Description
The Bielefelder (Bie-le-fel-der) chicken is a German rare breed of domestic chickens. It was created by Gerd Roth in the 1970’s using Amrocks (Barred Rocks), Malines, Rhode Island Reds and New Hampshire. It has gained the term the “Uber Chicken” due to it’s many desirable characteristics such as being a dual purpose bird and a auto-sexing breed. Male and female chicks look different directly after hatching which makes sexing the birds extremely easy. This breed are a prolific layer on large to extra large eggs. They have a very docile disposition and easy to tame, therefore they are very kid-friendly.
jopa_37 –
Highly responsable hatchery. I live in Puerto Rico and i ordered 6 hen 1 roo. Chicks arrived in 2 day very healthy and alert. The send me 2 extra chikk. 100%ecommended.
jopa_37 –
Highly responsable hatchery. I live in Puerto Rico and i ordered 6 hen 1 roo. Chicks arrived in 2 day very healthy and alert. The send me 2 extra chikk. 10100recommended.
jopa_37 –
Highly responsable hatchery. I Lively in Puerto Rico and i ordered 6 hen 1 roo. Chicks arrived in 2 day very healthy and alert. The send me 2 extra chikk. 100%
s.kress –
Purchased 4 females from an April 10, 2023 hatch. Girls didn’t start laying until early November although 1 did start laying in mid October (so laying at 6- 7 months which isn’t bad). I did switch from commercial feed to DIY and upped their protein. They are laying steadily. The eggs are extra large.
No issues with aggressive behavior, in fact they are curious and friendly. Extremely healthy as have been all my other chicks/orders from Cackle.
Just FYI regarding Biele roosters: I purchased 5 hens and 2 roosters from a breeder that hatched January 31, 2023. The hens are just like mine from Cackle and the roosters are absolute sweethearts, not lap chickens but friendly and non-aggressive. Both are great at watching out for predators. (I would recommend Cackle though as their price is much more affordable).
In my personal experience I would say the only cons for this breed are that they do eat alot and require higher protein intake. They are great winter layers and they made it through the hot Carolina summer with no issues, just hung out under the shade trees.
All are vaccinated for Marek’s which I highly recommend for anyone’s flock.
stephanie Rampado –
I ordered 13 hens and 2 roo’s. like some others have said, they do eat alot but are friendly. 3 have died, but have no idea why. the remaining 10 hens are now 29 weeks old and I’ve yet to see an egg, despite having a light in the coup.
meagalina –
I cannot speak for them as adults, I’ll probably add another review once I’ve seen them in action lol. But I ordered 5 females and received 6:) I’ve been researching them a lot and feel like they’re the best overall chicken for our fam!
Note: I wasn’t expecting my order until tomorrow am, but I checked the tracking and ended up realizing that they left Nashville at 7 am and we’re sitting at a bigger post office about 45 mins from my home. They weren’t going to deliver them to my local post office until tomorrow morning! So I drove there to get them and everyone was still healthy. So my advice is BE PROACTIVE! Don’t expect the USPS to care at all, check the tracking, call ahead, put in the work and chances are you’ll have a 100% success rate! This may shock you because of their stellar track record(sarcasm obviously), but The USPS IS NOT YOUR FRIEND!
Brooke Riley –
Bought these chickens because all the reviews say how sweet it they are. Although the rooster we had attacked our toddler so we had to get rid of him. I could contribute this to the fact that he grew up with a few other aggressive roosters before he could free range, but we had to beilefelder roosters and didn’t seem to have problems with the other one. Although that was did end up dying from unknown causes. I had 3 other fully mature beilefelder hens come up dead. No struggle, no attack signs, they just have seemed to drop dead. I have a mixed flock and none of the other chickens seem to have problems. The beilefelder hens are also my most aggressive hen. They attack out meat birds whenever they get the chance. They are excellent foragers though and lay pretty consistently. 2 our of the 15 I got went broody. So that’s great! Overall, just much more of an aggressive bird than I had hoped for.
Brooke Riley –
These chickens are big and beautiful but I have a mixed flock and they are the most aggressive chicken I have. If one of our meat birds get out, our beilefelder hens go crazy attacking it. We also had to get rid of the rooster we had gotten because it attacked our toddler. The only reason we got this breed is because they were suppose to be so docile. Not the case, unfortunately. They are great layers though!
audra oldham –
I love this breed. If I could give them 6 stars I would. Seriously some of the best birds I’ve ever owned and yall I own hundreds so trust me. Super gentle, great layers, forage like crazy and really pretty. They also get along with a mixed flock very well.
