Information on the Thuringian Barthuhn chicken breed

Thuringian chubby cheeks

General information about the Thuringian Barthuhn

As the name suggests, the Thuringian Barthuhn – a laying breed belonging to the large fowl family – originated in Thuringia at the beginning of the 19th century. Houdans or Paduans are said to have been involved in its creation, but this is unlikely. It is more likely that Slovenian breeds played their part. Unfortunately, this breed is rare and has been added to the Red List of endangered livestock breeds.

Appearance of Thuringian bearded chickens

The beard typical of the breed makes these chickens look very cute. The colors of the eyes, legs and beaks vary depending on the color. However, they all have a small red single comb in common. Ear discs and the small wattles are covered by the beard. They are red if you could see them. Bearded cockerels weigh up to 2.5 kg.

Existing dwarf form

Yes, Thuringian pygmy bearded chicken

Colors of Thuringian bearded chickens

black
white
yellow
red
blue lined
pearl
silver black spotted
chamois white spotted
gold black spotted
partridge-colored

Keeping Thuringian bearded partridges

They need a lot of space to give free rein to their activity, they are diligent foragers and love to scratch for their lives. The Thuringians are a robust breed and well adapted to windy weather – hence the beard which protects them from the cold. They are quite good flyers, which is why the enclosure should be higher if you don’t always want to get them back from neighbors.

Character of Thuringian bearded chickens

Thuringians are a very lively and active breed that want to be kept busy. They will never become cuddly chickens, but with a little patience they will also develop trustin humans. They should be able to take food from your hand in any case. The breeding instinct is not very pronounced, but exceptions prove the rule in this case.

Eggs from Thuringian bearded hens

Thuringian bearded hens lay 160 white eggs weighing approx. 53g.