Bielefelder Chicken Eggs – All You Need to Know

There are a variety of chicken breeds around, with one of the most liked being the Bielefelder, which is a German breed. It was made famous in the later 1970s by Gerd Roth.

These chickens are referred to as the uber chicken or the “super chicken”, a title acquired from the fact that they are excellent utility birds that are resilient to both heat and cold. They are also a dual-purpose breed, finding use for meat and eggs.

They are an auto-sexing breed and as such, it is easy to distinguish the male from the female by their coloring from the day they are hatched. Adult Bielefelders usually have a variegated feather pattern with an excellent coloring that is evolved as a mechanism to attract potential mates. This is also a quality that makes them distinct from the males of all other chicken breeds.

If you are a farmer wondering what breed of chicken to go for, then the Bielefelder is a good alternative, as you can focus on both egg and meat production. This article looks at the breed, identifying some of its characteristics and providing a detailed insight into the chicken breed.

What Color Eggs Do Bielefelder Chickens Lay?

This is a common question among poultry farmers, especially those new to the chicken farming niche. Bielefelder lay brown eggs. The hue of the brown may vary from chicken to chicken depending on its genetic history, but the purebreds generally lay brown eggs.

The egg can be described as having a beautiful brown shade with a visible pink undertone. This distinguishes these eggs from the eggs of other chicken breeds.

What Size Eggs do Bielefelder Chickens Lay?

Aside from color, one of the other characteristics that people are usually curious about as far as Bielefelder eggs go is the size. So, what size eggs should you be expecting from your chickens? Simply put, large. This breed generally grows a relatively large body frame and also produces large eggs.

The eggs vary in weight between 60g to 80g per egg. This can go higher if the eggs are properly fed and lack nothing nutritionally, especially protein and calcium. The weight can go low to about 49g per egg if the chicken is underfed or malnourished.

Are Bielefelder Chickens Good Egg Layers?

The Bielefelder is considered a good breed for egg production. The hens are usually friendly and gentle and produce eggs all year round. As the roosters also have good temperaments, they can aid in the breeding throughout all seasons including winter.

These chickens have a good frame and as a result, can produce a lot of eggs even during the cold months when other breeds generally produce little to no eggs. Even though they get broody from time to time, this does not negatively affect their egg production, their ability to hatch eggs excellently, or their ability to take care of their chicks to maturity.

How Many Eggs Do Bielefelder Chickens Lay?

Bielefeld hens produce 5-7 eggs a week, with the roosters being active all day long and very protective of the hens. On average, they produce around 230 – 250 eggs per year and are known to lay eggs all year long, even in the cold months. This, however, is dependent on the amount of food they are fed since they consume a lot of support for their large meaty carcass.

As the hens are gentle in temperament, it is easy for you to remove eggs from under them without getting pecked. This separates them from most of the other breeds that get quite aggressive when you try to collect their eggs. You can thus collect eggs from the coop daily or periodically during the week.

At What Age Do Bielefelder Chickens Start Laying Eggs?

This is a question that I get a lot from farmers as they evaluate what breeds to select for their egg production. The Bielefelder is a good breed, it however comes with a catch. You are guaranteed a return on your investment with time, you just need a little patience to realize this return. The birds grow to a large size and give a big frame. It thus takes them a little of time to reach maturity.

This means that they will consume a lot of food in the meantime to get their bodies ready for egg laying. It also takes the males some time to mature to an age where they can adequately mate with the large females.

As a result of their size, they generally don’t start laying eggs until about 10 months of age. The investment is also made a little higher by the fact that the chicks tend to be a little more expensive in comparison to the chicks of other breeds.

They will thus consume a large number of feeds for about 9 months before you can realize any gains from them in the way of eggs. Even though this sounds discouraging, it is a worthy investment in the long run. This is because once they achieve maturity, they lay eggs on an almost daily basis consistently throughout the year, including in the winter months when most other chicken breeds drop off.

If you are looking for immediate returns in terms of egg production, then this may not be the breed to go for. For those that are in it for the long haul, this is the best breed, as it will offer you a good number of eggs to sell or consume once they reach maturity.

How Much do Bielefelder Chicken Eggs Cost?

This is an excellent set of eggs to purchase as a farmer or to produce for sale. Bielefelder Hatching Eggs cost about $49.00 a dozen. If you are looking to acquire half a dozen of Bielefelder Hatching Eggs, then the price is usually around $29.00. The price may vary from one location to the next depending on the size of the eggs, with unfertilized eggs costing a little cheaper.

You can use this to guide you when coming up with a price for your eggs if you are looking to breed the chicken for their eggs.

Where Can You Buy Bielefelder Chicken Eggs?

There are several places where you can purchase the eggs. The best place to start is usually the local farmers’ market or a farmer that is close to you. This offers you the chance to get the best value for your money, as you can negotiate the price with someone that you are familiar with.

Other than these, you can find them at most stores and apiaries. You can also choose to purchase them online from a trusted vending, but this adds the extra risk of getting damaged during transportation.

Conclusion

The Bielefelder is an excellent chicken breed for both eggs and meat. It is a relatively low-maintenance breed and requires just basic effort to keep healthy. They are naturally quiet and gentle birds and boast some good cold-resistant qualities. Best of all, they are not very motivated to fly and will focus their effort on getting as big as possible and laying eggs.

For those new to the breed, a perfect way to identify a male chick is by a white or yellow spot on its head and lighter colors. For a female, it is through the chipmunk stripe on their backs. Because of their gentle nature, they can coexist with many other chicken and animal breeds and are thus an excellent free-range alternative as far as chickens go.

They are also gentle enough that children can pet and play with them without fear of being attacked. Hope you have found all the relevant information within this piece as far as the Bielefelder breed goes.