A Bielefelder Thread !

[Fosmorefarm]

Another pullet with white ear lobes.

 

[Fosmorefarm]

The same pullet, their color and type are excellent.

 

[Fosmorefarm]

I talked to someone from Greenfire Farm tonight about the white ear lobes. Apparently this problem came into the US with some of the birds imported in 2013. She downplayed the number saying she was only aware of a few people that got them. I am not sure if this is a random problem that may pop up in any ones birds from that import or if it is only certain carrier birds. If it were common there would be a lot more of them out there. I know of two people selling eggs from flocks with white ear lobes, one on a facebook group and the one on ebay. I wonder if they know what the SOP is for the breed.

 

[Fosmorefarm]

The darker eggs are from my original flock and the lighter eggs are from the 2013 import birds.

 

[otakalhasas]

The same pullet, their color and type are excellent.

Type/profile is spot on for Biels (at least IMO) but this hen isn't showing very much of the cuckoo pattern. Maybe it is the photo or maybe I'm just used to more cuckoo (what does that say about me, eh?????)! Any chance she is a cross, perhaps with a Welsummer?

 

[Eggscoozme]

The darker eggs are from my original flock and the lighter eggs are from the 2013 import birds.

I bought my birds from GFF back in 2013 or 2014, no white lobes, and this is what my eggs looked like - some are light - all are BIG

 

[otakalhasas]

I bought my birds from GFF back in 2013 or 2014, no white lobes, and this is what my eggs looked like - some are light - all are BIG

Well, one way or the other, they are some beautiful birds who give you beautiful eggs!

 

[Eggscoozme]

Partridge Penedescenca look a little like Bielefelders and have white earlobes, but dark color egg. Hmmmm

 

[Fosmorefarm]

The darker eggs are from my original flock and the lighter eggs are from the 2013 import birds.

When I talked to the person at Greenfire yesterday she asked me what color eggs the problem pullets were laying. When I told her they are lighter than my original eggs she said that was what she had heard from the other people. When I bought my original flock I was getting 1/3 lighter and 2/3 darker eggs. After culling 1/3 of the pullets because they did not meet the SOP for color and type problems my light colored eggs went away too. It seems that there is some correlation between the lighter and darker eggs that even Greenfire is aware of. She also said the reason they keep bringing in more importations is to keep the bloodlines stirred and to try to avoid breed problems. If they would cull hard to get their breeders closer to the SOP their breed problems would most likely go away. I cull any that will not make good breeders I don't breed them to another line in the hope that that line may supply a cure to whatever is lacking. I don't add another bloodline to make a genetic pot of stew that will bring out whatever recessives and problems are created by or exposed by mixing lines.

 

[Faraday40]

The same pullet, their color and type are excellent.

Type/profile is spot on for Biels (at least IMO) but this hen isn't showing very much of the cuckoo pattern. Maybe it is the photo or maybe I'm just used to more cuckoo (what does that say about me, eh?????)! Any chance she is a cross, perhaps with a Welsummer?

The white ear Biele pic posted earlier had a longish tail, so it reminded me a little bit of my Legbars..... but only a little

My Bieles have always had a big rectangular or box-like look. Not sure how else to describe it

My Cream Crested Legbars have a completely diff shape, whitish earlobe, but similar feathers like my Bieles. Not all Legbars have crests, but they are autosexing so they have that similar appearance. IMO their faces are very different, but some visitors tell me that my Legbars look like baby Bieles.