Bielefelders in the south?

[Clucknut]

Long time member but haven't posted in a long time. Please excuse me.

I lost the last of my Easter Eggers to raccoons this past spring. They dug under the coop and took them at night. I wasn't sure what it was but I finally found a print the morning after the last one disappeared.
My current coop is a large A-frame. It was supposed to be a tractor but it's too heavy to move on a regular basis.
I brought home a few pallets that I'm going to lay down and screw together, then cover with wire.
The coop will be set on top of that and screwed down. As long as I remember to close the door in the evening, I think I'll be good.

So, tell me about Bielefelders...
They caught my attention while I was internet surfing different breeds, and would love to hear from anyone who has them. I see they are cold hardy, but what about heat? I found them advertised for sale here in Florida, but...?
(I'm inland southwest.)
THANKS!

 

[Trimurtisan]

Hi there, have you checked out the review section? It might not answer all your questions, but its good for getting quick opinions. https://www.backyardchickens.com/reviews/bielefelder.11673/

Hopefully you can get some more input, but the review section is pretty handy most times.

 

[sealer39]

I don’t have any but from what I found on the internet they are not very heat tolerant. If you’re wanting a chicken that lays darker eggs, look into Welsummers or Penedesencas. They may be better suited for the Florida summer heat. No matter what breed you get they will need plenty of shade for the summer months.

 

[Clucknut]

Thanks, both.
Egg color isn't important to me. I'm thinking more about size and being flightless.
Dual-purpose, maybe a meat breed that's a fair layer. It's just two of us we don't need more than a few eggs from about six hens.
We're in the woods. Besides raccoons and the occasional bobcat, (I've never seen a coyote...Knock on wood.) we have several large raptors. Eagles, hawks, owls... BIG owls. I like to to free-range my hens inside a 4 ft. fence during the day. I figure larger chickens would be safer.
I've kept small hobby flocks off and on for almost 40 years. Many different breeds. I really enjoyed my OEGBs, but I no longer have a covered run that I can stand up in.
Getting too old to crouch.

 

[jolenesdad]

@Bookworm0124 raised a couple of Biel’s this year for meat I think... I don’t think she is in the south though.

I was looking into them in SE Texas. From my research they’re difficult in the heat, but not impossible. Just like any heavier bird you have to add extra precautions and make sure the location of your coop and yard is appropriate for cool down. You may have to take extra measures during heat waves, like fans or misters or wetting the ground.

 

[Clucknut]

The bottom half of my A-frame is wire. I've rigged a sprinkler up to the top of it before, so that it runs down the sides. The birds will get in underneath to stay cool or play in the mud just outside. I had a nice shade tree over the run, but hurricane Irma took it out. I'll have to hang up a tarp or something.
Some of my most enjoyable flocks to watch were a mix and match of whatever chicks the feed store had. Reds, Rocks, Orps, etc. Maybe I'll just do that again.
Thanks all, for the responses.

 

[Arbutus Peregrine]

What about the Basque Hens or Euskal Oiloas? I know they're hard to find but they seem really heat-tolerant. They are dual-purpose and great free-rangers. I wish this breed was more readily available!!

 

[BlueBaby]

The bottom half of my A-frame is wire. I've rigged a sprinkler up to the top of it before, so that it runs down the sides. The birds will get in underneath to stay cool or play in the mud just outside. I had a nice shade tree over the run, but hurricane Irma took it out. I'll have to hang up a tarp or something.
Some of my most enjoyable flocks to watch were a mix and match of whatever chicks the feed store had. Reds, Rocks, Orps, etc. Maybe I'll just do that again.
Thanks all, for the responses.

Some of that shade cloth over it help's too. That's what I have over my run at the far end that I didn't lay a roof over it, just the wire and then the shade cloth over it. I just attach it to the wire, and then you could still take it down if it's no longer needed.

 

[Clucknut]

Thanks.
I've seen 10'x10' shade tents available for cheap enough that lasting one summer would be justifiable.
I did pick up 8 chicks last weekend at Rural King. Two pullets each of what they had on hand, Production Blue, Black Sex-link, Black Maran Sex-link, and Red Cross.
All new breeds (or, hybrids) to me, but that's half the fun.

Do all Rural Kings have a rooster mascot named Cogburn?
Poor guy, all by himself in a cage. He needs a girlfriend.

 

[Fosmorefarm]

The Bielefelders do not handle heat very well so extra precautions will be needed. The bigger issue with the German Bielefelders is getting the 2011 import only. The later imports by Greenfire were crossbred with something leading to several issues with them. As I understand it Greenfire mixed each successive import with the previous import so they are all compromised. There are a few breeders around the country that have pure 2011 import birds. 95% of them for sale on ebay are mixed breed birds so I would not shop for them there. Check out the 'German Bielefelders Standard Bred' group on Facebook.