Bielefelder Bantam

General Appearance

The Bielefelder Bantam is characterized as a relatively spacious, medium-heavy bantam breed with a broad and elongated build, presenting an almost horizontal body posture. It is known for its lively disposition. The body is cylindrical, quite broad, elongated, and carried horizontally.

Physical Traits

• Weight: Roosters typically weigh between 2.65-2.87 lbs (1200-1300g), and hens are between 2.20-2.43 lbs (1000-1100g).
• Head: Medium-sized with a red face.
• Comb: A single comb, medium-sized, upright, with four to six teeth cut to about the middle of the blade. The comb heel partially follows the curve of the neck but must not rest on it, it is lively red.
• Beak: Medium-long and strong, yellowish horn-colored.
• Wattles: Medium-long, well-rounded, and red.
• Earlobes: Medium-sized and red.
• Eyes: Orange-red.
• Neck: Strong, slightly curved, with well-developed hackles.
• Body: The back is broad at the shoulders, long, and carried horizontally. The saddle is broad with a well-rounded blunt angle, merging into the tail, and has well-developed saddle hackles. The breast is broad and deep, well-rounded, and carried slightly forward.
• Wings: Medium-sized, well-closed, almost horizontal, and held firmly against the body. The wing bow is slightly arched. Shoulders are broad.
• Tail: Medium-sized, well-spread, and carried barely medium-high. The main tail feathers are broad and well-covered by medium-long sickles and lesser sickles.
• Abdomen: Broad and full.
• Thighs & Shanks: Thighs are short and strong, largely hidden by body feathering. Shanks are medium-long, unfeathered, with four toes, and are yellow.
• Feathering: Body feathering is well-fitting and moderately broad, slight thigh cushions are allowed.

The Bielefelder Bantam is recognized as a good dual-purpose breed, providing both meat and a respectable number of eggs for a bantam.

• Egg Production: Hens can lay approximately 180 light brown eggs per year.
• Egg Size & Color: They lay brown eggs weighing about 1.2-1.4 oz (35-40g).
• Broodiness: Bielefelder Bantam hens are occasionally broody.

The Bielefelder Bantam is a sex-linkable breed, meaning the sex of day-old chicks can be determined by their down color. Cockerels are ocher-yellow with a light brown back stripe and a clear white spot on their head. Pullets are light brown with a dark brown back stripe and a small, indistinct head spot. Beyond these chick-down differences, in adult birds, apart from secondary sexual characteristics, there are no significant differences in appearance. For laying hens, a well-developed laying abdomen and a broad, well-carried deep breast are highly valued.

The Bielefelder Bantam is a hardy breed, characteristic of many German landrace types. They are resilient and can adapt to various temperate climates. Providing standard, draft-free housing and protection from extreme weather conditions will ensure their well-being and continued productivity.

The main recognized color variety for the Bielefelder Bantam is Cuckoo Red Partridge (Koekoekroodpatrijs). This plumage features light red partridge body feathering with black peppering and flake-like cuckoo markings. Yellowish glitter markings are allowed, and the breast is salmon red without markings. The down color is gray.