Brandi Brower –
We ordered 10 unsexed chicks. Ended up with three cockerels and ten pullets I believe. The pullets we still have are now 33 weeks and are laying nice medium-ish tan-brown eggs. They LOVE foraging in my goat pens 🙂 Very pretty birds.
Tyler –
Extremely pleased
Great work, Cackle! One didn’t make the journey and a sweet runt could only manage to make it a few weeks before she began to fail at thriving. Overall though, my other 5 hens and rooster are healthy, lovely backyard entertainment alongside their Lavender and Jubilee Orpington flock mates!
Bevy –
Fantastic Birds!
I ordered 8 hens and 1 drake in the Rouen Breed. I was worried when the estimated arrival date was 4 days away. I was afraid I’d have some fatalities….but the birds actually got here in 2 days! They were gorgeous birds….extremely healthy and ready to get out of the box. They were jumping around and excited. They settled in very quickly and are nice and quiet now and very happy campers. I have owned Bielefelder chickens before and just loved them.! Huge eggs and fantastic gentle birds! So, when we moved I had to sell my flock….but now I’m starting a new flock in my new home! If you want the all around dual purpose bird….you want to get the Bielefelder! Thank You!!!!!
Craig Menke –
67% Survival
We ordered 3 Bielefelder along with other birds and the survival rate was decent. I understand that there’s a lot going on right now with COVID, but the way Cackle has handled this situation is poor. They are offering to replace our chicks, but not till August. Very disappointed and will not use Cackle again.
E –
beautiful bird, great customer service
All the birds I received are excellent. Like this one a lot. Thanks to Donna (?) in customer service for helping me.
How pin –
All that they are supposed to be
The males grew very fast. The females started laying right on time and they’ve been very productive. The is variation in the egg color and shape but a little breeding here will address that.
Craig –
Great birds
Bought a three bielefelders last year. So far they have been great birds, very friendly, good egg layers. The females have the look of a much larger brown leghorn but with a smaller crown. They handled the winter in New England very well. Great all around birds.
Doyle –
Fun to watch
I ordered 15 straight-run chickens and received 7 pullets and ten males. I lost one female the first day, another the second day and a third the third day. Those three seemed fairly weak from the beginning. The four females I have left and all the males are now doing fine. I like the birds, but wish I would have lost three males instead of the females, but that’s my luck.
Nana –
Wonderful girls
I am very pleased with my bielefelders. Sweet gente birds. They always come running when i enter the coop and run. Great layers. I will be getting more
Steph B. –
Gentle and beautiful!
These roosters are really gorgeous! And they’re HUGE! I have Buff Brahmas, and they’re bigger than they are! The hens are lovely and gentle. One of my new favorite breeds. Certainly the biggest of all my chickens:)
Charly –
Love my birds!
Pre- ordered chicks for a July 31 shipping. Followed all directions explicitly. All 8 chicks arrived healthy, and because the directions were so clear and through, all chicks survived. It is the end of October and the girls are getting so big! They are sweet and easy-natured. Thank you for the great addition to our farmyard. I recommend you to all of my friends who are impressed by this breed.
Eva –
Big Birds
I got three Bielefelder female-chicks seven months ago. I like that they are very quiet, even after laying eggs or when frightened. They grow huge, and they eat like horses to match. Right now they lay sporadically, like every three to five days. They lay a medium-brown LARGE egg, one of them lays Jumbo eggs sometimes, but they are double yolked. They are tame and like to stare at me trying to figure me out, I guess. They are pretty, too. I’m glad I got them.
jeannine –
I highly recommend
I love my Bielefelders from Cackle Hatchery! All are very healthy, happy birds with exceptional personalities. They all sit on my lap, including my sweet Roo. The girls just started laying recently; it’s like getting a “present” every day! Everyone should try this breed.
Jerry –
Friendly but slow to mature
Excellent flock birds that get along with ducks, geese, turkeys and bantams. Start laying consistently at 8 months. Eggs are smaller than ISA Browns but a consistent shiny pinkish brown. I bought 25 pullets and I am very pleased with the quality overall.
Aj –
A great hen!
