The Bielefelder is a recent import to the United States that originated in Bielefeld, Germany. A poultry breeder by the name of Gerd Roth developed the breed by crossing New Hampshires, Malines, Amrocks, and Wyandottes with the goal of creating an auto-sexing, dual-purpose breed. Auto-sexing means that day-old chicks can be sexed when they hatched based on the color of their down generation after generation. Day-old pullet chicks have brown “chipmunk stripes” on their backs, while cockerel chicks are a much lighter shade and do not have any stripes. Adult Bielefelders are beautiful birds and have a color pattern similar to the crele color pattern found in other breeds. The hens have a brown ground color overlaid with faint bars of white and gray. Males have orange barred hackles, backs, and saddles with the tails and breast being black with white barring. Bielefelders are an excellent dual-purpose breed that lays an abundance of brown eggs while still having a well-fleshed carcass.