~~ Bielefelder Kennhuhn ~~
(Bielefeld Chicken)
Rooster Hen
QUICK OVERVIEW
The Bielefelder is a recent import to the U.S. that originated in Bielefeld, Germany. A poultry breeder by the name of Gerd Roth developed the breed by crossing New Hampshires, Malines, Amrocks, and Wyandottes to create an auto-sexing, dual-purpose breed. Auto-sexing means that day-old chicks can be sexed when they hatched based on their coloring. Day-old pullet chicks have brown “chipmunk stripes” on their backs, while cockerel chicks are a much lighter shade and do not have any stripes. Adult Bielefelders are beautiful birds and have a color pattern similar to the crele color pattern found in other breeds. The hens have a brown ground color overlaid with faint bars of white and gray. Males have orange barred hackles, backs, and saddles with the tails and breast being black with white barring. Bielefelders are an excellent dual-purpose breed that lays an abundance of brown eggs while still having a well-fleshed carcass.
Purpose: Dual-Purpose Production: 230 X-Large Brown Eggs/Year Temperament: Calm, Curious, Active, Friendly Mature Weight: 6-10 lbs. Hardiness: Cold and Heat Hardy Broodiness: Rarely Comb Type: Single Comb
QUICK OVERVIEW
The Bielefelder has skyrocketed in popularity since arriving in the U.S. With one of the best personalities of any breed we carry, they are easy to raise and have a quiet, friendly temperament — the hardest thing about raising Bielefelders is being able to pronounce their name. Bielefelders are a hit with homesteading and urban families alike.
Originally from Germany, these gentle giants are beautiful, hardy, and robust. Developed as a true dual-purpose bird, Bielefelders are a wise choice when raising a sustainable flock for both meat and eggs. Their large, round bodies put other heavy breeds to shame. Males have an abundance of thin, barred feathers and are easily 10-12 lbs. Hens aren’t much smaller and lay large brown eggs.
The Bielefelder is a Heritage breed with an established standard in Germany, its country of origin. While the Bielefelder does not have an American standard, and has not been accepted into the American Standard of Perfection, it does meet all other criteria for a Heritage breed: it is naturally mating — not a hybrid or a cross, they breed true from like parent stock and are repeatable for multiple generations, and they are not bred for rapid growth and live a normal life span.
As an auto-sexing breed, male and female baby chicks can be easily identified at hatch, and this trait will pass down to future generations. Male chicks are soft brown and have a white spot on their head, while female chicks are darker in coloring with a chipmunk pattern and a distinct black mark across their eyes.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bielefelder Kennhuhn
The Bielefelder Kennhuhn or Bielefelder is a German breed of domestic chicken. It was developed in the area of Bielefeld in the 1970s by Gerd Roth, who cross-bred birds of Malines and Welsumer stock with American Barred Rocks to create the breed. Like other breeds with Barred Rock parentage, it is auto-sexing – chicks of different sexes can be distinguished by their colour.
History
The concept of an auto-sexing chicken breed goes back to the work of Reginald Punnett in the 1920s and 1930s.
The Bielefelder Kennhuhn was developed in the 1970s in the area of Bielefeld, in Ostwestfalen-Lippe in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. It was created by Gerd Roth by cross-breeding of birds of Malines and Welsumer stock with American Barred Rock birds. It was first exhibited in 1976 as the Deutsche Kennhuhn; in 1980, when the breed was recognised by the Bund Deutscher Rassegeflügelzüchter [de], the name was changed to Bielefelder Kennhuhn.
In 2007 its conservation status, as reported to the DAD-IS database of the FAO, was "not at risk". It is not among the endangered chicken breeds listed by the Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen.
Characteristics
The Bielefelder was initially bred in one colour only, crele (German kennsperber) – the cuckoo pattern with black-breasted red colouring. A silver variety (German silber-kennsperber) was later created; it shows the same patterning as in the crele variety, but without any red or yellow colouration. It is a new colour, not seen in any other breed.
Like other breeds with Barred Rock parentage, the Bielefelder is an auto-sexing breed – chicks of different sexes can be distinguished by their colour.
Use
The Bielefelder is dual-purpose breed, well suited to extensive management. It is fast-growing and yields a good carcass. Hens may give about 230 large brown eggs per year, with an average weight of about 60 g.
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