Raising Barnevelder Chickens
The Dutch beauty queen - double-laced mahogany feathers like drawn filigree, steady dark-brown eggs, and a calm, quiet temperament that suits villages and small gardens.
Barnevelders are the chicken as artwork - each mahogany feather on a double-laced hen is edged in iridescent black like hand-inked filigree. Bred in Barneveld, Holland's historic poultry capital, they combine that beauty with sensible virtues: calm quiet temperaments, steady brown eggs through winter, and contentment in modest gardens where flightier breeds fret.
Is it right for you?
Ideal for keepers wanting beauty plus utility in a calm, neighbor-friendly package. Not for maximum-production spreadsheets.
Space & Housing
Undemanding: standard coop, modest run (they bear confinement well), low fences suffice - they're heavy and placid.
Feeding & Daily Care
Standard layer routine; they're moderate eaters for their size and easygoing at the feeder.
Getting Started
Available from breeders and better hatcheries; the double-laced pattern matures over the first year - be patient with plain-ish pullets.
Health & Common Problems
Generally robust; keep bedding dry (heavier breeds dislike mud) and follow standard flock care.
What You Get
175-200 brown eggs a year at about 60-65 g each, with good laying through winter (Wikipedia), a strikingly beautiful and quiet flock, and calm birds children can handle.
Costs & Effort
Standard; quality double-laced stock costs a little more and is worth it.
Mistakes in the First Year
- Expecting the near-black eggs of old legend (modern Barnevelders lay mid-dark brown)
- Judging lacing on juveniles
- Letting heavier calm birds get fat on treats
What to Buy
Each product is described from the maker's own product page, checked on 26 October 2026; we have not tested them, and there are no prices here: the Amazon link searches for the exact product, and we may earn a commission if you buy through it.
- RentACoop chicken feeder with large ports: ports sized for chickens 12 weeks and older and adult bantams, with rain covers and an anti-roost lid to keep feed dry and clean. Maker's page · See on Amazon
- RentACoop 5-gallon waterer with auto-fill cups: cups that stay about three-quarters full plus horizontal nipples, an anti-roost cone and an adjustable stand. Maker's page · See on Amazon
- RentACoop 16-egg smart incubator: presets for chicken, duck and quail eggs, held at 99.5 °F (37.5 °C) within 0.5 °F (0.3 °C), automatic turning every 4 hours that stops 3 days before hatch, app alerts and a candling light. Maker's page · See on Amazon
FAQ
What color are Barnevelder eggs? Brown, and large: a Barnevelder hen lays some 175 to 200 brown eggs a year at about 60 to 65 g each, and unlike some breeds keeps laying well in winter (Wikipedia).
Do Barnevelders lay dark brown eggs?
Decent brown, sometimes flecked - but the fabled 'chocolate egg' torch passed to Marans lines long ago. You keep Barnevelders for the whole beautiful package.
Are they good in small gardens?
Among the best of the large breeds: calm, quiet, confinement-tolerant and unbothered by close quarters.
Kit for keeping poultry
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