Bergische Kräher

Bergische Kräher
Conservation status GEH: I, extremely endangered
Country of origin Germany
Traits
Weight Male: 3–3.5 kg[1]
  Female: 2–2.5 kg[1]
Egg color white
Comb type single
Classification
PCGB rare long crowers[2]
Chicken
Gallus gallus domesticus
The typical crowing

The Bergische Kräher is a German breed of domestic chicken from the Bergisches Land, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany.[1][3] 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.[4]

History

Bergische Kräher cock
The typical broad lacing (Dobbelung) of the breast feathers

The Bergische Kräher has been bred in the Bergisches Land for hundreds of years, and there are various myths about its origins.[5] It was probably brought there from south-east Europe or the Middle East at the time of the Crusades, and may have been spread through the area by Cistercian monks.[4] It is closely related to the Bergische Schlotterkamm[6]:14[7]:134. Crowing contests were held for the birds, and they were selectively bred for their crowing ability.[4] A breed association, the Kräherzüchtervereinigung, was founded in 1884,[6] and the first breed standard dates from 1885.[8]: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,[9] and is listed in category I, "extremely endangered", on the red list of that organisation.[10] In 2009, 77 cocks and 337 hens were recorded;[11] in 2013 the total population was 329.[3]

Characteristics

Only the black-brown-golden colour is considered in international standards, which is called "gold" in the British Standard[12]. 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 animals are extremely rare[6]. Like the Bergische Schlotterkamm, the Bergische Kräher shows typical broad lacing ("Dobbelung") of the breast feathers.[5] 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.[5][8]:333 The Bergische Kräher is a dual-purpose breed, with good meat qualities. Hens lay 120–150 white eggs per year, of up to 60 g in weight; they have little tendency to broodiness.

Cock crowing contests

Cock crowing contests with Bergische Krähers have been a sport in the Bergische Land for centuries[13]. Since 1923, the Breed Association has been organising crowing contests on a yearly basis on Ascension Thursday[6]. Contrary to most traditional cock crowing contests in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, length and beauty of the crowing are rated here, not the crowing frequentness[14].

References

  1. 1 2 3 Rassetafeln: Bergische Kräher (in German). Bund Deutscher Rassegeflügelzüchter. Accessed August 2014.
  2. ↑ Breed Classification. Poultry Club of Great Britain. Accessed August 2014.
  3. 1 2 Breed data sheet: Bergische Kräher/Germany. Domestic Animal Diversity Information System of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Accessed August 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 Bergische Kräher (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Accessed August 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 Schwerpunkt - Geflügel: Bergische Kräher (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Accessed August 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Armin Six (2015). Bergische Kräher (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Accessed October 2015.
  7. ↑ Edward Brown (1906). Races of Domestic Poultry. London: Edward Arnold
  8. 1 2 Victoria Roberts (2008). British poultry standards: complete specifications and judging points of all standardized breeds and varieties of poultry as compiled by the specialist breed clubs and recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 9781405156424.
  9. ↑ Die gefährdete Nutztierrasse des Jahres 2001 (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Accessed August 2014.
  10. ↑ Gemeinsame Liste alter und einheimischer Geflügelrassen in Deutschland der GEH und des BDRG (in German). Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. Accessed August 2014.
  11. ↑ Rote Liste: Einheimische Nutztierrassen in Deutschland 2013 (in German). Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung. Accessed August 2014.
  12. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 2015-10-31. List of European Poultry Standards, by the Entente Européenne. Retrieved October 2015
  13. ↑ Friedrich Wieden: Die Geschichte der Bergischen Kräher. Deutscher Geflügelhof 43. Oldenburg 1949.
  14. ↑ Cock crowing contest recognised as National Heritage in Belgium Stefaan De Groote, Het Nieuwsblad, 27. June 2011 (in Dutch). Accessed October 2015


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