A Bielefelder Thread !

[Reyvaughn]

No one answered my question! When did your B pullets start laying? Is it really 30 to 40 weeks?

Mine were around 30wks when they started laying. They are almost 38wks now and still haven't gotten on a schedule.

All chicks go through a "flip out" stage at about 3 weeks to maybe 5 weeks...it is when they realize that BIG GIANT MONSTERS with no feathers ROAM the planet.....after that, they are so super calm.................

I wish mine had gotten that memo. At 38wks, I have one two cockerels that flip out (#1 boy broke his beak off trying to escape to the pen beside his). My #1 cockerel has the attitude and has been trying to spur us with is non-existent spur nubs. The girls are fine.


My new Biele eggs came in today form California. Over 3000 mile trip and all arrived safe - not even air cell damage!
I am still after one more line to add to my flock and I am undecided whose line it'll be....

ETA: My first round of Biele eggs from my pens are supposed to go into lock down tonight. I am procrastinating. I need to set up the auto waterer and I have a new idea to keep the chicks from drying out in their shells during hatching. I need to play with power tools for my idea - Whoot!

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ETA Again: I went back through my posts and seems my birds were about 35wks when they started laying. They are almost 42wks old now!

 

[DesertChic]

No one answered my question! When did your B pullets start laying? Is it really 30 to 40 weeks?

Sorry! Missed this one. Mine didn't start laying until 44 weeks, but once they did start laying all of the eggs were large...no tiny pullet eggs...and they have consistently given me 5-6 eggs per week.

 

[DesertChic]

Jumpy- afraid of us. Our Marans are total opposite

I think someone already mentioned that they can get flighty right around 4 weeks, but I also want to add that I've heard a few people say that they Biels became more nervous when housed with Marans, which typically have stronger and more dominant personalities. Perhaps separating them may give you different results???

That said, among my own little flock I've seen a surprising variety of personality differences. My hen Gretel is the friendliest lap chicken who only wants to stretch out for a nap while being pet and chats constantly when you don't comply. Zoey gives me that "you're not actually thinking of touching me, are you?" kind of look before hustling her little fanny away and squawking indignantly, and Gidget only wants to be handled if a treat is to follow. If she doesn't get her treat she fluffs all of her feathers, lets out this annoyed high-pitched squeak, and then runs off in search of someone more accommodating.

 

[texas75563]

My 1st batch started laying right at 6 months. Batches since then, I have no idea. They are all kept in same pen. I'm with DesertChic, all large eggs. No small pullet eggs starting out.

 

[bluejean55girl]

according to the paper that came with my cheap plastic made in china incubator, it also depends on the time of the year that the chook hatches.

quote:
if chook hatched in august, September, October, it will produce hatchable eggs at a younger age than one that hatched in jan, feb and march. they will have matured and got their pullet size eggs over and done with through winter, whereas a January hatched pullet is too young to have started laying before winter therefore their pullet eggs won't start until spring. BUT because they are older and stronger when they come into lay, their eggs get bigger quicker if that makes sense. pullet eggs will produce small chicks and more often than not these will become smaller hens, who will in turn have smaller eggs who will have smaller chicks and so on.

unquote

so they recommend using girls that are at least one year of age, in order to maintain size of the breed. hatch the average sized egg and not the petite size for that breed. egg size and egg shape is highly inheritable. shell texture is not inheritable. do not try to hatch weak shelled eggs.

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at least that is what my booklet says...

and since when does real life follow the book to the letter?

 

[Saris]

I have 3 girls who all have their left wing feathers coming in funny......

 

[Reyvaughn]

I have 3 girls who all have their left wing feathers coming in funny......

Girls usually feather in faster in most breeds. They will straighten out. Just watch for angel wings, just in case their wings get to far ahead of their bodies.


My first chick is out - cockerel. So much for power tools and my idea since they are a whole day and a half early. Of the 11 I set, only 3 made it to lock down.

 

[Bine]

so they recommend using girls that are at least one year of age, in order to maintain size of the breed. hatch the average sized egg and not the petite size for that breed. egg size and egg shape is highly inheritable. shell texture is not inheritable. do not try to hatch weak shelled eggs.

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at least that is what my booklet says...

and since when does real life follow the book to the letter?

There is something like a recommended weight for hatching eggs for every breed in the Standard. Bielefelders should be over 60g. Yes, size matters. ;-)

 

[Red Banks]

Sorry! Missed this one. Mine didn't start laying until 44 weeks, but once they did start laying all of the eggs were large...no tiny pullet eggs...and they have consistently given me 5-6 eggs per week.

Very hard to wait!

 

[Red Banks]

My 1st batch started laying right at 6 months. Batches since then, I have no idea. They are all kept in same pen. I'm with DesertChic, all large eggs. No small pullet eggs starting out.

Six months sounds good. One month to go and the way they are acting, I think that could be right! Now if we go by bluejean55girl's book it will work out just right..... they are October babies.