A Bielefelder Thread !

[suncatcher]

Heat is not a concern here, altitude would be though..... I live at 8700 feet. I would be adding them to my layer flock to make a landrace for our altitude and cold here in Colorado. I also have considered a pen of just purebreds to though, so might scratch that idea for now. Thanks for all the info on them!

 

[Red Banks]

Hello all..... I haven't visited in a long time. I sold all of my Bielefelder pullets some months ago. They are doing well. I got a call from the woman that bought them and she had some interesting news. One of the Biels went broody and has successfully hatched eggs! She is going to send some pictures.

 

[DesertChic]

Hello all..... I haven't visited in a long time. I sold all of my Bielefelder pullets some months ago. They are doing well. I got a call from the woman that bought them and she had some interesting news. One of the Biels went broody and has successfully hatched eggs! She is going to send some pictures.

That's awesome! I would love it if one of my remaining Biel girls would become a broody, especially since they really don't provide me much in the way of eggs. They're still incredibly sweet, but I'm becoming impatient about feeding them and getting nothing in return.

 

[Faraday40]

Hello all..... I haven't visited in a long time. I sold all of my Bielefelder pullets some months ago. They are doing well. I got a call from the woman that bought them and she had some interesting news. One of the Biels went broody and has successfully hatched eggs! She is going to send some pictures.

That's so cool!

That's awesome! I would love it if one of my remaining Biel girls would become a broody, especially since they really don't provide me much in the way of eggs. They're still incredibly sweet, but I'm becoming impatient about feeding them and getting nothing in return.

My Hen Solo is keeping up with our RIR (about 6 eggs per week). If we didn't have the Biele & the RIR, I think we might have to buy eggs. Most of the flock are molting or pullets.

Our biele still likes to eat. Thankfully, she also likes to find much of her food around the yard. That will end when the snow comes. I'm guessing she'll act more like one of the orps who want to live around the feeder.

 

[Eggscoozme]

Yes, I agree with the general consensus here about Biels not being heat tolerant. We don't get really hot summers here, but when it is hot, they are the first to be panting.

Mine never laid the "torpedo" eggs; however, I've purchased some off eBay from several different sellers, and theirs were torpedo style. One seller, sent me 6 eggs, and ALL six hatched! I couldn't believe it, but it be so.

I "Love" Bielefelder Roos. Have not had a mean one yet, and they are handsome. I've introduced new ones to a flock at various ages, and no blood shed.

I am so amazed to hear a Biel went broody as I've been raising them for several years now, and never had a broody hen.

On another note: My oldest hen who would lay 5-6 days/week seemed to stop laying. I noticed she had scale starting on her ankles, lost a lot of feathers, so I decided to give the ol' gal a foot bath/scrub and lube them up figuring she had mites. WELL, just before I got her feet in the tub, I noticed that infamous black "dot" that chicken owners dread seeing. I'm pretty gutsy, but never delved into surgery on my chickens feet.

Although I liked this ol' gal, I never named her, so that would have made it easier to find a home for her, and be done with the problem, let someone else deal with it.....but I didn't. Not sure why, but I didn't. Furthermore, she looked a MESS. Just picking her up caused a bunch of feathers to spew off of her and float all over the place like some sci-fi movie. She had tons of feathers missing, bare-ish bottom, scaly feet..... I was sure she would be on her death bed soon.

Call me crazy, but I took her to a vet. I explained her foot situation, the fact that she stopped laying, and asked about her feather situation or lack of.

Her took her in the back, and within just a couple of minutes, came back with her stating, "that black spot came right off."

I was embarrassed, because I thought he was saying it was dirt, and he washed it right off.

Well, what really happened is my hen whom I now call "Biely" (just b/c I had to give the vet a name upon her admission), she plucked that "kernel" out of her foot herself! The vet showed me the hole in the foot, said it looked good, and sent me on my way with an antibiotic (per my request-but vet said didn't NEED it.)

She started laying again about 1 week after she finished her antibiotic (6 day tx). Although we can't eat her eggs just yet, they are now a whopping 95g consistent double yokers! They are just SO huge, it's unbelievable! Also, she's finally starting to cover herself up a bit feather wise. I've never had a chicken molt anywhere NEAR that. Her feet look better.

On another note as far as hatching goes, I've been very successful. They seem to like the humidity in the mid 40's up until last couple of days. Then I raise it to high 50's. It's consistently worked well for me.

 

[Sylvester017]

Hello all..... I haven't visited in a long time. I sold all of my Bielefelder pullets some months ago. They are doing well. I got a call from the woman that bought them and she had some interesting news. One of the Biels went broody and has successfully hatched eggs! She is going to send some pictures.

It is so gratifying getting wonderful news about re-homed birds!

That's awesome! I would love it if one of my remaining Biel girls would become a broody, especially since they really don't provide me much in the way of eggs. They're still incredibly sweet, but I'm becoming impatient about feeding them and getting nothing in return.

Our SoCal temps have been consistently in the 100's and 90's since first week June and today was another scorcher. Is it possible your AZ climate might not be agreeable for a heavy under-downed breed like Bielies? We lost our heavily under-downed Ameraucana this summer -- she suffered terribly in our heatwave summer -- worst one we've had in 5 yrs and our State's been in drought the whole 5 yrs. She just couldn't handle the heat and was happiest only when we had a rare rainy/sprinkly day, poor thing. Her egg-laying was very sporadic too. Our smaller breeds seem to take the heat better.

 

[DesertChic]

It is so gratifying getting wonderful news about re-homed birds!

Our SoCal temps have been consistently in the 100's and 90's since first week June and today was another scorcher. Is it possible your AZ climate might not be agreeable for a heavy under-downed breed like Bielies? We lost our heavily under-downed Ameraucana this summer -- she suffered terribly in our heatwave summer -- worst one we've had in 5 yrs and our State's been in drought the whole 5 yrs. She just couldn't handle the heat and was happiest only when we had a rare rainy/sprinkly day, poor thing. Her egg-laying was very sporadic too. Our smaller breeds seem to take the heat better.

I think our heat is precisely the problem with these birds, which is why I've crossed them with my Naked Neck Turkens. I'm hoping to create birds that possess all the chatty sweetness of my Biels, but better heat tolerance and egg laying habits. So far, so good. One of my NN/Biel girls started laying at 5 mos of age and consistently gives me 5 large eggs per week, and our continual heat barely fazed her.

 

[Sylvester017]

I think our heat is precisely the problem with these birds, which is why I've crossed them with my Naked Neck Turkens. I'm hoping to create birds that possess all the chatty sweetness of my Biels, but better heat tolerance and egg laying habits. So far, so good. One of my NN/Biel girls started laying at 5 mos of age and consistently gives me 5 large eggs per week, and our continual heat barely fazed her.

TeeHee -- having a NN and bare butt must help during hot days! Nice to mix the sweet NNs with the sweet Bielies to get a congenial temperament!

 

[luvmyroos]

So....... we've got a jumbo! All other Biel eggs have been larges.

 

[UberchicRanch]

Alright! Congrats, @luvmyroos keep up the great work! The hens laying large eggs...how old are they?