A Bielefelder Thread !

[bluejean55girl]

many thanks RedBanks. I hope they can deal with the severe hot summers up here.. I don't have trees... and the 50 mph winds that can come with snow in the wintertime. ha they'll have to deal with both -20 wind chill and up to possible 117 degrees in the summertime.. grins

 

[Red Banks]

many thanks RedBanks. I hope they can deal with the severe hot summers up here.. I don't have trees... and the 50 mph winds that can come with snow in the wintertime. ha they'll have to deal with both -20 wind chill and up to possible 117 degrees in the summertime.. grins

Well.... chickens are pretty tough. We have to ask Desert Chic. She is in AZ. I have lived in TX and AZ loved them both. Mine will face their first summer in Florida. These are really sweet chickens. Everynight mine wait for me to walk them to the coop and I mean that literally. They wait for me under the porch and then we all walk over together. They are funny!

 

[bluejean55girl]

Hi redbanks, that is so cool. Are you their escort or the other way around? Grins

 

[DesertChic]

many thanks RedBanks. I hope they can deal with the severe hot summers up here.. I don't have trees... and the 50 mph winds that can come with snow in the wintertime. ha they'll have to deal with both -20 wind chill and up to possible 117 degrees in the summertime.. grins

Lots of luck with the hatch! They really are a wonderful breed but I have to be honest, they handle the cold A LOT better than the heat. The only chicken I lost to heat last year was one of my Biel cockerels. I actually installed portable A/C units in their pen and froze multiple 2-liter bottles with water that I changed out multiple times per day. On the worst day, four of them were suffering from heat stroke and I brought them into my bathroom to cool off in the shower enclosure. I'm hoping this year is better and they've adapted some, because now that my girls are laying like crazy, I'd really like to breed them. My Biel roosters are, without a doubt, the best roosters EVER and the girls are big, meaty and super, super sweet. (I haven't eaten any of the girls....only the young cockerels, and they tasted fantastic.)

Just make sure you supply them with lots of shade and cool water in the summer and you stand a chance. Oh....and if you get rain, expect to see them standing out in it getting completely soaked. All of my Biels are addicted to rain showers, no matter how cold.

 

[bluejean55girl]

Many thanks desertchic. It really seems they can be pretty special. I'm really looking forward to this breed.

 

[Faraday40]

Lots of luck with the hatch! They really are a wonderful breed but I have to be honest, they handle the cold A LOT better than the heat. The only chicken I lost to heat last year was one of my Biel cockerels. I actually installed portable A/C units in their pen and froze multiple 2-liter bottles with water that I changed out multiple times per day. On the worst day, four of them were suffering from heat stroke and I brought them into my bathroom to cool off in the shower enclosure. I'm hoping this year is better and they've adapted some, because now that my girls are laying like crazy, I'd really like to breed them. My Biel roosters are, without a doubt, the best roosters EVER and the girls are big, meaty and super, super sweet. (I haven't eaten any of the girls....only the young cockerels, and they tasted fantastic.)

Just make sure you supply them with lots of shade and cool water in the summer and you stand a chance. Oh....and if you get rain, expect to see them standing out in it getting completely soaked. All of my Biels are addicted to rain showers, no matter how cold.

Your pic of that wet & drippy rooster cracks me up!

 

[Red Banks]

I may be asking the wrong people because you might be a little prejudiced but this morning I have to make a decision. I have 39 chickens (I just lost a pullet..... she ruptured her crop? it was an awful experience). I came out of the house yesterday to find my two cockerels fighting. They have been comanaging the flock and doing a pretty good job. I have two older cockerels and I have 4 young ones coming behind them. The young ones include 3 CL and 1 Biel. My pullets are 4 Ameraucana, 6 Biels, 14 CLs, 8 Marans, 1 Araucana. From what I have seen the CLs are going to be some tough roosters. The two older cockerels are an Ameraucana and a Splash Copper Marans. I am trying to give you all the facts of the situation. I have people around me to buy chicks from whenever I want them.... Greenfire Farms 45 minutes away, Feels Right Farm just a little further, Buzzard Airline about an hour away and on and on. I don't have to incubate eggs right now. So I have 6 roosters and 33 hens. These chickens free range on a twenty-acre property so confined space is not a problem. From everything I have read here the Bielefelder will be strong and kind but my Biel cockerel is the youngest right now and gets pushed around a lot. Will he be less timid in the future? He is 12 weeks and the three CLs are 15 weeks. The older cockerels don't even pay attention to the 4 young ones right now. Other things to consider, the CLs and CL pullets were all born on the same day and are from GFF..... I worry about brother sister if I do hatch eggs. Which cockerels do I keep? On a side note there is a pathetic attempt to crow for the first time this morning from my Biel. While I am sitting here typing it is making me chuckle..... truly awful crow!

 

[Faraday40]

Although easily the biggest, my biele boy was not the flock leader. He got along well with roos & hens alike. Of course, the boys I decided to keep were all hatched together. Perhaps they worked out their issues in the brooder, but I've never seen any fighting even when mating. The boys choose to sleep next to each other. I was offered some beautiful roos, but I had to decline because I didn't want to risk flock harmony. You have many great rooster choices, so try to pick ones that will get along. If they hatched together, you may have a better chance.

 

[Red Banks]

Although easily the biggest, my biele boy was not the flock leader. He got along well with roos & hens alike. Of course, the boys I decided to keep were all hatched together. Perhaps they worked out their issues in the brooder, but I've never seen any fighting even when mating. The boys choose to sleep next to each other. I was offered some beautiful roos, but I had to decline because I didn't want to risk flock harmony. You have many great rooster choices, so try to pick ones that will get along. If they hatched together, you may have a better chance.

This is helpful.... if he is like yours then possibly he could coexist with the right rooster. So for now.... I will take the 4 young ones out of the equation and deal with the two that are fighting. This will make it much easier. I will manage by not managing. Now which one do I keep Ameraucana or Marans, purely a personal decision. It never hurts to have a forum to bounce ideas around.

 

[cutipatooti]

This is helpful.... if he is like yours than possibly he could coexist with the right rooster.  So for now.... I will take the 4 young ones out of the equation and deal with the two that are fighting.  This will make it much easier.  I will manage by not managing.  Now which one do I keep Ameraucana or Marans, purely a personal decision.  It never hurts to have a forum to bounce ideas around.

It is truly a difficult decision, but personally I love your ameraucana.