Considering Barnevelder chickens? The 19 things you must know first
Barnevelders are best known for their unique copper-tinged, dark brown eggs and their stunning good looks. But Barnevelders are also the ideal bird for the novice chicken keeper.
However, before you get your own Barnevelder chickens, there are many things about these birds you need to be aware of. For example, did you know that most of them don’t actually lay those gorgeous dark eggs you see in the photos? Or that you really should get Barnevelders vaccinated for Mareks disease as chicks?
There’s really a lot you need to know before you commit to this bird, and in this article, I cover all those things.
You’ll learn:
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What are Barnevelder chickens?
Barnevelder chicken facts
Category: Pet, eggs, & meat
Origin: Holland
Egg-laying ability: Good
Broodiness: Low-moderate
Meat production: Moderate-good
Cold tolerance: Poor-exceptional (depends on comb size)
Heat tolerance: Moderate-good
Predator evasion: Good
Foraging ability: Good
Toleration for confinement: Good
Temperament: Docile to friendly
Aggression toward flock members: Low
Noise level: Moderate-high
How do you pronounce “Barnevelder?”
The Barnevelder breed’s name is most commonly pronounced “Bar-na-vel-der,” although you will hear some Americans pronounce it “Barn-vel-der.”
Why are they called “’Barnevelders” and where do they come from?
Barnevelders are named after their place of origin, the Barneveld region of the Netherlands.
In the 19th century, Barneveld poultrymen wanted to develop a utility breed possessing 2 special characteristics:
Dark coppery brown eggs
Excellent winter laying
The result was the Barnevelder chicken. The breed was developed though crossing local birds with several other breeds, such as:
Later, other breeds may also have been incorporated into the Barnevelder breed, such as:
A bantam (i.e., miniature) variety of Barnevelder was later developed in Germany by crossing small Barnevelders with other breeds, including:
You can see a Barnevelder Bantam in the video below:
What do Barnevelder chickens look like?
Barnevelder feather colors and patterns
The most common Barnevelder feather pattern in the United States—and the only variety recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA)—is the Double Laced variety. These chickens are gorgeous with greenish-black and dark gold feathers. The hens’ body feathers are dark gold with greenish black lacing.
Barnevelder feathers have an iridescent sheen that glistens in the sunlight—these are truly stunning birds.
You can see what Double Laced Barnevelders look like in the video below.
Although not yet recognized by the APA, several other varieties of Barnevelders exist. These varieties include:
Brown
Brown Blue Double Laced
Crele
Double Laced Silver (also called Silver Laced)
Lavender
You can see some of these varieties in the video slideshow below.
Other notable features of Barnevelder chickens
Barnevelder chickens have upright single combs that are medium-large in size. They have medium-size wattles and red earlobes. Their beaks are dark horn in color, and their eyes are reddish bay. Barnevelders have beautiful yellow shanks and toes.
How big do Barnevelder chickens get?
Roosters: 7 lbs
Hens: 6 lbs
Bantam rooster: 36 oz
Bantam hen: 32 oz
Barnevelder chickens are found both as regular-sized and as bantam-sized (i.e., miniatures). Check out the video below to see the size difference between a Barnevelder and a Barnevelder Bantam.
What do Barnevelder chicks look like?
The most common variety of Barnevelder chick, the Double Laced Barnevelder, comes in various shades of brown and tan, as you can see in the video below.
And in this next video, you can see a Blue Barnevelder chick.
And check out the video below to see a Barnevelder chick hatching from a beautiful dark copper brown egg.
What do older Barnevelder chicks look like?
In the video below, you can see what Barnevelder chicks look like at both 3 weeks and 7 weeks old (the flock is mixed-age).
The 19 things you must know before getting Barnevelder chickens
#1 Barnevelders are the perfect breed for the beginner.
“Good choice for the first-time fancier, as they are all easy to keep—either free-range or in a grass run.”
Barnevelders are one of the best breeds out there for beginners.
They are chill birds, friendly with both humans and other chickens alike. Even roosters tend to be friendly. And kids love them!
Barnevelders are happy in free-range settings or backyard runs. Unlike many breeds, they are not escape artists. And they just pretty much go with the flow.
These birds are also healthy and hardy, aside from being susceptible to Mareks disease (see #19 below), so get them vaccinated!
Overall, Barnevelders are low-maintenance and low-drama. You could do much worse.
#2 Barnevelder hens may take longer than average to start laying eggs.
One of the drawbacks of Barnevelder chickens is that hens may take longer than your average breed to lay eggs. Most dual-purpose birds take about 6 months to begin laying, but Barnevelders can take 8-10 months before they lay their first egg.
