, is the sire.) I can honestly say that the Biel blood seems to have improved their personalities, as these chicks are much calmer, quieter and friendlier than the pure Silkies I've bred. And as you can see in the second photo, a hint of the Bielefelder "chipmunk" stripe is just perceptible on their backs.

 

[TNBielefelder]

Here's a photo of my other Biel cockerel. He's got a sprig on his comb which keeps him from being a good breeder, but his personality is amazing. This guy loves to snuggle and will sit on my lap for hours if I let him. He's also now selected his own little harem, comprised mainly of my Dorking-mix girls (also in this photo), and treats them like gold. This guy...he's now a pet and member of the family. I hope he lives a very long, healthy life.

Sounds like a very nice Rooster to enjoy chicken life with

 

[otakalhasas]

BEAUTIFUL!!! And take it from a dog show judge, sometimes the BEST pets have a serious fault or two, but personality should always take precedence! My favorite Lhasa of ALL TIMES (over 40 years) was a ***** I sold at 7 months (only 3 bottom incisors - a big no-no) and she came back to me at 3 years as her owner no longer wanted her - WHY I cannot imagine! She lived over 15 very, very happy healthy years with us and she showed me what I was missing by only keeping only my "show stock". I would not have traded her for a million Best in Shows as she truly was Best of My Heart!

 

[TNBielefelder]

BEAUTIFUL!!! And take it from a dog show judge, sometimes the BEST pets have a serious fault or two, but personality should always take precedence! My favorite Lhasa of ALL TIMES (over 40 years) was a ***** I sold at 7 months (only 3 bottom incisors - a big no-no) and she came back to me at 3 years as her owner no longer wanted her - WHY I cannot imagine! She lived over 15 very, very happy healthy years with us and she showed me what I was missing by only keeping only my "show stock". I would not have traded her for a million Best in Shows as she truly was Best of My Heart!

What registry and breeds of dogs do you judge? I am a Master of hounds and bench show judge for the coonhound breeds in the United Kennel Club. AKC started doing coonhound events and shows around 10 years ago but our local club never formed an AKC sanctioned organization.