The Brakel is very similar to the Campine. Remarkably from this small group, the breed was revived! The only remaining birds were 2 hens, 2 roosters, and a dozen eggs. In the 1960s, the breed was all but extinct. This makes them well adapted for free-ranging flocks.Īfter both World Wars, the Brakel’s population declined drastically. They are good fliers, alert for predators, and excellent foragers. Hens lay about 180 – 200 eggs per year, which are quite large relative to their medium body size.īrakels are a hardy and active breed. These birds were a staple on small farms in the area and were bred as a dual-purpose breed with excellent egg production and good table quality. They were developed in the Flanders region spanning across northern France, Belgium, and Holland. Their eggs are a unique shade of brown with pink undertones that you won’t find anywhere else. Hens can produce upwards of 230 large eggs per year. Roosters can weigh 10 – 12 pounds! Their size and camouflaging feather pattern makes them perfect for free-range conditions. They have a large frame that holds plenty of meat. They mature to have a complex feather pattern which is best described as cuckoo red partridge.īirds are very friendly and seek human interaction. Females have a chipmunk strip on their backs, while males are lighter in color and have a yellow spot on their heads. This dual-purpose breed is autosexing so males and females can be identified immediately upon hatching. They check off all the boxes on your “perfect chicken” wish list. Consider this breed another example of extraordinary German engineering. The Bielefelder managed to retain the best qualities of all these breeds. Poultry breeder Gerd Roth used genetics from a number of breeds including the Cuckoo Malines, Amrock, Wyandotte, and New Hampshire. The Bielefelder is a modern breed, developed in the early 1970s in Bielefeld, Germany.

Black baby chicks