Bielefelder thread!!!!

[BlueBaby]

Hi,
I have this breed (2 Roosters, 5 hens, 4 pullets). Bought my starter flock from Omega Hills Farm (5F, 3M is how he sells, gave 1 Roo to my daughter). Then ordered 4 Females from Cackle as wanted the M/F ratio to be better & was concerned if I lost a Roo I would be in bad shape (my daughter's Roo was killed by a hawk when she let her chickens out of the pen for about an hour so no alternative there). Okay, enough back story.
You will love this breed if you like laid back chickens who seem to love humans, and if you can wait for eggs as mine didn't start laying until 7 & 8 months old. My flock from Omega Hills hatched January 31st; my 4 from Cackle hatched April 10th and they still haven't laid. Also be aware they are not only big, they are big eaters.
I have 35 chickens (Cream Legbars, Welsummers, Buff Orps, Speckled Sussex, and Cochins) & none of them eat like the Bieles but I love their personality so much & they're absolutely gorgeous that I just take the "hit" of paying a little more for extra feed.
Both my roosters are and always have been perfect gentlemen. They are also very good at taking care of their girls - keeping an eye out for predators, being the last to go into the coop at night - actually wait outside the door until all the ladies are in lol!

Glad that you love yours too! Omega Hills Farm in Mississippi sells hatching eggs for these too.

 

[Sally PB]

You will love this breed if you like laid back chickens who seem to love humans, and if you can wait for eggs as mine didn't start laying until 7 & 8 months old. My flock from Omega Hills hatched January 31st; my 4 from Cackle hatched April 10th and they still haven't laid. Also be aware they are not only big, they are big eaters.

My Bielefelders like to sit on my lap, especially Pip and Sunny. Nowadays, Robin will sit on my lap, or next to me too. Squeak joins in every so often.

Pip looked like the most developed at 5 weeks. Noticeable comb, budding wattles. Enough that if she weren't a Biel, I would have pegged her as a cockerel. Now she has the lightest and smallest "headgear." They were 23 weeks old this past Sunday. Robin has looked ready to lay for a month, but still no eggs.

I'd say I'm going through almost twice the feed I was before I got them. But I also have almost twice the number of birds. I do expect to go through more feed than I do now by the time they are laying.

 

[BlueBaby]

My Bielefelders like to sit on my lap, especially Pip and Sunny. Nowadays, Robin will sit on my lap, or next to me too. Squeak joins in every so often.

Pip looked like the most developed at 5 weeks. Noticeable comb, budding wattles. Enough that if she weren't a Biel, I would have pegged her as a cockerel. Now she has the lightest and smallest "headgear." They were 23 weeks old this past Sunday. Robin has looked ready to lay for a month, but still no eggs.

I'd say I'm going through almost twice the feed I was before I got them. But I also have almost twice the number of birds. I do expect to go through more feed than I do now by the time they are laying.

As long as mine keep laying and giving me those egg's, they can eat what they want to. The Welsh Harlequin ducks and the Bielefelder's are eating and living in peace together.

 

[Sally PB]

@BlueBaby, at what age would you say your Bielefelders were as big as they were going to get? I know mine have a bit more growing to do.

 

[BlueBaby]

@BlueBaby, at what age would you say your Bielefelders were as big as they were going to get? I know mine have a bit more growing to do.

It was sometime after they started laying eggs. I do feed them well though. Whenever I start getting to many egg's, I cook some of the older ones up and mix them into some wet feed. Sometimes other thing's get mixed into that also. In cooler months, they also get some mixed scratch mixed in with that too. They like the leftover pizza crust as an occasional treat too.

 

[My Three Chicks]

My Bielefelder baby is now 7.5 months old (born late March) She's a big, healthy, sweet girl at 6.5 lbs. She hadn't started laying. Which is a-ok. I knew they matured more slowly.
We live in Seattle so we are starting into the colder winter months.
At this point should I expect her not to start laying until after winter?

 

[BlueBaby]

My Bielefelder baby is now 7.5 months old (born late March) She's a big, healthy, sweet girl at 6.5 lbs. She hadn't started laying. Which is a-ok. I knew they matured more slowly.
We live in Seattle so we are starting into the colder winter months.
At this point should I expect her not to start laying until after winter?

What color is her comb? It it a bright red or a faded red?

 

[Sally PB]

My 4 Biels are 26 weeks old, as of last Sunday. One of them looks like she could lay any day now. I saw her checking out the nestbox too.


I'm thinking the other 3 will wait until at least after New Years.

 

[My Three Chicks]

What color is her comb? It it a bright red or a faded red?

It's quite red! Been that way for weeks. But she's shown no interest in the nest box or any other signs of getting close.

 

[Awaytome]

My Bielefelder baby is now 7.5 months old (born late March) She's a big, healthy, sweet girl at 6.5 lbs. She hadn't started laying. Which is a-ok. I knew they matured more slowly.
We live in Seattle so we are starting into the colder winter months.
At this point should I expect her not to start laying until after winter?

Mine are six months now. No eggs yet. I'm not really expecting any until there's a gain in daylight, but one of my runner ducks is still laying consistently, so I suppose anything could happen. I'm in Sequim.