Content
Until recently, the unknown Bielefelder chickens are rapidly gaining popularity today. Although, from the point of view of the chickens themselves, they are not such a young breed.
Bielefelders were bred in the 70s of the last century in the town of the same name. In the creation of these chickens, four meat-and-meat breeds of chickens took part at once. Originally bred as an autosex breed, that is, chickens of this breed can be distinguished by sex from the first day of life, the Bielefelder in '76 was presented at the exhibition as "German Defined". In fact, one cannot demand a rich imagination from the creator of the breed. However, in the 78th year, the breed was renamed according to the place of breeding - the city of Bielefeld.
It was registered as a breed by the German Pedigree Poultry Federation in the 80th year. And already in 84, the dwarf version of the Bielefelder was registered.
Description of the Bielefelder chicken breed
Bielefelders have a very beautiful and original color. They are not just variegated, they also have several colors in color, shimmering into each other. In this case, the speck is evenly scattered throughout the body. This color is called "krill". Roosters of this breed are usually lighter than chickens and have a wider range of colors.
The body of the male is rather elongated with a long back and a wide deep chest. With a large body and medium-sized wings with flying on the fence, the Bielefelder rooster has some difficulties, despite the well-developed powerful shoulders. The crest is large, erect, leaf-shaped. The tail is not long, but fluffy.
Chickens can be quite dark in color, which would be similar to the color of a wild hen, if not for the same speck all over the body.
And they can have a color similar to the color of roosters and be light-colored.
And maybe even with a red mane.
If chickens from a dark hen can be divided by sex from the first day, then from a light hen they may not differ in color at all.
Chickens differ from roosters, except for color, in a more rounded body with a large forward inclination. The belly of chickens is voluminous.
Outwardly, Bielefelder chickens look like a large imposing bird, which in fact they are. The weight of a one-year-old rooster, according to the standard, should be 3.5 - 4 kg, two-year-olds are gaining 4.5 kg. Half-year-old males weigh 3-3.8 kg. The total weight of a chicken is up to 4 kg in two years. A one-year-old hen should weigh up to 3.2 kg. And the chicken is a pullet of 2.5 - 3 kg. Bielefelders move rather slowly, which is possibly facilitated by the relatively short legs compared to the large body with non-feathered metatarsals.
Bielefelder at the exhibition:
Productive characteristics of Bielefelder chickens
Chickens of this breed begin to hatch from six months, reaching a peak of productivity in 1-2 years. After the age of three, the egg production of Bielefelders falls.
Bielefelders carry an average of 210 eggs per year, and according to German standards, an egg must weigh at least 60 g.
Chickens fly evenly throughout the year, but only on condition of long daylight hours. In winter, they need to install artificial lighting. If the daylight hours are shorter than 14 hours, the chickens stop laying.
The advantages of the breed, undoubtedly, include the ability to separate the females from the males from the first day.
The photo of day-old chicks clearly shows the difference between future layers and roosters. Chickens are darker in color, they have light stripes on the back and a dark head. The cockerels are lighter in color, with a white spot on the head. There are only two cockerels in this photo.
Features of keeping and feeding a Bielefelder
The breed is practically unknown in Russia. The happy owners of Bielefelder chickens can be counted almost on one hand. Therefore, almost all the information that a person who wants to get this breed of chickens can get is advertising and does not focus on certain nuances.
Frost resistance... Advertising presents the breed as frost-resistant, but does not specify what this really means. In fact, this does not mean that chickens can spend the night in the snowdrifts of Alaska, it only means that at air temperatures down to -15 ° C they can walk in an open-air cage without a canopy. But they must spend the night in insulated chicken coop.
The second advantage in advertising is the ability of Bielefelder chickens to independently obtain their own food.... But this advantage is also possessed by any other chicken that has the ability to run freely, and only in summer. In winter, any breed of hen needs to be fed. At least not a single hen has yet learned to rip up snow and frozen ground half a meter deep.
If the bielefelders are kept in the enclosure, then even in summer all their "excellent foraging qualities" are reduced to zero, since the pasture in the enclosure will quickly run out.