#3 Barnevelder hens aren’t prolific layers, but they are good layers.
Egg color: Brown
Egg size: Medium-large
Age of lay: 8-10 months
Eggs/week: 3-4
Eggs/year: 150-200
Barnevelder hens lay 150-200 medium to large brown eggs a year. This is much fewer eggs than a layer breed, such as Leghorns or Anconas, will give you, but is a respectable number for a dual-purpose breed.
Barnevelder egg color can vary from light brown to very dark brown. Some are even cream-colored. The eggs typically have a unique copper tinge to them and some may be speckled.
Check out the video below to see a Barnevelder egg with the copper tinge—you’ll need to fast forward to about 1 minute and 40 seconds in to see the egg.
The Barnevelder hens who lay the very dark brown eggs, so desirable of the breed, are typically not the best layers—it’s a tradeoff for sure.
#4 Some Barnevelder hens lay very dark eggs, but most don’t.
Barnevelders are best known for two things—their beauty and their dark eggs.
“When it comes to color of the eggs, Barnevelders have little competition. The Maranses are in fact the only breed laying an egg of a similar dark brown.”
Many backyard chicken keepers are disappointed when they buy Barnevelder hens and end up with brown eggs that aren’t all that dark.
As one Barnevelder chicken keeper said of her hens, “They don’t lay the really dark eggs, but they are large, dark brown and some of them speckled, pretty just the same.”
We’ve all seen the gorgeous photos of the super-dark, coppery Barnevelder eggs. We’ve all heard how Barnevelder chickens are one of the few breeds who lay super-dark eggs. So, what gives?
The truth is, very few strains of Barnevelder chickens will lay the uniquely dark and beautiful eggs you see in all the photographs. Those dark eggs require very specific genetics (which aren’t well understood at all), and it’s hard for breeders to get it right.
When breeders do breed for those extra dark eggs, they frequently end up also passing along other undesirable traits into their birds. The birds may lose a lot of the physical traits the APA calls for in the Standard of Perfection, or they won’t lay very many eggs, for example.
If you really have your heart set on those beautiful, extra-dark eggs, then your best bet is to buy your chickens through a reputable breeder who’s been breeding for that trait. Not sure where to start? Check out my map of Barnevelder breeders at the bottom of this article. You’re sure to find some who are breeding for dark egg production.
Other chicken keepers go the route of buying hatching eggs and incubating the chicks at home in incubators. If you decide to do that (which I don’t recommend for a brand-new chicken keeper), then make sure you purchase the darkest eggs you can find—or whatever shade it is you’re going for.
#5 Your Barnevelder hens will lay lighter eggs over time.
“At the beginning of her laying period, a Barnevelder hen that is a good layer will produce nice dark brown eggs, but after a couple of weeks, their color will get lighter.”
Even if your Barnevelder eggs start out very dark, you hens will lay lighter eggs over time. This is true of all breeds, no matter what color their eggs are, but it’s especially important for you to know if you’re counting on a supply of beautiful dark eggs.
Your Barnevelder hens will lay their darkest eggs in their first 6 months of laying. Their eggs will very gradually lighten over these first months. By the time your girls have laid for 6 months, their eggs will be noticeably lighter, although they should still be darker than other breeds.
Additionally, your hens’ eggs will gradually lighten within each laying cycle. So, for example, if you have a hen lay 4 days in a row before she takes a day off, the 4th egg will likely be lighter than the 1st egg was. After her day off, her new 1st egg should be a bit darker again.
And, here’s some good news. After an annual molt or a broody period, your hens will layer darker eggs than they were laying before they molted or went broody.
But the take-home message here is that no matter what strain of Barnevelder you get, you won’t consistently get those beautiful super-dark eggs.
#6 Some Barnevelder hens are great winter layers.
Barnevelder hens were originally developed to lay eggs through the bitterly cold and dark winter months in northern Europe. And you can still find some Barnevelder strains today who are great winter layers.
However, not all of the American strains of Barnevelders are so productive. Many Barnevelder chicken keepers will tell you that their hens don’t lay consistently at all. These Barnevelders have likely been bred with an emphasis on their looks or on dark egg color at the expense of their egg production.
So, if consistent winter laying is an important trait for you, be sure to ask breeders or hatcheries what you can expect from their strains of Barnevelder. Find a strain that’s known for exceptional winter laying.
#7 Most Barnevelder hens do not want to be mamas, but hens from some strains do.
Most Barnevelder strains have been bred to not want to go broody and hatch eggs, but you will find some American strains that can be moderately to highly broody.