I love breed of hen. They are a beautiful bird and have a sweet disposition. Ours have not yet started to lay but we look forward to those eggs in the near future.
Dogmom –
Friendly and very large birds!
In March I purchased 4 Bielefelder female chicks. They are the friendliest, most curious birds I have ever had. They have recently started laying nice, dark brown, very large eggs. I would definitely recommend these birds if you want friendly and curious large birds. Please note, though, they aren’t just “large” they are HUGE! So, be prepared to accommodate extremely large birds.
Lisa –
Very Friendly
I purchased 3 hens and 1 rooster – hens are friendly and produce nice large eggs consistently. took about 4 1/2 months. The rooster – he is AMAZING! – Beautiful, a real gentleman with the ladies and approaches me for hugs every chance he gets. Very personable, sweet breed and integrates with other breeds well –
ML SCOTT –
GREAT CHICKS
We ordered only three (two hens and a rooster) but man we are happy with them. Very calm birds, Richard Nixon, who is our only rooster is very calm and doesn’t act aggressive at all, although he is protective of his gals if we are picking them up, he doesn’t like it. The eggs are BIG. About 30% bigger than our Maran eggs so they do live up to the ‘big egg’ claims. We will be incubating some of their eggs in the spring so we can have some more of these gals. Thanks for the nice chicks.
Laurie –
Enjoy this breed-good “bug eaters”
So far I have been very happy with this breed. They are docile and friendly and just started laying. I regret not having gotten a rooster to match them, however. Maybe next spring.
Flowers6 –
Bielefelders are the Best!
These are absolutely the friendliest chickens! They are great! Grandkids love them, too! Everyone should have the pleasure of having these!
Tom –
Gentle, good layers
I’ve had Bielefelders for years. I added some cackle pullets this spring. They are very gentle and large sized. They first laid eggs at 5.5-6 months. Thanks cackle!
That chicken lady –
Very nice quality
Ordered several pullets and a rooster 4 months ago, mainly because I was curious of the quality of cackles line. They arrived healthy and active. I have yet to be dissatisfied with their friendly disposition, correct coloring and stance. Honestly, their line is on par with my imports. I’m happy to add them to my existing bielefelder flock.
Thank you Cackle, they are wonderful.
Henry –
Happy
Chick arrived alive and well. So far so good on day one.
B. F. –
Nice birds
Very nice birds to have in the flock. I purchased 4 pullets and 1 rooster last spring. The hens have been laying close to an egg per hen every day even through out a record cold winter in Minnesota. They are very calm and gentle birds. I have never owned a rooster that doesn’t try to pick a fight with you until I had a bielefelder. The price was hard to swallow but after recently hatching 12 of my own chicks from them, it is well worth the price.
Tracy –
Very tame, easy going chickens but take a long time to mature
I do love my Bielefelder girls but it’s coming up on a year since I got them and only 1 out of 3 lays an egg. The egg is already large in size-shiny and a medium brown color with light speckles. The birds are almost the size of my 3 year old Black Jersey Giant hens. They are always under my feet, not spooky, pretty quiet-don’t talk a lot, can still be picked on by my older birds even with their size. And given their size, they are not fast movers. It took them 4-5 months to leave the coop to free roam during the day. It is a breed I would buy more of later on because of their sweet disposition.
Katie –
Wonderful birds
We are first time chicken owners and our four Bielefelders have made the process very easy. They are extremely docile and curious and at barely six months they started laying regularly (even though it was the beginning of February!). The first eggs are already between large-medium and smaller-large. They have been very tolerant of a fairly cold winter (zone 6a).
When the chicks arrived they were all very healthy and perky and have quickly grown into beautiful birds!
Ernesto –
5 stars
Beautiful chickens !!
Zelda M. –
I’m in love
I bought 6 chicks to start off a small breeding pen, and overall I’m not very disappointed. Their personalities have been super tame ever since they were day olds, and the boys are big babies until they start crowing – even then, Eddy is still the sweetest roo I’ve ever had. The hen’s coloring has proven to be somewhat inconsistent, but they all have a beautiful type. The only downside I can find to this breed is that they take a really long time to mature. Six months old and no eggs yet :/
Rodney K. –
I would take more
I only have a rooster (named Rick). And is the biggest baby I’ve ever had among roosters. He’s pretty big and entertaining with his whispy tail feathers.