Bergische Kräher

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Bergische Kräher
FAO (2007): endangered[1]: 51 
  • GEH: I, extremely endangered
    • Country of originGermany
    Traits
    Weight
    • Male:
      3–3.5 kg[2]
    • Female:
      2–2.5 kg[2]
    Egg colourwhite
    Comb typesingle
    Classification
    EEyes[3]
    PCGBrare long crowers[4]
  • Gallus gallus domesticus
    • A typical crow

    The Bergische Kräher[a] is a German breed of domestic chicken from the Bergisches Land, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany.[2][5] It is named for its unusually long crow, up to five times as long as that of other breeds, and belongs to the group of long-crowing chicken breeds, which are found from south-east Europe to the Far East.[6]

    History

    Cock bird
    Bantam cock and hens

    The Bergische Kräher has been bred in the

    breed association, the Kräherzüchtervereinigung, was founded in 1884,[8] and the first breed standard dates from 1885.[10]
    : 333 

    Today the Bergische Kräher is a rare breed. In 2001 it was an "endangered breed of the year" of the Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen,[11] and is listed in category I: extrem gefährdet, "extremely endangered", on the Rote Liste of that organisation.[12] In 2009, 77 cocks and 337 hens were recorded;[13] in 2013 the total population was 329.[5]

    Characteristics

    Only one plumage colouring is recognised, gold-laced black.[3][10]: 333  Hen birds are black with some gold markings on the wings and breast; cocks have gold neck-hackles and maroon markings on the wings. The black colour variety is extinct, black-silver coloured birds are extremely rare.[8] Like the Bergische Schlotterkamm, the Bergische Kräher shows typical broad lacing ("Dobbelung") of the breast feathers.[7] Cocks weigh 3–3.5 kg and hens 2–2.5 kg. The comb is single, the earlobes are white, and the legs are slate-blue.[7][10]: 333 

    Use

    The Bergische Kräher is a dual-purpose breed, with good meat qualities. Hens lay about 130 white eggs per year, with an average weight of 56 g;[2] they have little tendency to broodiness.[6]

    Cock crowing contests with Bergische Krähers have been a sport in the Bergische Land for centuries.[14] Since 1923, the breed society has organised annual crowing contests on Ascension Thursday[8]. In these – unlike in most traditional cock crowing contests in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium – the crow is judged for its length and beauty, rather than for its frequency.[15]

    • Hen
      Hen
    • The typical broad lacing (Dobbelung) of the breast feathers
      The typical broad lacing (Dobbelung) of the breast feathers
    • Historical Illustration, Jean Bungartz, 1885
      Historical Illustration, Jean Bungartz, 1885

    Notes

    1. ^ pronounced [ˈbɛʁɡɪʃə ˈkʁɛːɐ]; translatable as "crower of the Bergisches Land"

    References

    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bergischer Kräher.
    1. ISBN 9789251057629
      . Accessed January 2017.
    2. ^ a b c d Rassetafeln: Bergische Kräher (in German). Bund Deutscher Rassegeflügelzüchter. Accessed August 2014.
    3. ^ a b Liste des races et variétés homologuée dans les pays EE (28.04.2013). Entente Européenne d’Aviculture et de Cuniculture. Archived 16 June 2013.
    4. ^ Breed Classification. Poultry Club of Great Britain. Archived 12 June 2018.
    5. ^ a b Breed data sheet: Bergische Kräher/Germany. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed August 2014.
    6. ^ a b c d Bergische Kräher (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Accessed January 2017.
    7. ^ a b c Schwerpunkt - Geflügel: Bergische Kräher (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Accessed August 2014.
    8. ^ a b c d Armin Six (2015). Bergische Kräher (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Accessed May 2019.
    9. ^ Edward Brown (1906). Races of Domestic Poultry. London: Edward Arnold.
    10. ^
      ISBN 9781405156424
      .
    11. ^ Die gefährdete Nutztierrasse des Jahres 2001 (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Archived 23 November 2016.
    12. ^ Gemeinsame Liste alter und einheimischer Geflügelrassen in Deutschland der GEH und des BDRG (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Archived 2 February 2017.
    13. ^ Rote Liste: Einheimische Nutztierrassen in Deutschland 2013 (in German). Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung. Archived 1 February 2014.
    14. ^ Friedrich Wieden (1949). Die Geschichte der Bergischen Kräher. Deutscher Geflügelhof 43. Oldenburg.
    15. ^ Stefaan De Groote (27 June 2011). Hanenzettingen opgenomen in Vlaamse inventaris immaterieel erfgoed (in Dutch, "Cock crowing contest recognised as Flemish national heritage"). Het Nieuwsblad. Accessed October 2015.
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bergische_Kräher&oldid=1182473103"