A Bielefelder Thread !

[Bine]

This is a pic from the Standard for Bielefelders..... than there is a youtuber called hen daisy, she/he visits bird shows and makes little videos of the birds, https://www.youtube.com/user/HenDaisy/search?query=bielefelder
Greenfire has the Standard in English, if you are used to read the "blue prints" it helps. If not I would recommend to look in the nearest library and look through the SOP how they describe the different shapes, colors.....

 

[cutipatooti]

They most DEFINITELY are, so don't worry about that. I've seen my two Biel roosters work together to sound the alarm when there's a nearby predator....one hurries the girls to safety while the other takes up patrol, ready to fight off danger. And they alternate in these roles depending on their position in relation to the threat. Their gentle nature makes them much more pleasant for people to be around, and makes them much more tolerant of multiple roosters/cockerels, but it by no means makes them wimps. I've seen my big boy, Hansel, tear across the yard to hurl himself at a massive crow that had the audacity to land in my yard while trying to crack open a pecan. It was VERY impressive. 

Great! This is what I was hoping but I was just not sure if their be talking nature would make them less likely to want to confront a predator to save the ladies.

 

[bluejean55girl]

This is a pic from the Standard for Bielefelders..... than there is a youtuber called hen daisy, she/he visits bird shows and makes little videos of the birds, https://www.youtube.com/user/HenDaisy/search?query=bielefelder
Greenfire has the Standard in English, if you are used to read the "blue prints" it helps. If not I would recommend to look in the nearest library and look through the SOP how they describe the different shapes, colors.....

many thanks Bine! I searched and searched yesterday and this picture is one that I could not find. I have printed out the page from Greenfire's website. And now thanks to you I know that I can pay attention to hen daisy's videos. I had figured she was at a chicken show, but that's all I knew.

This drawing was the one piece that my searching hadn't turned up.. so many thanks!!!!

I have not located any further info on Gerd Roth.. other than he developed this and other breeds. Doesn't seem like he wrote any books? I'm addicted to research.... sighs

 

[TNBielefelder]

Where might?? the white tail feathers in the "occasional" Bielefelder Roos come from? the German breed standard doesn't mention white (""The tail is grey barred, brown traces are allowed."")

Is white in tail feathers a common genetic leakage? or a crop out of possible distant or (not so distant) breeding that doesn't trace directly to the German Imports?

We have discussed the single white sickle feather/tail feather on here before. My opinion is that it is common. I see them in pictures of Bielefelders on different websites all the time. Also the trouble with this DQ fault is that it can suddenly appear in 2-4 year of Cock birds after a molt or any loss of tail feathers for that matter that have never had a white tail feather before. That is not opinion but fact. So if you are wanting to breed it out of your flock it will take time because you would need to use older Roosters bred to hens/pullets that came from older roosters that never had a white tail feather. I agree with Bine do not let any fault steal your love and joy for the breed. Do what you can within reason to improve your flock but enjoy them and try not to let faults discourage you from keeping a breed in existence.

 

[bluejean55girl]

We have discussed the single white sickle feather/tail feather on here before. My opinion is that it is common. I see them in pictures of Bielefelders on different websites all the time. Also the trouble with this DQ fault is that it can suddenly appear in 2-4 year of Cock birds after a molt or any loss of tail feathers for that matter that have never had a white tail feather before. That is not opinion but fact. So if you are wanting to breed it out of your flock it will take time because you would need to use older Roosters bred to hens/pullets that came from older roosters that never had a white tail feather. I agree with Bine do not let any fault steal your love and joy for the breed. Do what you can within reason to improve your flock but enjoy them and try not to let faults discourage you from keeping a breed in existence.

ok, being born with white tail feathers is totally different than 2-4 years down the road when tail feathers "suddenly" re-grow as white..

to me? one is genetic.. the other is not... that puts a different slant on things... appearances are not always what they seem...

many thanks for pointing this out for me.. tnbiele

 

[Bridebeliever]

When does something so clearly dominant in a breed finally get written in to the breed standard?

 

[DesertChic]

In regards to the white tail feather, I've noticed that both of my boys do not show any indication of white in their tail feathering when the shape of their tails mimics the photo @Bine posted. BUT...when their tail feathers begin to grow out and develop a "sickle feather" appearance, the base of two of those tail feathers becomes completely white while the rest of the feathers are black and white barred. Again, this white only shows up on mine in the few weeks leading up to them dropping those tail feathers.

 

[bluejean55girl]

When does something so clearly dominant in a breed finally get written in to the breed standard?

not quite sure what you mean here? that tail feathers can and will turn white at a later age due to molt or damage? or?

the only breed standard for the Bielefelder is the German one. (that I am aware of). BYC is the largest place I have found to find other bielefelder lovers/breeders. haven't run across any pages on the internet for a separate club for them.. but I haven't been looking long (less than a month), so others would have a much better idea than I.

I'm only a newbie.... esp to the bielefelder/chicken world. so take what I ask and say with a grain/pile of salt as I'm having to translate what I know from Texas Longhorn cattle/Tennessee walker horse breeding over to the bielefelder world... grins

 

[bluejean55girl]

In regards to the white tail feather, I've noticed that both of my boys do not show any indication of white in their tail feathering when the shape of their tails mimics the photo @Bine posted. BUT...when their tail feathers begin to grow out and develop a "sickle feather" appearance, the base of two of those tail feathers becomes completely white while the rest of the feathers are black and white barred. Again, this white only shows up on mine in the few weeks leading up to them dropping those tail feathers.

in order for the molt to occur, would it be okay to assume? that the blood supply is somehow cut back and the white is a possible result of no blood to those feather/s?

do the new feathers grow in colored? or do they re-grow again as white?

I tried looking up sickle feathers, and only come up with the fact that it's the rooster's outer tail feathers.

longhorn cattle have a color that when they are born as calves, they are red but this red can change over to a dark "parker brown" or even a black coloration as they get weaning age. so longhorns have 3 colors to work with, black, wild color, and red. black is dominate to parker brown/wild color, and parker brown/wild color is dominate to red. red is recessive. horses have just 2 colors, black and red. white is the absence of color which creates all the neat patterns.

but birds are a different world... so sometimes things don't translate exactly from the cattle/horse world to the bird world.

the sex linked chicken world is a whole new critter to me.. actually the chicken world is new to me, raising critters is not.... lol

the bielefelders will open up a whole new breeding puzzle for me...

 

[otakalhasas]

not quite sure what you mean here? that tail feathers can and will turn white at a later age due to molt or damage? or?

the only breed standard for the Bielefelder is the German one. (that I am aware of). BYC is the largest place I have found to find other bielefelder lovers/breeders. haven't run across any pages on the internet for a separate club for them.. but I haven't been looking long (less than a month), so others would have a much better idea than I.

I'm only a newbie.... esp to the bielefelder/chicken world. so take what I ask and say with a grain/pile of salt as I'm having to translate what I know from Texas Longhorn cattle/Tennessee walker horse breeding over to the bielefelder world... grins

Welcome to the forum! You and I are about in the same boat - I'm coming from almost 40 years in dogs but I do have a bit of experience in breeding pet birds as well. And I have to tell you that I love your name - my favorite Lhasa Apso of all times was named "Otaka's Blue Jeannes" after my wonderful mother-in-law (Jeanne) who always wore jeans. While she never finished her championship, she was certainly the champion of my heart!