Those who do go broody and hatch chicks tend to be excellent mothers. Below, you can see a video of Marble, the Barnevelder hen, happily eating with her chicks.
And here, you can see a Brown Blue Laced Barnevelder teaching her chicks to dustbathe—so cute!
Once again, if broodiness—or the lack of broodiness—is important to you, be sure to find a breeder with birds who meet your needs.
#8 Barnevelder chickens can be raised for meat, but may not produce as much meat as you’d like.
Barnevelder chickens have traditionally been raised as dual-purpose birds. They have been developed to be table-ready by 6 months of age. You can see how big 6-month-old Barnevelders are in the video below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP16sgMBq9Y
However, many homesteaders who raise Barnevelders have said that their chickens really don’t make the best table birds.
One chicken keeper said this of her Barnevelder flock, “Mine don’t weigh enough to make a decent table bird, but seriously: who would want to eat them???”
If a meaty, dual-purpose chicken is important to you, make sure you find a breeder who has developed their strain for these traits. Many strains are bred for show-quality looks or for egg production instead, and these may not fit your needs.
#9 Barnevelder chickens are a hardy breed.
Barnevelder chickens are hardy birds. They were originally bred to be hardy and productive through long and dark winters.
Barnevelders also tend to tolerate the heat as well, but will need plenty of shade and cold water. These birds, like so many other breeds, do struggle with the combination of high heat and high humidity.
As one chicken keeper said of her Barnevelder flock, “They’re also hardy birds, but seem to do better in winter than summer. My birds were fine in KY winters, but tanked a bit in the sweltering and humid heat.”
#10 Barnevelder chickens are prone to frostbite on their combs.
Although Barnevelder chickens were bred to survive the bitter cold, they are still, unfortunately, prone to frostbitten combs. It’s the curse of nearly all single-combed breeds, even those most commonly touted as “cold-hardy,” like Plymouth Rocks, Orpingtons, Marans, and, of course, Barnevelders.
Check out the comb on the Barnevelder rooster in the video below. I’d be worried about keeping this guy in freezing temperatures with no supplemental heat in the coop. His wattles are rather large as well, and may also be at risk.
Luckily, there’s an easy solution to this problem, and that’s the Sweeter Heater. This is a radiant heater that you hang above your chickens’ roosting bars. It doesn’t heat the coop, but it warms the chickens underneath it on the roosting bars, and it prevents comb frostbite on those miserably cold winter nights.
You can find small Sweeter Heaters here on Amazon, medium Sweeter Heaters here, and large Sweeter Heaters here. I use them in all my coops and I seriously can’t recommend them highly enough. They are a must-have for all single-combed breeds!
#11 Barnevelders are predator-savvy.
“Their color and active disposition help them avoid predators as they forage on pasture.”
Barnevelder chickens love to range, and most varieties are in colors and patterns that blend in well with their surroundings. Although they aren’t good fliers, they are alert to their surroundings and excel at predator detection.
#12 Barnevelders are excellent foragers and may reduce your feed bill.
Barnevelders love to range and will forage much of their own food if allowed to do so.
Below, you can see a Barnevelder rooster foraging with his mixed flock—and he is gorgeous!
#13 Barnevelders are excellent birds for backyard runs.
“The Barnevelder is a robust breed that will feel at home almost anywhere. You can either let them go about freely or keep them in a run.”
Although Barnevelder chickens love to free range, they also tend to thrive in a backyard. Of course, the more space you can give them, the happier they’ll be. The bigger your run, the better.
These birds do love to forage, so if you keep them in a run, they’ll be happiest if you give them some material to scratch in. Below, you can see Double Laced Silver Barnevelders scratching in freshly pulled grass.
And here, you can see Double Laced Silver Barnevelders—including another stunning rooster—scratching happily in straw bedding in their enclosed run.
#14 Barnevelder chickens may destroy your lawn.
The drawback of having chickens who are great foragers is that they do tend to tear up a lawn. Check out the video below of Barnevelder hens in their keeper’s lawn. Your lawn may look like this too in short order.
#15 Barnevelder chickens tend to be docile, but you may want to handle them from a young age for best results.
“The animals are of a placid nature and can be easily tamed.”
Barnevelder chickens are active and energetic birds, but they’re also typically bred for a docile temperament.
As one chicken keeper said of her Barnevelders, “I love this bird. They are so sweet and will sit on my shoulder, no problems whatsoever.”
Another said of her flock of 3 roosters and 3 hens, “These birds would let me pick them up and hold them, and they would also fly on my lap and sleep there. They were always very good birds. They amazed me how friendly they were, because whenever I called them, they would run right over and come visit.”