Even in the photo, the Bielefelder looks like a rather massive chicken. As a large bird, the Bielefelder needs a feed that is high in protein and vitamins. They also need calcium to produce eggs. Therefore, Bielefelders need to be fed a full-fledged chicken feed all year round.
The aim of the breeder was to develop a breed of chicken that is resistant to diseases, fast growing, with a calm character, good meat taste and high egg production. These goals have been achieved. The same frost resistance was also one of the goals. If we recall that in Germany in the last third of the twentieth century -15 in winter was almost the limit of low temperatures, and in many areas even today lower temperatures are a natural disaster, then the application for frost resistance was well founded. But not for Russian conditions.
In the process of hatching, fortunately, the Bielefelder layers retained their hatching instinct, which makes it possible to hatch chickens of this breed not in an incubator, but under a hen.
This is another reason why chickens should be fed. The fast growing Bielefelder chickens require special feeds with a very high protein content. Many bielefelder owners even feed their chickens with dry dog food after chopping it up. In general, this option is quite justified, since meat and bone meal and eggs are used in the manufacture of dog food, but it must be borne in mind that dog food is designed for the metabolism of dogs, not chickens. However, it is not for nothing that the chicken is considered an omnivorous bird.
A couple of times a week, young animals are recommended to be given cottage cheese and boiled fish to provide growing chickens with calcium and protein. Young animals will not be able to achieve the required conditions without such additives. From grain bielefelder is given corn, soybeans, peas, wheat, oats, barley. They are also given finely chopped vegetables.
Some enthusiasts even keep dung heaps to provide chickens with animal protein, although this, rather, pursues another benefit: the production of humus.
Bielefelders are fed twice a day. But the summer diet can differ from the winter diet only if the chickens have the opportunity to run freely in a large area and partially provide themselves with food. Otherwise, the task of providing bielefelders with a full-fledged diet falls entirely on their owner.
Device chicken coop for bielefelders
Due to their non-conflict and slowness, Bielefelders are not able to stand up for themselves. More aggressive and mobile chickens will push them away from the trough, which can lead to a lack of feed for bielefelders.
When arranging an aviary and a chicken coop for bielefelders, their size and weight must be taken into account. The aviary should be spacious enough so that the chickens can walk in it without constantly bumping into each other.
It is better to make the perches low, as when trying to climb a high perch, a heavy hen can be injured.
Bielefelder roosters do not strive for constant fights, but they also have cocky individuals. The only way to avoid a showdown between Bielefelder roosters is not to seat them. If you had to sit down, then you can't put them together.
Bielefelder Bentham
Registered a little later, the large breed of chickens in appearance differs from its large counterpart only in a greater variety of colors. The weight of dwarf bielefeldder roosters is 1.2 kg, chickens - 1.0 kg. Egg production up to 140 eggs per year. Egg weight 40 g.
Dwarf Silver Bielefelder
Young Silver Bielefelders
Golden version of the color of the dwarf Bielefelder
Reviews of the few owners of the Bielefelder chicken breed
In our Crimean conditions, similar in annual temperatures to Germany, these chickens are just a godsend. But, of course, I have to feed them all year round. In summer, we can only find green grass near the river, everything else burns out, but these chickens cannot catch lizards, they are too slow. But in winter I don't worry if I suddenly forgot to close the door to their chicken coop.
Eggs, however, could be carried all year round, but I tried it, then I calculated the cost of the eggs and the cost of the electricity consumed and decided that it would be better to let them rush rarely in winter, but “free”. Eggs are cheaper than electricity.
However, we are not going to give up the Bielefelders. More experienced chickens have already enlightened us that all chickens should be fed, regardless of breed. And stability up to -15 degrees in Russia is like nothing. Therefore, there is absolutely no difference for which breed of chickens we will have to build a warm chicken coop.
Otherwise, I really like these chickens. And the suit, and the fact that they are tame. You can stroke them, you can talk to them about life, sitting on the same bench. Well, they are laying eggs. But after sincere conversations, my hand will not rise to cut them. I will ask the neighbors.
Conclusion
Bielefelders are well suited even for beginners, but it will be necessary to take into account that this breed does not possess any superpowers. But from it, with the right content, you can get high-quality meat and eggs. And at first, you can even do without an incubator, especially if the bird is bred only for their own use.
