Barnevelder
Overview
The Barnevelder might be the best-dressed chicken in the yard: each mahogany feather on a double-laced hen is edged in two crisp black rings with an iridescent green sheen, creating a pattern that looks hand-painted. The breed comes from Barneveld, the historic center of the Dutch poultry industry, where it was developed around 1900 to lay the dark brown eggs Dutch markets demanded.
Barnevelders are wonderfully easy keepers. They're calm, quiet, and friendly without being clingy, they tolerate confinement better than most active breeds, and they slot into mixed flocks without drama at either end of the pecking order. They handle cold, damp climates well — unsurprising for a Dutch breed — and keep laying through winter better than many. Expect around 180 eggs per year.
The one caveat concerns egg color: historically Barnevelders laid genuinely dark chocolate eggs, but many modern hatchery lines have drifted toward a lighter caramel brown, sometimes speckled. If deep color matters, seek out breeders who select for it (or pair a Barnevelder's beauty with a Marans' eggs and enjoy both). Either way, you get one of the most beautiful, good-natured birds in poultry.
Pros
- ✓Spectacular double-laced plumage — one of the prettiest breeds anywhere
- ✓Calm, quiet, and friendly — great for suburban flocks
- ✓Tolerates confinement better than most breeds
- ✓Handles cold, damp climates with ease and lays through winter
- ✓Low-drama fit in mixed flocks
Cons
- ✗Many modern lines lay lighter eggs than the famous dark brown
- ✗Moderate production of about 180 eggs per year
- ✗Can be lazy foragers if food is handed to them
- ✗Prone to obesity in confinement without portion control
- ✗Show-quality double-laced stock commands high prices