However, there are some American strains of Barnevelder that, though still friendly, are less open to being handled.
So, if you want your Barnevelders to be docile, you should definitely talk to breeders before you purchase your birds to make sure you’re buying from a docile strain.
On the other hand, most chicken keepers have found that their Barnevelders are very docile if you simply handle them from a young age.
In the video below, you can see how a man handles his young Barnevelder chickens, Phoenix and Woody. These chickens are only a month and a half old, and already enjoy being held.
#16 Barnevelder chickens are peaceful in a mixed-breed flock, but may be picked on by assertive breeds.
Barnevelders are very gentle with each other and other breeds of chickens. Even roosters tend to get along.
As one chicken keeper said, “I had 3 roosters and 3 hens and they never fought.”
Another said, “I’m very happy with this breed, including the roosters. They get along well together and are not aggressive to us.”
And another told this story: “We have 2 boys free-ranging together… and they are very polite to their girls as well.”
To see just how gentle Barnevelders are, check out the video below of Barnevelder hen, Boudica, ranging peacefully with, not just another chicken (Lizzy the Sussex), but also a rabbit named Angus.
The caption of the video reads: “Angus is still madly in love with Boudica and follows her every move.”
The downside to having such a gentle breed is that they may be harassed if you mix them with more assertive breeds. One chicken keeper said the biggest con to having Barnevelders is that they “let other chickens pick on them” and “will be at the bottom of the pecking order.”
Another keeper said of her Barnevelder hen, “She is never mean to the other chickens… [and] is lowest on the pecking order.”
And another said of her hen, “She also will back down if confronted too much. So, she is a bit on the weaker side.”
Barnevelder chickens are best kept with other peaceful breeds, such as Buckeyes, Buff Orpingtons, or Sussexes.
If you do keep your Barnevelder with more assertive breeds, like Barred Rocks, Wyandottes, or Rhode Island Reds, make sure your coop and run are large enough for your Barnevelders to get away.
#17 Barnevelder chickens love to talk.
Barnevelder chickens tend to be noisier on average than other breeds. Some individuals may be loud, but many just chat softly and contentedly with each other.
Below, you can see a video of a loud Barnevelder hen, titled “Marble complaining about laying an egg.”
And, of course, Barnevelder roosters love to crow—like all roosters. Below, you can hear a Barnevelder’s crow. This guy has an interesting little rise in tone at the end of his crow.
And this Brown Barnevelder rooster has quite a trill in his crow.
#18 Barnevelder chickens purr when they’re happy!
Many Barnevelder chicken keepers have said their chickens make a lot of interesting sounds, including a purring noise when they’re content.
Check out the two videos below to hear Barnevelders purring while they’re being pet.
#19 Barnevelder chickens are highly susceptible to Marek’s disease.
Barnevelder chickens are highly susceptible to Marek’s disease, an illness that can be debilitating and can cause death. In its most common form, Marek’s disease attacks the nerves, spinal cords, and brains of chickens, resulting in paralysis and tremors.
“Affected birds eventually die of starvation or are trampled or get severe sores on their body… They almost never recover from this.”
You’ll definitely want to consider getting your Barnevelder chicks vaccinated for Marek’s. Many hatcheries offer this service at very low cost.
Breeds you may want instead of Barnevelders
If you love dark brown eggs, you may also want to consider Marans, Penedesenca, or Welsummer chickens.
A breed that’s very similar to Barnevelders is the Buckeye chicken. These chickens are a sweet, dual-purpose, American heritage breed. They are rare and in need of preservation—and, in my opinion, the most underrated breed you’ll ever find. Seriously, it’s hard to beat a Buckeye.
And Wyandottes are one more breed you may also want to check out. These are much easier to find than Barnevelders, though similar in many ways, and certainly as beautiful.
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Barnevelder Sources
Bassom, Frances. Mini Encyclopedia: Chicken Breeds and Care. Dorking: Interpet Publishing, 2011.
Damerow, Gail. Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens. North Adams: Storey Publishing, 2017.
Damerow, Gail. The Chicken Health Handbook. North Adams: Storey Publishing, 2015.
Ekarius, Carol. Storey's Illustrated Guide to Poultry Breeds. North Adams: Storey Publishing, 2007.
Hobson, Jeremy and Lewis, Celia. Choosing & Raising Chickens: The Complete Guide to Breeds and Welfare. Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 2009.
Verhoef, Esther and Rijs, Aad. The Complete Encyclopedia of Chickens. Lisse: Rebo Publishers, 2005.
Wallner-Pendleton, Eva and Martin, Gregory P. “Marek’s Disease in Chickens.” Penn State Extension.