General Information
- Breed Purpose
- Dual purpose
- Comb
- Single
- Broodiness
- Occasional
- Climate Tolerance
- Cold tolerant
- Egg Productivity
- Good
- Egg Size
- Large
- Egg Color
- Brown
- Breed Temperament
- Friendly, gentle, mild tempered, handles well
- Breed Colors/Varieties
- A cuckoo red partridge pattern
- Breed Size
- Large fowl
- APA/ABA Class
- Not recognised
- Color
- A cuckoo red partridge pattern
The Bielefelder is a relatively new breed, development beginning in the 1970’s by Gerd Roth in the area of Bielefeld, Germany, hence the breed's name. They were successful in creating a large fast maturing dual purpose breed with a kind calm temperament and excellent cold tolerance. The hens are friendly, gentle birds, excellent layers for a duel purpose breed, laying about 200 large dark brown eggs a year, and they are good winter layers. They will go broody occasionally. The roosters are said to have exceptionally nice temperaments. The breed has the added benefit of being auto-sexing by colour at hatch.
A number of breeds were used in the creation of the Bielefelder including Malines, New Hampshire Reds and Welsummers. They are a colorful attractive bird, in a cuckoo red partridge pattern reminiscent of the Legbars.
They are not APA recognised.
![chicks.jpg chicks.jpg](https://www.backyardchickens.com/data/attachments/1328/1328851-2cddf10d3b8e4562494991475343ea98.jpg)
Bielefelder chicks
![juvie.jpg juvie.jpg](https://www.backyardchickens.com/data/attachments/1328/1328852-2f8a136e6a9fc88fb4cdce8686891838.jpg)
Bielefelder juveniles
![7006.jpg 7006.jpg](https://www.backyardchickens.com/data/attachments/1328/1328855-b8d23b35ff614da6c6d5f7bba7f4593e.jpg)
Bielefelder hens
![700.jpg 700.jpg](https://www.backyardchickens.com/data/attachments/1328/1328850-4716aff477f9ddc2ac45a3e3646bb20a.jpg)
Bielefelder rooster
For more information on this breed and their owners' and breeders' experiences with them, see our breed discussion here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-breed-focus-bielefelder.1069851/