A Bielefelder Thread !

[Coop de Grass]

That's hilarious! I have to confess, both of my remaining Biel girls have a tendency to do things like this, especially when it's hot. I've watched them lay an egg while gulping down their feed, seemingly oblivious to what they've done until the other hens alert them to the fact that they just laid an egg. Then they sing at the top of their lungs before remembering that they wanted to eat. Funny, funny birds!

Mine have laid eggs from the top of the roost... the pine chips are deep enough that none of them have broken. I have video of one of the eggs being laid! They are very funny!

 

[Coop de Grass]

My 3 newest girls at around 17 weeks.

Gorgeous!

 

[Coop de Grass]

Thanks. I had poor luck trying to hatch purebred Bieles this year. (My friend's male biele preferred their BSLs) Anyway, since I only got this single biele, I'm overjoyed with how she turned out. She has more brown in her body which gives her a little more color. She's very big, calm, a decent layer & has a sweet personality. Basically everything I wanted from a biele. Her eggs are a lighter color than last year's Bieles but very shiny. Now that she's laying eggs in the nests, it's even better! Her 1st egg came shortly after she turned 5 months.

I put 36 eggs into the incubator 12 days ago, 12 Biele eggs, and 24 EE and OE eggs. After candling them yesterday, I am down to
6 Biele eggs and 20 EE/OE eggs. Most of the Biele eggs were not fertilized. My Biele roo is very active with his ladies (he doesn't discriminate) so I am wondering if this is typical of Bielefelders.

I am also wondering if it is because of how large they are and how fluffy their bottoms are! What do you think of trimming the girls so that it isn't so hard to find that target???

After you stop laughing, please let me know your thoughts!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I put 36 eggs into the incubator 12 days ago, 12 Biele eggs, and 24 EE and OE eggs. After candling them yesterday, I am down to 
6 Biele eggs and 20 EE/OE eggs. Most of the Biele eggs were not fertilized. My Biele roo is very active with his ladies (he doesn't discriminate) so I am wondering if this is typical of Bielefelders.

I am also wondering if it is because of how large they are and how fluffy their bottoms are! What do you think of trimming the girls so that it isn't so hard to find that target???

After you stop laughing, please let me know your thoughts!

How old is the male?

 

[scandiafowl]

Greetings - I live in Minnesota and raise Bielefelders.
Am looking for a second rooster for my flock. As close to show quality as possible. Does anyone have ideas?

 

[Faraday40]

I put 36 eggs into the incubator 12 days ago, 12 Biele eggs, and 24 EE and OE eggs. After candling them yesterday, I am down to
6 Biele eggs and 20 EE/OE eggs. Most of the Biele eggs were not fertilized. My Biele roo is very active with his ladies (he doesn't discriminate) so I am wondering if this is typical of Bielefelders.

I am also wondering if it is because of how large they are and how fluffy their bottoms are! What do you think of trimming the girls so that it isn't so hard to find that target???

After you stop laughing, please let me know your thoughts!

I found our friend's Biele roo fertilized the BSLs w/o issue, but several of their pure Biele eggs were clear.

We raise english orpingtons and both the male & female fluff-bottoms need trims to increase fertility. Perhaps it's time to do some manscaping.

 

[Coop de Grass]

How old is the male?

He is 30 weeks old - I guess that is 5 months. Not sure if you can tell from this photo, taken in late July. The hen was a year old in June. The roo is now almost twice the size of the hens.

 

[Coop de Grass]

Greetings - I live in Minnesota and raise Bielefelders.
Am looking for a second rooster for my flock. As close to show quality as possible. Does anyone have ideas?

I would check with Greenfire Farms, or the Rare Bird Auction. It's an expensive purchase...

 

[Coop de Grass]

One of my Biele hens is broody. I decided to let her set on some eggs. I simply added eggs as her sister laid them. She now has 4 eggs, accumulated every other day, so they have been added over a week. Should I stop now? How long can you continue to add eggs? I know that hens routinely lay many eggs before they start setting. Just curious how that works!

 

[DesertChic]

One of my Biele hens is broody. I decided to let her set on some eggs. I simply added eggs as her sister laid them. She now has 4 eggs, accumulated every other day, so they have been added over a week. Should I stop now? How long can you continue to add eggs? I know that hens routinely lay many eggs before they start setting. Just curious how that works!

I've never added eggs over multiple days. I place them all at the same time so they can incubate equally. Otherwise you can have a rather stressed out mother hen trying to hatch eggs and tend to hatched chicks simultaneously until she decides to abandon remaining eggs in favor of protecting the chicks that are already hatched.